Company Circumstances Can Help Improve Publicity Regulation

Q: How have authorized third parties in advertising impacted the health industry and its patients?
A: When COFEPRIS opened the door for authorized third parties to participate in advertising-related topics, it eased authorization procedures for the entire industry. The industry relied on COFEPRIS to do all procedures and review all documentation. If a company missed a document or had an error, it had to start the process from scratch. Authorized third parties have become the middle point between the industry and COFEPRIS by allowing companies to review their procedures and ensure everything is in order. The main advantage of hiring an authorized third party is that all the procedures can be done online, helping save money and time.
Q: How does TAAP differentiate from other authorized third parties in advertising?
A: TAAP offers personalized attention and tailor-made solutions. The company reviews each project from the very beginning when contacted by a client and has a team fully trained in health services and medical devices. Most of our clients are in the health industry, in comparison to other authorized parties that have a stronger presence in the alcoholic beverages and food industry.
Q: What are your priorities as new Director General of TAAP?
A: TAAP’s priority is to focus on providing the best customer service. The company wants to continue improving its services based on official quality regulations and will complement its service with an ISO Certification in 2020. The certification is going to make TAAP an even more trusted and quality-oriented authorized third party. Today, TAAP has a high-security vault that it uses to safeguard its clients’ information; this technical area is fully isolated and entrance is only permitted by fingerprint scan. Moreover, all our certifiers are forbidden to access any type of technology and their computers lack USB ports and Wi-Fi connection.
Q: What is TAAP’s strategy to succeed in the industry?
A: TAAP works with companies of all sizes. However, the secret behind TAAP’s success is targeting small companies and entrepreneurs that cannot afford expensive solutions. The company believes young people are going to be major game-changers in the health sector; we are supporting entrepreneurs by providing tailor-made services. TAAP reaches potential customers through forums, events and expos, as well as through social media. However, the company has found that the concept of authorized third parties is still incipient and many people are unaware of the regulatory procedures that must be followed in the health sector.  
Q: María del Mar Meza, Director General of ATP, told us COFEPRIS should implement fines depending on the size of the company. How would this affect small companies?
A: The General Health Law establishes that fines in advertising should be based on the circumstances of the fault. So, before issuing an infraction, the law considers the socioeconomic condition of the infracted, probability of recidivism and the circumstances in which the infraction happened. However, it is true that authorities need to improve their evaluation of socioeconomic conditions because most of the times they apply the same fine to all, regardless of the size of the company. In that case, a big company does not see a big impact on its budget, but for small companies and entrepreneurs this could mean bankruptcy.
Q: What are TAAP’s growth plans for the near future?
A: During 2019, the company would like to position TAAP as an authorized third party specialized in health services and in 2020 to achieve the ISO certification. This would increase trust among clients and bolster our strength in the market.
More companies have reached out to us to seek advice on how to make the best out of the current uncertainty. TAAP is helping companies to navigate the procedures with COFEPRIS and the industry. The biggest opportunity for TAAP are those pharmaceutical companies whose regulatory departments would normally collaborate with COFEPRIS.