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Case study · Health literacy

The pharma ad dictionary nobody asked for.

Drug ads speak their own language: boxed warnings, co-pay cards, “ask your doctor.” RxPlained decodes it one term at a time, with a playful pitch and a plain official definition side by side.

pharma ad terms decoded
372
plain-language categories, from Doctor Speak to Money Talk
5
accounts needed; progress stays on your device
0
RxPlained home screen: the headline “The pharma ad dictionary nobody asked for. Everybody needed.” above a Word of the Day card for ASP (Average Sales Price), with its playful pitch and official definition side by side.RxPlained study mode: the term PHQ (ProofHQ) with its playful pitch and official definition, and buttons to mark it Still learning or Got it.

The problem

Patients hear pharma jargon in every ad break, but the definitions live in prescribing information written for clinicians. People nod along to words that shape decisions about their own health.

How we built it

We write these ads for a living, so we started with the words we use every day and asked what a patient actually hears.

  1. Two definitions per term

    “The Pitch” gets attention with humor. “Official” gives the plain-language meaning.

  2. Five plain categories

    Doctor Speak, Money Talk, Legal Says, Behind the Ad, and Ask Your Doctor, instead of an alphabet wall.

  3. Study mode

    Guess first, reveal the answer, then mark it “Got it” or “Still learning,” with undo.

  4. Private by default

    Saved terms and progress stay in the browser. Analytics run only after consent.

Three views

  • Word of the Day

    A featured term on arrival, plus Shuffle for a random one.

  • Browse and search

    A to Z, Z to A or random order, and Quick Search with a ⌘K shortcut.

  • Study and contribute

    Flashcard practice that tracks what you’re still learning, and a form to propose new terms.

Through the Ansanm™ lens

Four decisions, each mapped to an Ansanm band
The challengeWhat we didAnsanm band
Jargon lands at an anxious momentHumor first, then a plain official definitionEmotional band, Ansanm Framework
A long glossary overwhelmsFive categories and one term at a timeCognitive band, Ansanm Framework
Keyboard users need the same speedSkip link and full keyboard shortcuts for study and searchPhysical band, Ansanm Framework
Health curiosity is privateProgress stored on the device; analytics only with consentPurpose band, Ansanm Framework

Results, and what’s next

Results

Live at rxplained.com with 372 terms, installable to a home screen, and open to new term proposals.

Launched on LinkedIn to hundreds of shares and comments.

Role: aggregator and designer. I collected and curated every term and designed the product.

What we’d do differently: start sooner. The list sat in a notes file for years. The timing worked out, though: building with Claude took it from idea to live site in a fraction of the usual time.

Talk about your health literacy projectVisit rxplained.com

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Please see full Prescribing Information: the 5-minute self-audit