The in-office pharmaceutical visit is something that’s extremely familiar to most physicians and healthcare workers. They’re even familiar to patients: how many times have we all sat in a doctor’s office waiting room and watched a bright young thing come strolling in will a rolling bag full of samples and a brilliant smile, hoping for 10 minutes of the doctor’s time?
The message doctors are beginning to give to pharmaceutical companies is, “Don’t call us, we’ll Google you.”
A new study, courtesy of Capgemini Consulting in conjunction with physician relationship management provider Quantia, found that pharmaceutical companies are increasingly finding less in-office access to physicians through traditional sales representatives. Instead, doctors are turning to digital media for information about new drugs or drug reformulations. More than two-thirds (67percent) of a sample of 3,000 primary care physicians now rate digital media as their preferred source for accessing information, compared to just 20 percent who like to speak face-to-face with a drug company rep.
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“We are seeing a growing trend towards utilizing digital methods of communication. Increasing usage of a digital communication strategy can help pharmaceutical representatives increase engagement with the physicians they want to reach,” said Hala Qanadilo, Principal for Life Sciences with Capgemini Consulting. “While the more traditional face-to-face, in-office visits might decrease, the role of these representatives is projected to be as important as ever. Moving forward, they will need them to be the directors of multiple information sources, customizing their outreach so it is more personalized and physician-centric.”
This means, of course, that pharmaceutical companies are facing great pressure to boost their digital marketing presence when it comes to attracting the attention of prescribing physicians and other healthcare professionals. This may not mean the end of the road for the outside sales rep, however. The study found that more than half (52 percent) of physicians believe the role of the sales representative needs to evolve into a coordinator or director of multichannel information sources to stay on their radar.
It’s all part of a greater trend of technology in healthcare. More and more organizations are using electronic health records (EHR), physicians are carrying tablet computers rather than paper files, the results of diagnostic tests can be shared across great distances, and doctors are increasingly using video conferencing to stay in touch with patients with chronic problems.
Edited by
Alisen Downey
