The document discusses ways for pharmaceutical companies to adopt a more patient-centric approach. It suggests that companies focus on understanding patient data, inviting patients to speak at events to understand their perspectives, and training medical representatives to better explain diseases and treatments to patients. While patient-centric care is ideal, companies face challenges balancing business pressures with patient needs. The document proposes that companies discover unmet patient needs, reduce patient burdens like affordability and convenience issues, identify both physician and patient needs separately, and perfect integrated care delivery between marketing, hospitals and patient programs.

1. Patient-centric Care
in Pharmaceutical Sales & Marketing

2. Think about the product(s) you
represent.
How much patient-data do you know
(average age, income, health history)
Is patient information helpful in training medical reps?
How so?

3. Does your company invite patients (or former
patients) to speak at any company events?
What do you think the purpose of this would be?

4. Are there companies that train their medical reps
to change the way doctors interact with patients
Ex: Questions to ask patients (diagnostic q.)
How to explain the disease / drug
Sensitivity-training?

5. Is Patient Compliance an issue that affects sales?
How can a pharma companies ensure patients follow
the doctor’s prescribed course of treatment?

6. What does “Patient-Centric Care”
mean?

7. “________ - Centric” is a way we can describe something
that a business/product/person focuses on.”
Examples:
“Our company is an employee-centric organization. Happy employees lead to
happy customers.”
“Apple products are famous for their user-centric design – easy enough for young
children to use…”
“Patient-Centric Care” is when a service or solution is designed
around a patient’s experience and needs.

8. Since you began working in the pharmaceutical industry, how has the
overall sales strategy/model shifted?
(How have med reps their changed approach towards physicians?)
Ex: physician-centric to patient-centric
incentive driven to education driven
brand-focused to research-focused…

9. In an ideal world, Patients should be the #1 concern
of organizations/members of the healthcare industry
Nowadays, pharmaceutical companies want to express their
mission to put patient care first.
Have a look at these examples:

10. “UCB is inspired by patients and driven
by science. Patients are at the heart of
everything we do.”

11. “Making the most meaningful difference
to patient health through great
medicines.”
Mission Statement

12. “a global integrated healthcare leader focused
on patients' needs”

13. “Our mission is to help people do more, feel
better, live longer.”

14. “To improve patients' lives by providing customers with
innovative science and differentiated healthcare solutions…”

15. In reality, pharmaceutical companies and their employees face daily
business pressures that often make staying s truly patient-centric
organization very challenging.

16. The Old Models:
“Product/brand”-centric
The traditional pharmaceutical sales model emphasizes the
product and its clinical benefits across the broadest possible
audience.
The Problem:
This product-centric approach plays to the pharma industry's
emphasis on “blockbuster” drugs, but it may not be well-adapted
to changing product portfolios and physician access restrictions.

17. Physician-centric sales forces work to overcome access challenges by
meeting doctors' education and treatment needs. Physician
education is key in driving proper treatment.
The Old Models:
“Physician”-centric

18. Patient-Centric Model:
Patient-centric sales forces focus their promotional efforts on
the ultimate end user. Instead of physician data used to create a
strategy, teams start using patient-level data to identify sales
opportunities within a physician's patient group.
Often, sales reps target physician education to specific case
studies and draw attention to products' supplemental initiatives
— including websites or tracking applications.

19. So, the BIG QUESTION is:
How can pharmaceutical companies &
their employees be truly patient-
centric when their reason for engaging
customers is a brand, not a disease?
Or in simpler terms: How can a pharma sales strategy keep patient needs at the center of
everything – designing services and solutions with the patient in mind?

20. What are some of the biggest
challenges?
Here are some examples:

21. • Moving away from a product /
physician focused sales approach

22. • Barriers between pharmaceutical
companies & patients

23. • Measuring Patient behavior to
identify patterns (in order to
customize treatment / support)

24. What are some ways pharma
companies can become more patient-
centric?

25. 1) Be aware of corporate reputation
• As patients are gaining power through increasing their
knowledge & having a bigger influence on others through
social media – today’s companies need to reach out and
provide more services and support for patients.
What are some ways drug companies can create a
positive reputation among patients?

26. 2) Discover unmet patient needs
• R & D can work alongside patients to gather key
insights for brands
• Form new partnerships with payers, providers, etc.
to find out more information about patients.
• Patient-centered services (home delivery, support
groups, community programs), etc.
• Patient involvement in
planning marketing
activities

27. 2) Reduce Patient Burdon
• Accessing information, understanding options
• Drug affordability
• convenience
*Many companies emphasize that they’re a “Healthcare Partner”,
invested in patient’s health & putting the patient’s best interest first.
(opposed to a vendor, selling drugs)

28. 3. Identify & distinguish Physician
needs
*Brand needs
*Product needs
*Educational needs
* Incentives
*physician time is limited with patients – med reps
can provide innovative solutions that help them
better serve their patients.

29. 4. Perfecting delivery of care
• Integrate marketing efforts (between hospitals & patient programs)
to include patient insights.
• “break down walls” between teams, departments, etc. in order to
put patient care first and deliver products seamlessly

30. Can you think of any other ways
pharmaceutical companies can
become more patient-centric

31. *Proposal regarding reimbursements & pharmaceutical company incentives based on
patient improvements