This post was written by Jillian W. Riley. On January 16, 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a final guidance document for industry providing specific recommendations on the content and format of Dear Health Care Provider (DHCP or “Dear Doctor”) letters. DHCP letters are an important means of communicating new information to the health care provider community about a product that is already on the market. The guidance provides insight into (1) when to send a DHCP letter, (2) what information should be included, (3) how to organize the letter, and (4) how to format the letter. The recent guidance finalizes a draft guidance FDA published in November of 2010. The guidance stresses the importance of collaborating with FDA when crafting DHCP letters to ensure that a DHCP letter is appropriate under the circumstances, that the target audience has been identified, and that the message is clearly conveyed. Additionally, the guidance provides template examples to aid industry in drafting a clear and effective DHCP letter.