Physician Relationships with Pharma and Med Devices being made public

Article in Philadelphia Inquirer today -discussed how UPenn health system will start a website that posts which physicians receive reimbursement from which mfg's. Other prestigious institutions have either gone ahead with similar sites or are planning on it.

Continuing publicity in this area combined with federal oversight and FAW investigations will further impede traditional influence marketing by the device and pharma mfgs.

Companies need to take a hard look at moving their marketing dollars and efforts to eMarketing initiatives, particulary eDetailing, physician nurture marketing and portals.

eMarketing Webinar a huge draw

I presented the first installation of the new eDetailing in a web2.0 world this past month. We covered a wide range of topics including the discussions of the current challenges facing pharmaceutical companies and traditional detailing efforts. We explored solutions to these problems; in particular how eMarketing tools such as email, search, social media and portals can combine in dynamic, multi-channel eMarketing campagns designed to draw physicians into an ongoing dialogue that generates true interest and impacts prescribing behavior.

My white paper is completed and will be published next week. Here is an excerpt from the unpublished version:

The Future of eDetailing
Abstract

Statistics paint a grim picture for traditional detailing….

74% of traditional detail calls last less than 2 minutes
43% of reps never get past the receptionist
60% of physicians provider barriers to access to reps – or will not see them at all


eMarketing campaigns are a valuable tool in the Pharmaceutical Marketer’s box. They provide a supplemental channel to direct sales/traditional details. Traditional detailing is under siege from regulation and an environment in which Physicians are less and less willing to spend face-time with pharmaceutical reps.

The challenge in 2009 and beyond is to leverage eDetailing in the context of a more comprehensive eMarketing strategy. As more and more physicians turn to the web as a primary research tool, Pharmaceutical companies must position themselves to engage in long-term, influence-generating dialogues with practitioners in an online environment

This valuable white paper explores the basic concepts of eMarketing and web2.0 technology. It further details how eDetailing programs must be wrapped into a comprehensive e-marketing strategy.

This paper will further explore the role of the Pharmaceutical Sales rep in this online environment and how, if properly deployed, an eMarketing initiative can assist reps with gaining valuable face time with practitioners.

More to come - check back soon....

The future of eDetailing is in the details

Having spent many years on the consumer b2b marketing side, in various healthcare and database marketing/fulfillment capacities, I was always interested in learning about b2b Marketing. I have dug in and begun to research and deveop solutions to support B2B Pharmaceutical Marketing efforts. The key to this was to understand the notion of eDetailing. This Blog is the result of hundred's of hours of research, discussion with peers and experience in what is now generically termed the eMarketing Space. or Web 2.0 marketing.

Perhaps it's because my father labored for 25 years as a Pharmaceutical rep and my first experience with a traditional Detail Call was at about age 5 - tagging along with my father to Lankenau hospital. Every physician seemed to know who he was. They were happy to see him and they spent time with him.

My how times have changed.

Today, the odds of the average Pharma rep getting more than 2 minutes with a physician are slim to none. Most people who would actually read this blog are intimately familiar with the grim statistics of traditional detail calls.

eDetailing was meant to either replace, supplement or support traditional detailing efforts. Unfortunately, what I now term eDetailing v1.0 has been as difficult to pin down in terms of actually influencing prescriber behavior as the controversial use of mass DTC (Direct to Consumer {more on that shortly}) to drive scripts.

The fundamental problems with EDv1.0 are as follows.

• It has a very high production value that can become obsolete quickly based on changes driven by adverse events, new research or FDA labeling changes.
• It is linear and assumes a practitioner will behave in a linear fashion.
• Many have actually resorted to paying prescribers with honorariums for participating....excuse me....but find me another industry that pays it's audience to participate in marketing....and I would like to be part of that audience.

So the pharmaceutical industry has come at the problem of behavioral modification of prescribers from several angles. Attack on multiple fronts. Traditional detailing, sampling, e-Detailing (EDv1.0) and DTC. ROI has been measured based on data provided by companies such as IMS Health.

A recent article in the USA today discussed the research study done by Harvard which brought into question the impact DTC has on prescriber behavior. "Two recent reports say drug-makers cut Rx ad spending in the first six months of this year. TNS Media Intelligence puts the drop at 3.9% to $2.4 billion. Rival ad tracker Nielsen Monitor-Plus calculates the decline at 4.8% to $2.7 billion."

I was involved in OTC Sample marketing back in the 90's and was always suspect of the actual value in ROI DTC would provide. Mass media is difficult to pin down outside of spikes in product sales outside of couponing when it comes to closed loop ROI analysis. I've always viewed mass media to be the domain of the brand marketeer.....not the direct marketeer.

So where does all of this leave EDv1.0?

Pharmaceutical and Med Device MFG's I've spoken to this year all believe in eMarketing. They just haven't fully gotten thier arms around how to use it effectively.

So what's in store for EDv2.0?

As companies shift budget dollars from Mass DTC, I believe you will see a new wave of eMarketing targeted at the prescriber using the tools and tactics that have been battled tested for years by the Tech Industry.

Statistics are bearing out from numerous credible research firms that physicians actually like email...they like the Internet for research? and they like blogs and social networks just like the rest of the web2.0 world...again...seen initially in the always early-adopting tech sector.

Think of a physician coming out of med school today and completing residency. They have "grown up" using the internet as part of their education.

How we capitalize on the fantastic technology available, the next generation of web-savvy prescribers and the new realities of economics and regulation in the industry will be explored in detail in this blog.

Stay tuned.....

USA TODAY ARTICLE
http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/2008-10-15-media-advertising-spending-drug_N.htm