In healthcare marketing, trust and accuracy aren’t just values—they’re requirements. And as investment in the Point of Care (POC) channel continues to grow and the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, pharmaceutical brands and marketers require transparency, verification and integrity in their media delivery.
That’s why the Point of Care Marketing Association (POCMA) certifies Point of Care product lines, in partnership with the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM), the world’s largest industry-owned media assurance provider.
POCMA’s certification is more than a seal. It’s a signal of trust that tells pharmaceutical brands and agencies that the media they’re investing in is verified, adheres to the auditing requirements set by The Point of Care Marketing Association and engenders trust among those who transact at the point of care (POC).
We spoke with Richard Murphy, AAM’s CEO, President and Managing Director and Steve Thomas, Veradigm’s Director of Solutions Management, to unpack what being POCMA certified means,AAM’s role in helping POCMA audit POC product lines seeking certification and, ultimately, the value of being POC certified. Here’s what they shared.
Why POCMA Certification Matters
Building a Foundation of Trust
At its core, certification is about compliance that reinforces confidence in the POC channel.
For healthcare marketers, trust is paramount. They need to know that their investments are reaching real patients and providers in verified, compliant settings. POCMA certification ensures that product lines are audited by POCMA-approved third-party auditors and compliant with POCMA Guidance annually.
“Certification protects both sides of the equation,” saidMurphy. “It protects buyers, who know what they’re getting, and it protects sellers, who know they’re competing fairly.”
Benefits for Media Buyers & Media Partners
Certification offers tangible benefits for every stakeholder in the POC ecosystem—from pharmaceutical marketers to media buyers to network partners.
“POCMA certification provides validation for us and for pharma clients we work with in a very heavily scrutinized and regulated industry,” Thomas shared.
- Credibility, Trust & Transparency for Media Buyers. Certification provides independent, verified proof that a product line delivers exactly what it claims. This matters in an environment where accuracy and compliance are critical. Certified POC product lines give marketers and agencies confidence in their reporting. When leveraging certified POC product lines, media buyers can be sure that their campaigns are being executed accurately and transparently across the network. As Murphy explained, “POCMA has done a very good job of integrating certification into the buying process. Many agencies now include POCMA certification as a requirement in their terms and conditions. It’s table stakes for the buyer.”
- Competitive Differentiation & Continuous Improvement for Media Partners. Certification has become an important differentiator for media partners. The audit process media partners go through to certify their POC product lines often identifies operational enhancements they can take to strengthen their networks, rework internal processes and maintain consistency as they grow.
In short, certification benefits everyone. Buyers know they’re investing in trusted media. Media partners can compete on a level playing field. And the industry as a whole reinforces its commitment to accountability and transparency.
AAM Brings Experience and Innovation to Auditing Media
While POCMA provides the final certification seal for POC product lines, AAM conducts the audit that underpins POCMA’s certification process.
“We were created by the industry, for the industry. We’re the source for trusted media, trusted metrics and trusted partners,” said Murphy.
The Alliance for Audited Media is a not-for-profit that has been setting media auditing standards for more than 100 years. Founded in 1914, AAM was founded by advertisers, agencies and publishers who wanted a shared, trustworthy system for measuring media distribution.
“The AAM media assurance team includes computer science engineers, project managers, and digital media specialists. While our mission of providing trustworthy media metrics is consistent, the people, skills, and tools we use to deliver on the mission have evolved with the industry,” said Murphy.
This approach made AAM a natural partner for POCMA. As the POC ecosystem expanded—the need for a trusted, standardized verification framework became clear to ensure brands could trust that the different forms of POC media were delivering accurate data.
“POCMA recognized that having trustworthy, transparent metrics is good for elevating the entire point of care industry,” Murphy explained.
How POCMA Certification Works
The POCMA Certification Program, with pre-certification audits conducted by AAM, provides third-party verification that a POC product line meets POCMA’s Verification and Validation Guidelines. These guidelines establish industry-wide standards for how POC media is produced, distributed and reported.
Every certification engagement follows a rigorous, multi-step process.
Murphy outlined this process clearly: “First, we review and validate the production of the media, whether it’s print or digital. Then we review and validate the media network itself—the physical or digital locations where media runs. From there, we look at how ads are delivered, making sure they meet both industry standards and campaign-specific criteria. Finally, we validate reporting and metrics to ensure accuracy and transparency.”
Following the audit of a given product line, AAM provides POCMA with an affidavit confirming that the product line meets POCMA’s standards, which cover everything from technical delivery to data integrity.
Certification is not a one-time checkbox; it’s an ongoing commitment to compliance. As a part of its audit, AAM reviews 25% of real-life campaigns within a certified product line each year to ensure ongoing accuracy.
The campaigns in review are not samples or hypotheticals. “These are real campaigns either that are in production now, in flight now or have been completed,” Murphy noted.
Veradigm’s Certification Experience
One POCMA member that underwent the certification process was Veradigm. In fact, they were the first electronic health record (EHR) platform to achieve POCMA certification.
Veradigm saw the value of independent validation from the inside out, noted Steve Thomas, Veradigm’s Director of Solutions Management. “Veradigm’s been a leader in point-of-care HCP advertising for over ten years. Being the first EHR to achieve certification was important to us as a leader in this industry. We were confident that the operational process and procedures we established were following strict compliance standards. And we’re committed to trust and transparency.”
Once Veradigm committed to getting their product lines certified, the rigorous auditing process with AAM started. “The process itself was extremely comprehensive and thorough. It took several months for us to complete the initial audit process for certification. But we were confident we could meet the requirements given the operational, technical systems and procedures that we have in place,” said Thomas.
He added that the collaboration with AAM was hands-on and detailed. “We worked closely with AAM throughout the process. The audit was an exhaustive review of our internal systems, technologies deployed, ad serving, reporting methods and operational procedures, as well as full campaign audits.”
Once certified, Veradigm saw how certification strengthened buyer confidence in a complex healthcare environment. “The benefit [of POCMA certification] for us is directly related to our commitment to trust and transparency in this industry,” Thomas says. “Online advertising has its share of nefarious players. Having independent third-party validation by the AAM is a seal of trust for advertisers. Agency and pharma clients need to pay close attention to things like third party certification, given the current regulatory oversight climate. We’re optimistic as awareness of POCMA certification grows, these requirements will grow with it.”
Evolving with the Industry & Certification as a Standard for the Future
Today, POCMA’s certification seal is a hallmark of integrity and performance across the point of care space. It’s also a reflection of the industry’s maturity. AAM’s ongoing partnership with POCMA reflects how far the POC channel has come.
What once consisted largely of posters and brochures has now evolved into a diverse, omnichannel environment that spans everything from digital wallboards in exam rooms, to electronic health records (EHRs) and telehealth platforms.
“The space is incredibly innovative,” Murphy said. “The channel has grown to include magazines, wallboards, educational literature, physical displays, waiting room televisions, digital wallboards, digital exam room screens, electronic health record networks, patient check-in tablets, mobile devices, telehealth, and more.”
Point of Care is a dynamic ecosystem that keeps evolving. That evolution also means the standards for measurement and verification must evolve alongside it. AAM’s experience across print, digital and ad tech auditing allows it to adapt as new technologies emerge.
As healthcare marketing becomes increasingly data-driven, transparent validation will only grow in importance. Certification ensures that as new technologies, platforms and data models emerge, they’re held to the same standards of reliability and accountability.
The Bottom Line
POCMA certification is both a technical process and a statement of integrity. For pharmaceutical marketers, agencies and media networks, earning the POCMA Certification Seal signals a shared commitment to quality and transparency.
In a media landscape where accountability drives credibility and results, certification isn’t optional. It’s essential.
