eHealthInsight Series: Reaching Doctors and Patients Through New Digital Media

Existing sales and marketing models are considered unsustainable. Pharma has been slow to adapt and take advantage of the marketing opportunities offered by the internet. Meanwhile customers are increasingly using the web to source information. Pharma needs to evolve and engage with their customers online, or risk being left behind.



Report Highlights
Rising healthcare cost, P&R controls public skepticism of Pharma companies and legal issues have made the current sales and marketing model unsustainable, they need for specialized sales forces and increased use of the internet as a customer information resource. Increased access to the internet has led a growth in physician and patient websites. Pharma companies need to move forward from the traditional company website and actively engage with its customers. The rise in social media, blogging forums opens up potential opportunities for Pharma marketers, also there are a variety of mediums such as podcasts and live video detailing which are currently underutilized.
[Studien Infos ausblenden]

Figure 1: Cost containment tools in the healthcare industry, 2007 11
Figure 2: Approximately how often do doctors see a drug rep 12
Figure 3: EU users who access websites directed at US audiences 15
Figure 4: Prescribing influencers in the UK primary care setting 19
Figure 5: Allocation of interactive marketing budgets of US Pharma marketers by marketing tactic, 2007 (% of respondents) 22
Figure 6: Drivers and resistors of patient empowerment 23
Figure 7: Internet penetration in all major markets, 2007 24
Figure 8: How recently have you done the following activities? 25
Figure 9: Positive and negative aspects of pharma-patient marketing 27
Figure 10: Pharmaceutical company webpage features 29
Figure 11: Preferred information sources for physicians, 2007 30
Figure 12: Possible outcomes from Pfizer & Sermo collaboration 34
Figure 13: New digital media that pharma could explore further 36
Figure 14: Virtual hospital in Second Life 41
Figure 15: Virtual meeting room in Second Life 42

Table 1: Average time physicians spend viewing campaigns 31
[Tabellenverzeichnis ausblenden]