TRUST
Physicians have emerged from COVID 19 relatively unscathed, and their relationship and trust
in big pharma has been strengthened for the most part, though there was a slight dip during the height of the pandemic. While many maintained that that their trust has remained unwavering, the upswing can mostly be attributed to the speed at which vaccines were developed and the slight dip to pharma’s (lack of) availability during the pandemic.
CHALLENGES
The main problems physicians experience center around the cost of and access to healthcare, including specific medications, overall treatment/care, and appropriate insurance mechanisms, most of which they believe big pharma could support them in resolving.
Another core area of concern is the overall complexity of running a practice with respect
to administration and operations. They do not, however, believe that pharma brands have a role to play in overcoming these challenges, which does in fact provide an opportunity for pharma to innovate around.
ENGAGEMENT WITH PHARMA
While digital engagements, particularly virtual meetings, were a good substitute for in person visits during the pandemic, the demand for face-to-face interactions remains strong. But engagement across all interactions could be improved through greater customization, a stronger focus on specialty areas, and overall more data driven and balanced information from the reps.This aligns to the Amazon/Netflix notion of designing unique and personalized interactions based on the specific needs of the individual and not segmented groups.
ENGAGEMENT WITH CONSUMER MEDIA
From a consumer perspective, “Dr. Google” and other paid search engines are the most popular source of media influencing physician prescribing behavior, followed by online video. That said, many of the physicians agree that it is the ease and speed of access that is driving this choice, and they remain concerned over the excess of misinformation and biased content.
BRAND EXPECATIONS
Speed, autonomy and seamless experiences drive physician expectations when they purchase from a brand. However, there is also a strong demand for personalized content, on-demand support, and the right content and tools to reach personal goals. From this point of view, physicians believe that pharma brands are better than consumer brands at delivering on these expectations.
