2020 Postponed. Your Health Can’t Be

Around the world, concerts, sporting events and movies slated for release in 2020 are being postponed to 2021. These delays are necessary to protect people’s health as we rely on social distancing, hand washing and wearing masks to help slow transmission rates of COVID-19. The one thing people should not postpone is taking care of their health. 

Unlike movies or concerts, consumer health can’t wait. From cancer screenings and orthopedic surgery to daily care routine, it’s critical that people continue to care for themselves, even during a global pandemic. And, as the leader for the Consumer Health sector of Johnson & Johnson, I want to urge people to take care of their personal health. Be it aches, pain, seasonal allergies, or a “maskne” breakout we cannot let the pandemic stop us from caring for ourselves. Health issues keep happening and people need options.

Recognizing our responsibility to help people live healthy lives, we are especially committed to tackle smoking cessation. While I understand that this is a time of unprecedented stress, it was disheartening to read in the Wall Street Journal that Americans are smoking more during this pandemic – and we know it is the case in other countries as well. The good news is that we can help. Since launching NICORETTE® in 1978, we estimate that use of our nicotine replacement therapy gums and patches have helped people to quit smoking, thereby helping save the lives of millions from smoking related diseases. It is statistics like this that inspire us to do more at Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health. 

The quit journey is highly personal. What works for one person, may not work for another. Our team feels a great sense of responsibility to bring forward new ways to help smokers quit, especially now.

Leading into 2020, our NICORETTE® team was incredibly excited to launch the first connected OTC product that can improve a smoker’s chances of likelihood of quitting by 2.5x vs willpower alone. Nicorette QuickMist™ SmartTrack connects our fast craving relief spray to a personalized support app – allowing consumers to set a personalized quit plan in the app, track their progress and product usage towards their quitting goals, and receive motivational tips to help them stay on track.

Just as movies take a long time to write, shoot, produce and edit, our team worked for years to find the right balance of behavioral science, technology and educational cues to help people quit. The team worked through registration with health authorities and prepared for a UK launch. At the time of launch, the first wave of the pandemic hit Europe and the global supply chain was disrupted.

Recognizing the importance of helping people to quit smoking, our team quickly re-evaluated launch plans and worked closely with BootsUK – one of our key retail partners for smoking cessation – to align on a new path forward to ensure this technology and tool was available to those who need help quitting. Health doesn’t wait.

The team’s key learnings from launching a product during COVID, include:

1. Relentlessly prioritize – Stay focused on opportunities that will make a significant impact on consumer health. This is our greatest priority
2. Be adaptable – Show flexibility and be transparent with external partners. When our supply chain team encountered delays in securing the chips that link our device to the app due to COVID related shipping challenges, we were transparent with our retail partners. They understood delays as we worked to solve the problem and ensure we received the quantity needed to launch in full.
3. Iterate in collaboration – To quickly break barriers, we needed to collaborate with others. We needed to try new ways of doing things.

By pushing ahead, the Nicorette team helped bring forward a new tool to help smokers quit. Ultimately, helping people live healthier lives.

And you, what are you doing to take care of your heath during these unprecedented times? If you’ve been delaying essential surgery due to COVID, my colleagues at Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices created the My Health Can’t Wait resource hub that provides key resources and information to help you communicate with your healthcare provider about prioritizing needed care.

Remember: your health can’t wait.