Patients vs. Prescribers: Who Really Drives Pharma Success?

Why Focus on Patients When Physicians Write the Scripts?

How can pharmaceutical companies truly embrace patient centricity when script-writers are their main bread and butter?

A pharmaceutical company is a sales organization. Yes, it develops drugs, but those drugs must be sold. And for drugs to be sold, scripts must be written (and filled and, ideally, refilled). This explains why so many pharmaceutical companies focus their sales and marketing efforts on physicians, not patients.

To make matters worse, in Canada patient communication is highly regulated, so talking to them in a direct, yet meaningful way, is almost impossible.? Patients have no idea why pharmaceutical marketing campaigns are so vague and, according to strategic insights firm, Head Research, this is a clear source of frustration for them.

Head Research has proven, beyond a doubt, that patients are comfortable asking their doctors for a particular drug by name. Doctors are no longer offended when patients take the lead and ask for a specific medication. Busy doctors don’t have time to argue, so they comply with most reasonable patient treatment requests. Their concern is moreso with coverage, as there is nothing worse than a patient who discovers at the pharmacy that a recommended medication is financially out of their reach.? This can result in non-compliance, patient dissatisfaction, extra patient visits and/or pharmacist inquiries.

So what’s the solution?

Like it or not, we must all abide by the rules. That means no branded drug patient marketing materials in Canada. However, if marketing materials are developed using appropriately researched patient insights, they will speak more loudly to patients who, in turn, will ask their doctors for more information about a disease or medication.

At 3H we feel that both HCPs and patients should form the basis of pharmaceutical communications plans.? Don’t be near-sighted and focus only on script-writers.? Never underestimate the power of patients.? Get to know them.? After all, they are the ultimate client.

Patients are asking:

Almost half of patients report having had some influence on the choice of their prescribed medication (2023)

Over 6 in 10 medication switches are influenced by the patient (2023)

A third of patients said they will research a new treatment if they see an ad or hear about it from friends/family

HCPs are stepping up:

6 in 10 Physicians are very comfortable in prescribing an appropriate medication directly requested by a patient (2023)

If asked by a patient, 4 in 10 Physicians are much more likely to prescribe a requested treatment over other appropriate options (2023)