HRA Pharma

Health & Healthtech · Consumer · Public Affairs

Making contraception more accessible: Launching the UK's first OTC contraceptive pill

740+
earned media stories
14,000
website visits
£6.5k
online sales
95%
market share

Challenge

How do you make the most of a landmark shift in women’s healthcare?

Budget cuts, fragmented services, and reduced GP access had hindered contraception access in the UK, all further worsened by the pandemic. Launching Hana, the first over the counter (OTC) contraceptive pill, required careful media positioning to ensure reclassification success and public trust.

Approach

Making contraception more accessible was a historic milestone but also a sensitive one.

To shape public opinion and avoid potential backlash, we focused on building trust with the media, anticipating risk, and positioning Hana as a safe, empowering choice for women.

Our strategy prioritised anticipation and mitigation of perceived risks in launching an OTC contraceptive pill. We comprehensively mapped media, social conversations and relevant stakeholders to anticipate reactions. Our multi-phase campaign included pre-briefings, a media launch, and post-launch amplification. Activities spanned earned media, creative journalist gifting, and paid media partnerships to sustain momentum around this milestone moment in women’s health.

Award win
Best pharmaceutical product launch (OTC) PR Week, Healthcare & Pharma

Impact

  • Recognised by PRWeek as a 'best practice' launch as a standout example of effective healthcare PR.
  • Our meticulous planning delivered a highly effective, award-winning media launch that achieved an earned media reach of 15 billion.