Pharmaceutical company focuses on more than medication

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc.’s Kirkland-based Canadian headquarters recently unveiled More than Medication, an initiative they hope will inspire Canadians to live healthier lives.

“As a company, Pfizer believes it takes more than medication to be truly healthy. So, as Canadians, it’s up to us to look and say, what do we need to do to live healthy lives. It’s and individual choice,” said Pfizer Canada director of corporate communications, Rhonda O’Gallagher, who pointed out the initiative was spearheaded by the team at the Kirkland headquarters. “Medication, obviously, plays a role when it’s appropriate, but there are other tools and things people can use to lead healthier lives.”

Updated three times per week, the website, www.morethanmedication.ca, has information and resources geared specifically toward Canadians on topics such as how to better prepare yourself for your next visit to the doctor, exercise, stress management, and healthy eating.

The More than Medication initiative was born out of results from Pfizer Canada’s Ipsos-Raid survey, which was conducted between December 2007 and January 2008, and questioned 4,001 consumers, 200 physicians and 190 natural health experts.

Over 90 per cent of those surveyed said having good health is about more than medication. About 98 per cent said it is up to Canadians to take their health into their own hands -- however, only 35 per cent of consumers, 23 per cent of physicians, and 11 per cent of natural health experts said they believed Canadians do a good job of doing that.

“This is an opportunity for us to inspire people to live a healthy, balanced life,” O’Gallagher said.

For more information, visit www.morethanmedication.ca.