Drug companies’ sales representatives, who once relied on in-person office visits and dinners to educate physicians and provide them with free drug samples, are now sending out slews of pitching emails and scheduling video calls.
In addition to ramping up virtual sales strategy among staff working from home, some drugmakers are also increasing the advertisements they run on websites geared toward health professionals.
Before the pandemic, about half of U.S. physicians allowed visits from pharmaceutical sales representatives. However, the rate of opened emails from pharmaceutical sales representatives is only about 10 percent, according to consulting firm ZS Associates.
“If a rep can’t go there, and a physician doesn’t read emails thoroughly, the physician isn’t going to be aware,” Pratap Khedkar of ZS Associates told The Wall Street Journal. “The launch suffers a lot. That back-and-forth, the learning that happens in the first six months, is not going to happen.”
Some drugmakers, such as Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., are delaying product launches so sales representatives can more thoroughly communicate with physicians. Its multiple-sclerosis treatment Zeposia will be released later than scheduled so physicians can be educated face-to-face.
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Katie Adams – Wednesday, May 6th, 2020 Print | Email
