Developing customer databases

There is a growing consensus among pharmaceutical companies that more product and customer-specific approaches to marketing and selling a new drug can result in substantial increases in sales. Marketers and researchers taking a proactive micro-marketing approach to identifying, profiling, and communicating with target customers are likely to facilitate such approaches and outcomes. This article provides a working framework for creating customer databases that can be effectively mined to achieve a variety of such marketing and sales force objectives.     

Pharmaceutical marketing in a new age. Effective campaigns still need to focus on what customers want

The pharmaceutical industry has focused heavily on marketers' ability to market new products more efficiently. However, a more streamlined marketing approach can help address customers' needs and ease the pressure on drug companies to discover new drugs with blockbuster appeal. Through discussion and a detailed example, this article describes a stream-lined approach to creating more effective marketing and sales force strategies.     

Relationships of physicians with pharmaceutical sales representatives and pharmaceutical companies: an exploratory study

Physicians were surveyed in Northwestern Pennsylvania to examine how they viewed their relationships with pharmaceutical sales representatives (PSR) and the pharmaceutical industry. Physicians viewed the PSR as an important source of information, but felt that they could get needed information from other sources without the PSR's assistance. Physicians also had friendly relations with PSRs and did not distrust them, but they did not view PSRs as a vital part of their practice. Samples and gifts provided by the pharmaceutical companies were not viewed as vital to gaining access to physicians. However, the financial support the companies provided for continuing medical education was seen as vital. The selling approaches used by PSRs was not considered as manipulative, nor were PSRs thought to be perceived negatively by the medical community. A majority of the physicians said they would accept honoraria for delivering lectures to pharmaceutical companies. Twenty-five percent of the responding physicians also owned stock in pharmaceutical companies.     

Relationships of Physicians with Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives and Pharmaceutical Companies:

Physicians were surveyed in Northwestern Pennsylvania to examine how they viewed their relationships with pharmaceutical sales representatives (PSR) and the pharmaceutical industry. Physicians viewed the PSR as an important source of information, but felt that they could get needed information from other sources without the PSR's assistance. Physicians also had friendly relationships with the PSRs and did not distrust them, but they did not view PSRs as a vital part of their practice. Samples and gifts provided by the pharmaceutical companies were not viewed as vital to gaining access to physicians. However, the financial support the companies provided for continuing medical education was seen as vital. The selling approaches used by PSRs was not considered manipulative, nor were PSRs thought to be perceived negatively by the medical community. A majority of the physicians said they would accept honoraria for delivering lectures to pharmaceutical companies. Twenty-five percent of the responding physicians also owned stock in pharmaceutical companies.     

健康产业营销人才需求调查研究

目的 通过健康产业营销人才培养需方调查,为健康产业营销专业复合型高级专门人才的培养方案及课程设置提供参考和建议.方法 采用分层整群抽样的方法对杭州地区的健康管理公司及相关机构、健康体检中心和健康保险公司开展问卷调查.结果 68.9％的调查对象认为健康产业营销人才需求大；健康产业营销人才应具备的前3位知识分别是是健康保健知识、医学基础知识和营销学知识.结论 健康产业营销人才属于高素质营销管理人才,其培养要体现复合型、专业型和应用型的目标.     

Strategic imperatives for globalization of industries in developing countries: an Indian pharmaceutical industry example

The annual global pharmaceutical sales have grown over 466 billion dollars, almost 50% of which comes from North America. Among developing countries, India, with 16% of the world population, accounts for only a small percentage of the global pharmaceutical industry. Until recently, India has had virtually no pharmaceutical industry worth the name producing drugs from basic raw materials and it used to rely mostly on the imports from countries like the USA and England for all its requirements of drugs. On the other hand, India has seen a plethora of multinational pharmaceutical companies come and do business in India. This paper develops a matrix which provides a broad guidance to the mid- to large-size Indian pharmaceutical domestic companies, which should embark on the path to global expansion to establish their might as well.     

Jordanian pharmaceutical companies: are their marketing efforts paying off?

The pharmaceuticals industry is one of the main industries in Jordan. Jordanian pharmaceuticals rank third in the export industry of this country. This study aims to examine the strengths that Jordanian pharmaceutical companies have, which, in turn, form their competitiveness base. In addition, this study aims to identify their weaknesses and the effects of marketing their products in the local market. What is the relationship between Jordanian pharmaceutical product quality, price and value, and the competitiveness of pharmaceutical companies in the local market? Our study aims to answer this and other questions. Our results and practical implications are discussed.     

Jordanian Pharmaceutical Companies: Are Their Marketing Efforts Paying Off?

The pharmaceuticals industry is one of the main industries in Jordan. Jordanian pharmaceuticals rank third in the export industry of this country. This study aims to examine the strengths that Jordanian pharmaceutical companies have, which, in turn, form their competitiveness base. In addition, this study aims to identify their weaknesses and the effects of marketing their products in the local market. What is the relationship between Jordanian pharmaceutical product quality, price and value, and the competitiveness of pharmaceutical companies in the local market? Our study aims to answer this and other questions. Our results and practical implications are discussed.     

Generic Medicines: Solutions for a Sustainable Drug Market?

Generic medicines offer equally high-quality treatment as originator medicines do at much lower prices. As such, they represent a considerable opportunity for authorities to obtain substantial savings. At the moment, the pharmaceutical landscape is changing and many pharmaceutical companies have altered their development and commercial strategies, combining both originator and generic divisions. In spite of this, the generic medicines industry is currently facing a number of challenges: delayed market access; the limited price differential with originator medicines; the continuous downwards pressure on prices; and the negative perception regarding generic medicines held by some key stakeholder groups. This could jeopardize the long-term sustainability of the generic manufacturing industry. Therefore, governments must focus on demand-side policies, alongside policies to accelerate market access, as the generic medicines industry will only be able to deliver competitive and sustainable prices if they are ensured a high volume. In the future, the generic medicines industry will increasingly look to biosimilars and generic versions of orphan drugs to expand their business.     

Internet sales of tobacco: heading off the new E-pidemic

Tobacco vendors are a growing presence on the internet. We describe the business appeal of the internet to tobacco retailers, including interviews with industry insiders that reveal the marketing goals and strategies of tobacco companies and highlight the potential future risks to tobacco control efforts. In countering these tactics, tobacco control advocates should not limit themselves to legal and regulatory remedies, but should also use the power of the internet to their own advantage. We suggest methods to combat the growing number of sites devoted to tobacco sales. These strategies could be used to limit both consumer access to, and sales effectiveness of, these sites.     

Retail trade incentives: how tobacco industry practices compare with those of other industries.

OBJECTIVES: This study compared the incentive payments for premium shelf space and discounts on volume purchases paid to retailers by 5 types of companies. METHODS: Merchants were interviewed at 108 randomly selected small retail outlets that sell tobacco in Santa Clara County, California. RESULTS: Significantly more retailers reported receiving slotting/display allowances for tobacco (62.4%) than for any other product type. An average store participating in a retailer incentive program received approximately $3157 annually from all sampled product types, of which approximately $2462 (78%) came from tobacco companies. CONCLUSIONS: Future research should assess the impact of tobacco industry incentive programs on the in-store marketing and sales practices of retailers.     

Report raises questions about drug companies advertising budgets

A report by AIDS Action cites that data, indicates the pharmaceutical industry is spending more resources on marketing and advertising than on research and development (R&D). The pharmaceutical industry blames the high cost of AIDS drugs on R&D information compiled from annual reports and industry publications show excessive marketing as the source. A spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) disputes the information in the AIDS Action report as misleading. According to PhRMA, research spending has been steadily increasing, and at a greater rate than any other industry. In addition, PhRMA noted that pharmaceutical companies have already dedicated money to fund initiatives in developing countries. Solutions proposed by AIDS Action include lowering drug prices or transferring funds from marketing to research, and reestablishing the "reasonable pricing clause" between National Institutes of Health and those companies seeking tax breaks for R&D.     

It’s Time to Shine the Light on Direct-to-Consumer Advertising

Pharmaceutical marketing is undergoing a transition as the business, delivery, and consumption of health care have increasingly become part of a growing digital landscape. Changes in pharmaceutical promotion also coincide with federal “sunshine” regulations newly implemented under the Affordable Care Act that require disclosure of certain marketing and industry payments to physicians. Collectively, these trends could lead to fundamental shifts in physician-directed and direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) that have yet to be adequately identified or explored. In response, we advocate for greater DTCA transparency, especially in the emerging digital forms of DTCA, to complement forthcoming sunshine transparency data. This will allow more robust study and understanding of changes in overall pharmaceutical marketing trends and their impact on health care consumption and behavior. This can also lead to more targeted state and federal policy interventions leveraging existing federal transparency regulations to ensure appropriate marketing, sales, and consumption of pharmaceutical products.     

From public health to international law: possible protocols for inclusion in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Faced with a difficult business environment in the United States and the falling demand for cigarettes in industrialized countries, multinational tobacco companies have been competing fiercely to expand their sales in developing countries. Because of the worldwide threat posed by smoking to health and the emphasis being placed by international tobacco companies on marketing in developing countries, an international regulatory strategy, such as the WHO proposed Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, is needed. This review describes from a public health perspective the possible scope and key considerations of protocols that should be included in the convention. The key international areas that should be considered in tobacco control are: prices, smuggling; tax-free tobacco products; advertising and sponsorship; the Internet; testing methods; package design and labelling; agriculture; and information sharing.     

Exposure of medical students to pharmaceutical marketing in primary care settings: frequent and influential

It is known that interaction between pharmaceutical companies and medical professionals may lead to corruption of professional values, irrational use of medicine, and negative effects on the patient–physician relationship. Medical students frequently interact with pharmaceutical company representatives and increasingly accept their gifts. Considering the move toward early clinical encounters and community-based education, which expose students early to pharmaceutical representatives, the influence of those gifts is becoming a matter of concern. This study examines the frequency and influence of student exposure to drug marketing in primary care settings, as well as student perceptions of physician–pharmaceutical company relationships. This was a two-phase study consisting of qualitative research followed by a cross-sectional survey. Clinical experience logbooks of 280 second-year students in one school were analysed, and the themes that emerged were used to develop a survey that was administered to 308 third-year students from two medical schools. Survey results showed a 91.2% exposure to any type of marketing, and 56.8% of students were exposed to all classes of marketing methods studied. Deliberate targeting of students by pharmaceutical representatives, in particular, was correlated with being less sensitive to the negative effects of and having positive opinions about interactions with pharmaceutical companies. The vast majority of students are exposed to drug marketing in primary care settings, and may become more vulnerable to that strategy. Considering that medical students are vulnerable and are targeted deliberately by pharmaceutical companies, interventions aimed at developing skills in the rational use of medicines and in strategies for coping with drug marketing should be devised.     

A cold of the soul: a Japanese case of disease mongering in psychiatry

In Japan, depression provides the most drastic example of the impact of disease awareness campaigns. Until the late 1990 s, the public's attitude toward depression was generally unfavorable, due to the negative connotations of the Japanese word for clinical depression, 'utsubyou'. After the 1999 introduction of the first selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, pharmaceutical companies initiated educational campaigns. In order to aid the drug's acceptance, they coined the catchphrase 'kokoro no kaze', which literally means 'a cold of the soul'. Thanks to these marketing practices, antidepressant sales have increased six fold, from ￥ 14.5 billion in 1998 to ￥ 87 billion in 2006. However, the catchphrase 'kokoro no kaze' masked a critical difference between a cold and depression. It falsified the nature of treatment for depression by concealing the putative duration of medication. Owing to this distortion of information, pharmaceutical companies were assured a steady stream of profits. Now, the pharmaceutical industry is shifting its focus from depression to bipolar disorder. Japanese psychiatrists can learn a great deal from their experience with the aggressive marketing of antidepressants. In the case of depression, over-medication arguably did more harm than good. The same risk exists with other conditions, including bipolar disorder.     

The impact of generic substitution on the turnover and gross margin of pharmaceutical companies a survey 1 year and 5 years after the introduction of generic substitution in Finland

ObjectivesTo explore and compare the impact of generic substitution (GS) on the turnover and gross margin per cent of pharmaceutical companies representing mainly original or generic products in Finland.MethodsA mail survey to pharmaceutical companies with an office in Finland and substitutable medicines in the Finnish pharmaceutical market 1 year (2004) and nearly 5 years (2008) after GS. The questionnaire were answered by 16 original and 7 generic product companies in 2004 (response rate 56%, n = 41) and by 16 original and 6 generic product companies in 2008 (response rate 56%, n = 39).ResultsTurnover had decreased in the original product companies and increased in the generic product companies. The gross margin per cent had decreased in the original and generic product companies, and the companies had also compensated for it in many ways.ConclusionsThe study suggests that GS has promoted the sales of generic product companies in Finland. However, price competition caused by GS has generally decreased the proportion of profit from turnover in the original and generic product companies. The companies have also compensated for their decreased gross margin, which suggests that the profit in euros has not been sufficient to cover fixed costs in the companies.     

Managerial implications of medical sales representative perceptions of job duties, job qualifications, and other performance-related issues

This study examined the perceptions of medical sales representatives of job related duties, job qualifications needed, and motivating factors and tested for differences based on gender, age, years of experience and education using prior research as a base. This study also explored issues that may arise between sales people and physicians. The authors surveyed 132 medical sales representatives from pharmaceutical firms located in Ankara, Turkey. The authors' findings highlight the need in Turkey for developing in-service training programs for medical sales representatives, especially in the areas related to technical aspects of the product, effective marketing and personal selling strategies, and consumer relations. Training in these areas will help salespeople to better manage the problems typically encountered in physician-sales representative relations. While the study was conducted in Turkey, the results are similar to findings in prior research conducted in other countries and therefore may be of interest to all sales managers.     

Comparison of food industry policies and commitments on marketing to children and product (re)formulation in Australia,New Zealand and Fiji

Unhealthy food environments are known to be major drivers of diet-related non-communicable diseases globally, and there is an imperative for major food companies to be publicly accountable for their actions to improve the healthiness of food environments. This paper examines the prevalence of publicly available policies and commitments of major packaged food and soft drink manufacturers, and fast-food restaurants in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji with respect to reducing food marketing to children and product (re)formulation. In each country, the most prominent companies in each sector were selected. Company policies, commitments and relevant industry initiatives were gleaned from company and industry association websites. In Australia and New Zealand, there are a higher proportion of companies with publicly available marketing and formulation policies than in Fiji. However, even in Australia, a large proportion of the most prominent food companies do not have publicly available policies. Where they exist, policies on food marketing to children generally focus on those aged less than 12, do not apply to all types of media, marketing channels and techniques, and do not provide transparency with respect to the products to which the policies apply. Product formulation policies, where they exist, focus mostly on salt reduction and changes to the make-up of overall product portfolios, and do not generally address saturated fat, added sugar and energy reduction. In the absence of strong policies and corresponding actions by the private sector, it is likely that government action (e.g. through co-regulation or legislation) will be needed to drive improved company performance.