Pharma: Experts’ Handholding is Pivotal in Digital Marketing Transition Phase

Pharma: Experts’ Handholding is Pivotal in Digital Marketing Transition Phase

Pilman – A Tapan Ray Website on Helathcare” completes 10 years, today. 

Inspired by some of my dear friends, I created this website on January 14, 2009. Since then, reasonably well-researched articles, penned by me, on various aspects of health care, and the pharma industry, appeared in this blog – on every Monday morning of every week – uninterrupted – not even once. It did not just happen, I took a vow to make it happen with the same zeal, consistency and frequency, in the first 10 years of its launch – come what may. 

During this period, I have been humbled by tens of thousands of my dear readers, from all over the world, who went through these articles –  spending their valuable time. Today, with all humility, I bow my head before each of my readers to make it happen. After Ten years – a time has now come for me to decide what next. Thank you so much, from the very core of my heart.

Talking about digital marketing in pharma is virtually a fad now. It sounds so modern, sleek and is a great attention getter, especially in the tradition bound pharma industry. Advertisements of umpteen number of training programs are spilling all over. Even those who never worked with digital marketing in pharma, or possess any basic theoretical knowledge in this technology, are jumping into the fray. Some trainers claim to impart subject knowledge in the pharma domain, while others assert facilitating quick implementation of digital marketing by pharma executives.

Thus, the question that follows, why is the sudden interest in digital marketing for pharma by such trainers? What is happening in reality after these trainings? Is one blind man trying to help another blind man in this area, or it is a competition for sheer eyeball grabbing? Some friends in the industry do say, the common thread of ‘imparting training’ of this nature on digital marketing – outside any pharma company, is possibly the intent of ‘making a quick buck, while the sun shines.’

To me, this sounds too blunt a statement, as I reckon, expression of such a view will be unfair to formally qualified digital experts with proven experience of success in the pharma domain. Some of them also offer handholding young marketing professionals, with reasonable accountability, as they gradually transition from the traditional pharma to an integrated digital marketing model. In this article, I shall focus on this area by affirming, while digital softwares, tools and their applications aren’t anything new in pharma, making an integrated digital marketing process work effectively, is indeed a new necessity in the industry.

Digital tools and applications aren’t new in pharma: 

As I said, digital tools and applications aren’t new in pharma. For example, many Indian companies have already implemented likes of ‘Enterprise resource planning (ERP)’. This is basically an integrated business process management software that enables the organization to run their business processes, including finance, accounting, supply chain, sales, manufacturing and human resources, in an integrated environment. Some companies have also introduced field-staff reporting in digital format and online. Nevertheless, digital marketing in pharma being a new necessity, let me elaborate below what is digital marketing, and what it is not.

What is digital marketing and what it is not:

As defined by The Financial Times Lexicon, digital marketing is:

• Marketing of products or services using digital channels to reach consumers. The key objective is to promote brands through various forms of digital media.

• Digital marketing extends beyond internet marketing to include channels that do not require the use of the internet. It includes mobile phones, social media marketing, display advertising, search engine marketing, and any other form of digital media. 

And what digital marketing is not:

• Digital marketing is not just yet another channel for marketing It requires a new approach to marketing and a new understanding of customer behavior.…continue reading…

Pharma To Facilitate Self-Managing Chronic Diseases For Better Outcomes?

Pharma To Facilitate Self-Managing Chronic Diseases For Better Outcomes?

“India’s burden of non-communicable disease (NCD) is escalating, but still the country does not have sufficiently detailed data on NCDs for research and policy purposes.” This was captured in a recent study, titled “India’s escalating burden of non-communicable diseases,” published in The Lancet Global Health on October 03, 2018. Thus, many experts are pondering, how to contain this menace and lower the disease burden of NCDs, in this situation. One of the ways to address this issue is exploring some unconventional ways.

As several studies have established, improving ‘self-management’ of chronic diseases by patients, after proper diagnosis and a treatment plan being in place, is one of the pillars to lower the disease burden. One such study is titled, ‘Patients’ knowledge of their chronic disease,’ appeared on June 2013 – Vol 42 (6) issue in the journal of afp – Australian Family Physician. The paper highlights that effective tools, policies and other measures to help self-management, would facilitate the process. These arecritical not just for better outcomes, but also to reduce the overall treatment cost.

In a similar context, another recent article, titled ‘Why Apps for Managing Chronic Disease Haven’t Been Widely Used, and How to Fix It,’ published in The Harvard Business Review (HBR) on April 04, 2018 made an interesting observation. The authors wondered: “In an era where nearly, every consumer good and service — from books and groceries to babysitting and shared rides — can be purchased through an electronic transaction on a mobile device, it seems reasonable to think that more and more of our health care can also be managed using apps on mobile devices.”

This article will dwell in this area, based on several interesting and credible research findings. Nevertheless, to give a proper perspective, I shall start with a brief outline on the incidence of chronic diseases in India.

Increasing incidence of chronic diseases in India:

There are several recent reports confirming the ascending trend of non-infectious chronic diseases in India, two of which are as follows:…continue reading…

‘Unbossing’ Pharma Culture For Millennials – A Sine Qua Non For Future Growth

‘Unbossing’ Pharma Culture For Millennials – A Sine Qua Non For Future Growth

‘Unbossing’ an organizational culture is an interesting idea – more in the context of promoter driven Indian drug companies of all sizes and scale. The word – ‘unboss’ is associated with nonhierarchical and open leadership culture, aiming to achieve value-based higher goals, across the organization.Not many pharma companies are attempting to imbibe this culture, just yet, barring a very few.

‘The organizational culture is something that comes with the job’ – has been the general perception of all working for the company, including most CEOs, since long. Pharma industry being a more tradition bound, and hierarchic, such acceptance is more visible in drug companies. However, some industry majors have started challenging this status quo by asking: ‘Has our organizational culture, over a period of time, become too hierarchical and somewhat archaic? Are we still clinging on to the dated, and somewhat fossilized views and practices of the great predecessors, which were quite relevant in those days, but no longer now?’

In today’s changing scenario, the corporate culture of a pharma company should be able to unleash the full potential of its employees, who are an increasing number of vastly talented millennials, with generational differences in behavioral pattern.  They come with different values, mindset, expectations, aspirations, and feel comfortable working in a an ‘unbossy’ culture.

In this article, I shall explore how in the new millennium some pharma CEOs are going beyond mere tweaking, to usher in a substantive change in the sensitive area of organizational culture, keeping pace with time. This seemingly rare breed of head honchos clearly recognizes that developing a positive corporate or brand image, starts with the development of an enabling corporate culture.

Let me now start linking the organizational culture and business practices with brand or corporate image, through stakeholder loyalty, to corporate business excellence – all in the pharma context.

Intended corporate image starts from practices within the company: 

Instead of being always combative to prove how unreasonable are the stakeholder demands emanating from the complex business environment, drug companies need to accept some hard facts, and act accordingly. One such fact is – a positive corporate image or reputation based on an enabling corporate culture that is aligned with organization’s identity and good business practices, help earn stakeholder loyalty and enhance business performance.

This concept has passed the acid test in several research studies, over a period of time, e.g. the research paper on ‘Corporate Identity and Corporate Performance’, published in Scandinavian Journal of Business Research (Beta), (ISSN 1504-3134. Its findings may be summarized as: It is important for managers to understand that while building a strong reputation, the intended image projected by the company, needs to be consistent with the actual identity perceived inside the company, especially by the important internal stakeholder – the employees.

This is because, a positive corporate image reflects the way customers perceive a company’s product and service offerings to them and vice versa. This is not a recent phenomenon. It has been happening over decades. But only a few companies have taken it seriously to bring necessary changes within the organization, by remolding the organizational culture in sync with time. This point was also vindicated by the August 1998 article on ‘The Effect of Corporate Image in the Formation of Customer Loyalty’, published in the Journal of Service Research.…continue reading…

‘Data-giri’: Critical For A Rewarding New Product Launch

‘Data-giri’: Critical For A Rewarding New Product Launch

Success in new product launches is a fundamental requirement to excel in pharma business – regardless of whether the drug is innovative or a generic one. For a novel, innovative molecule, associated risks are much higher, as it carries a huge amount of associated R&D expenditure.

The launch plan for a generic formulation or even a ‘me-too’ patented variety, can broadly replicate the first in the class molecule. Whereas, for any breakthrough innovative medicine – it’s a whole new ball game. There are virtually no footsteps to follow. Nonetheless, there is one thing common in both – a robust launch plan is pivotal to success, across the board.

In this regard, the March 2014 article titled, ‘The secret of successful drug launches’, of McKinsey & Company captures an interesting scenario: “About two-thirds of drug launches don’t meet expectations. Improving that record requires pharmaceutical companies to recognize the world has changed and adjust their marketing accordingly.”

On the same issue, Bain & Company also drew a similar outline with its article titled, ‘How to Make Your Drug Launch a Success,’ published about three and half years later – on September 06, 2017. It reported: “Our research shows that nearly 50 percent of launches over the past eight years have under-performed analyst expectations, and more than 25 percent have failed to reach even 50 percent of external revenue forecasts.”

The bottom-line, therefore, is – even if the success rate of new product launches has marginally improved, for various reasons, there still isn’t much to write home about it. In this article, I shall deliberate what type of approaches, when used with powerful cerebral inputs, could possibly improve this rate – significantly and sooner. Could it be with ‘Data-giri’?

What is ‘Data-giri’?

A good question. ‘Data-giri’ is quite an unheard-of terminology, probably was first used by the Chairman of Reliance Industries – Mr. Mukesh D. Ambani, on September 02, 2016. This happened when he announced the forthcoming launch of his mobile network ‘Jio’. At that time, light-heartedly he said:”We Indians have come to appreciate and applaud ‘Gandhigiri’. Now, we can all do ‘Data- giri’, which is an opportunity for every Indian to do unlimited good things, with unlimited data.”

As is known to many, the word ‘Gandhigiri’ is…continue reading…

Rewriting Pharma Strategy For ‘Doctor Google’ Era

Rewriting Pharma Strategy For ‘Doctor Google’ Era

In search of more and more information on an ailment, a large number of Internet savvy individuals now feel comfortable to consult ‘Doctor Google’ – much before approaching a qualified medical professional for the same. If and when they visit one, many would possibly have arrived at a ‘symptoms-diagnosis correlation’ – based on their own interpretations of the sessions with ‘Doctor Google’– right or wrong.

‘Doctor Google’ – a ‘weird’ terminology, was virtually unheard of, until recently. This name owes its origin to universally popular ‘Google Search Engine.’ The number of frequent ‘consultations’ with ‘Doctor Google’ is breaking new records almost every day – primarily driven by deep penetration of smartphones – a versatile device that helps to charting unhindered, anywhere in the cyberspace.

In this article, I shall not go into whether this trend is good or bad. Nonetheless, the hard fact is, in the modern digital age, this trend is fast gaining popularity, across the world, including India. I shall discuss below, why and how the impact of ‘Doctor Google’ syndrome sends a strong signal to pharma companies to rewrite their business strategies for sustainable future growth.

‘Doctor Google’ syndrome:

To be on the same page with all my readers, ‘Doctor Google’ terminology is used for the process of getting various disease, treatment or medicine related information from cyberspace and especially through Google Search.This practice is currently being followed by many individuals who arenot qualified medical professionals, but through ‘Google Search’ often try to self-diagnose a disease or medical condition, or other health related issues. Some may even cross verify a professional doctor’s advice with ‘Doctor Google’.

Today, it is not uncommon to visit ‘Doctor Google’ first, instead of immediately visiting a General Practitioner (GP) for seeking professional advice.…continue reading…

Access To Comprehensive Healthcare Merits Multipronged Approach

Access To Comprehensive Healthcare Merits Multipronged Approach

Since the turn of the new millennium, several high profile and flagship health schemes are being announced in India by the Union successive governments. Some of the important ones will include the National Health Mission, Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) - a Health Insurance Scheme for the Below Poverty Line families and now Ayushman Bharat – National Health Protection Mission - expected to cover over 100 million poor and vulnerable families providing coverage up to 500,000 rupees per family per year for hospitalization related to secondary and tertiary care.

Besides, the Mental Health Care Act 2017 has been operational since last year. It was passed by the Rajya Sabha in August 2016, and the Lok Sabha on March 2017. The right to mental health care is the core of the Act.

Each of these announcements look good on paper and was accompanied with lofty government promises. Riding on the waves of hypes thus created, public expectations increased commensurately for getting easy access to a comprehensive and affordable health care, which now includes ‘Mental Health’ as well. Unfortunately, the Gordian knot in Indian public healthcare space continued to exist. As various reports  indicate, for example, one that appeared on November 27, 2018, – even Ayushman Bharat is apparently moving towards the same detection driven by some critical basic issues.

Consequently, scores of people still do not have adequate and affordable access to basic health care, including essential drugs – clamping price control notwithstanding. The government knows it well, as it increases vigil on drug pricing. Pharma industry also feels its scorching heat. Overall storyline remains mostly unchanged. The vicious cycle continues.…continue reading…

Protect Generic Drug Margin Moving Up The Value Chain

Protect Generic Drug Margin Moving Up The Value Chain

As an innovative drug molecule goes off-patent, it paves the way for market-entry of cheaper generic equivalents of the same. It benefits not just the patients, but all generic drug players awaiting this opportunity. But, in case of even those generic drugs enjoying 180-day exclusivity in the United States, the price erosion would still be significant, at least, 20 percent to 30 percent. Post 180-day exclusivity, intense competition between different formulations of the same molecule can bring the price down by even 85 percent or more, as compared to the original one.

While looking at the world’s largest pharma market, one sees an interesting scenario unfolding in this area. The Generic Access and Savings Report in the United States 2018 released on July 10, 2018 by the Association for Accessible Medicines, captures it well. Some of the key findings of which on generic drugs are as follows:

• In 2017, generic medicines account for nine out of every 10 prescriptions filled in the United States.
• Patients fail to fill their prescriptions for brand-name drugs at a rate 2-3 times higher than for generics.
• 93 percent of generic prescriptions are filled at $20 or less.
• Average patient copay for a generic prescription is $6.06.
• Generic medicines generated a total of $265 billion in savings.

That’s a good story for the patients in general, and specifically for those who are in the United States. That said, there is a business aspect of this story, as well. In this article, I shall focus on that, venturing into the way forward. However, before proceeding further, for the understanding of all, let me briefly explain, what is this 180-day exclusivity period as described by the FDA in the United States (USFDA).

180-day exclusivity period for generic drug:

USFDA may grant some exclusivity to Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs) for generic drugs. For this purpose, under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act, or the Hatch-Waxman Act, a company can seek approval from the FDA to market a generic drug before the expiration of a patent relating to the brand name drug upon which the generic is based.…continue reading…