Pharma Reps being replaced by iPads and Portals

As previously reported here, industry downsizing has resulted in the loss of over 30,000 sales positions over the past 5 years.   Now, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, big pharma companies have found a way to replace many of the sales reps they’ve been laying off in recent years.  Apparently the void is being filled by digital sales tools such as websites and iPad apps. Doctors can use the tools to ask questions about drugs, order free samples and find out which insurers cover certain treatments. The changes are designed to cut costs and to reach doctors in ways other than the traditional office visit, which many busy physicians say they find intrusive and annoying. In 2009, one of every five doctors in the U.S. was what the industry calls a “no see,” meaning the doctor wouldn’t meet with reps. Just a year later that jumped to one in four.  Currently about three-quarters of industry visits to U.S. doctors’ offices fail to result in a face-to-face meeting. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, drug companies dramatically increased their U.S. sales forces, an escalation most companies came to regret as the economy took a downturn.  Many of those same companies are now involved in this digital shift including Sanofi-Aventis, Merck, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis and Boehringer Ingelheim . Citing data from market-research firms, Eddie Williams, head of Novo Nordisk‘s biopharmaceutical business in the U.S., said 72% of U.S. doctors own a smartphone, and 95% of them use it to download medical applications. Novo Nordisk has several applications available on iTunes, including one that helps doctors calculate blood-sugar levels and another iPad/iPhone application which offers tools to help doctors diagnose bleeding disorders. Other companies such as Eli Lilly  are now considering “on-demand portals” that will allow doctors to access information instantly as they are treating patients. Although some companies have yet to be convinced of the benefits of e-marketing, most agree it is the way forward. Following the launch of Pradaxa in the U.S., Boehringer Ingelheim put together a digital-marketing package to target doctors, but found that sales calls to doctors’ offices were still the most powerful tool for driving new prescriptions, says. “No doubt digital marketing does have an impact…but I don’t believe, however, the shift happens overnight,” said Wa’el Hashad, the company’s VP of marketing. SRxA can help pharmaceutical clients with all of their digital marketing needs. Whether it’s interactive e-learning platforms, webinars, podcasts, e-newsletters, e-surveys or website design and development our fully customized, physician approved offerings will exceed your expectations. Contact us today to learn more.