Pharmaceutical Marketing Tools

Digital Marketing, a relatively new Pharmaceutical Marketing Tools is changing the face of Pharmaceutical Marketing. 99% of the physicians are using the internet and 80%+ of nurses direct patients to health related websites.

There has been a drastic reduction in the number of Pharma sales reps – down 25% from their peak in 2005 with additional declines expected. While the economy certainly is behind these declines, other reasons are cited. Sales reps have less face time available with the doctors. In some cases the doctors are changing their prescribing practices because of influence by insurance companies.

This void is being filled by Pharmaceutical Marketing Tools like websites and iPad apps. Although they’ve been used in Pharma for several years they are becoming more viable as more and more doctors get inclined towards digital technology products. With these apps docs schedule appointments with sales reps, can learn more about side effects of drugs, order free samples and find out which insurers cover certain treatments. The changes are designed to cut costs and to reach docs in ways other than the office visit, which many docs say they find intrusive and annoying.

For example, Novo Nordisk’s biopharmaceutical business in the U.S. reported that 72% of U.S. doctors own a smart phone, and 95% of them use it to download medical applications. The company now has several iPad/iPhone applications for docs. Eli Lilly now is considering “on-demand portals” so docs can access information instantly as they are treating patients.

Pharmaceutical Marketing Tools including online detailing, online events, and other ways to engage docs electronically, make up only 3% of total pharmaceutical promotion spending in the U.S. today; however, that’s triple the amount spent six years ago, when it made up just 1% of total spending. Yes, technology is playing a small role today, but it’s growing.