This document discusses pharmaceutical marketing. It begins by defining marketing and noting that while pharmaceutical marketing is similar to general marketing, consumers have little choice in drug selection as decisions are made by physicians. Pharmaceutical marketing, also called medico-marketing, involves advertising and promoting drug sales. Several countries regulate drug advertising. The document then outlines key functions of marketing including buying, selling, transportation, storage, financing, risk-taking, and collecting marketing information. It discusses how physicians are the decision-makers in drug selection and how pharmaceutical companies aim to influence them through advertising, sales representatives, and promotional materials. Different modes of drug transportation and storage requirements are also summarized.

1. PHARMACEUTICAL
MARKETING
BALASUNDARESAN M.
SRI VIJAY VIDYALAYA COLLEGE OF
PHARMACY.

2. INTRODUCTION
 The term ‘market’ may be defined in terms of gaps that
separate parties to an exchange.
 These gaps can be described in terms of different
dimensions: spatial , time , perception , ownership ,
value , quality etc.
 Marketing is perhaps the most important aspect of
modern business management.
 A market analysis and research are vital for modern
business.
 Pharmaceutical marketing do not differ from general
marketing and both are based on the same principle.
 However , in case of pharmaceutical products consumer
is left with little or no choice of his own in the selection of
any drug product.
 The decision is made by physician.

3.  Pharmaceutical marketing, sometimes called medico-
marketing or pharmaceutical marketing in some countries,
is the business of advertising or otherwise promoting the sale
of pharmaceuticals or drugs.
 Many countries have measures in place to limit advertising
by pharmaceutical companies.
 Pharmaceutical marketing or drug advertisements are
governed by the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable
Advertisement )Act.

4. 1. FUNCTIONS OF MARKETING
1. BUYING
2. SELLING
3. TRANSPORTATION
4. STORAGE
5. FINANCING
6. RISK TAKING
7. MARKETING INFORMATION
8. STANDARDISATION AND GRADING

5. 2. BUYING ANDSELLING
 Buying and selling are also called the ‘Exchange
functions’.
 Markets are people with money and the willingness to
spend it.
 Market is also defined as the aggregate demand of the
potential buyers of a commodity or service.
 Market can be classified on a characteristic common to
a group e.g. Cosmetic market, luxury cosmetic market,
etc.
 Evaluation of consumer for prescription drugs must
include the following characteristics
i. The popular image
ii. Sex
iii. Martial status
iv. Geographical location and migration trends.

6.  The willingness to buy is market demand.
 Drugs market is different from the market of other
commodities in the sense that in drugs market
buying is directly influenced by physician and hence
the physician becomes the decision maker.
 A physician decides what to prescribe but not what
to buy.
 Thus he selects the product for his client based on
their effect , safety and price.
 Physicians get the product info through
advertisements, sales representatives , promotional
literature supplied by the manufactures and through
their colleagues.
 Thus salesmanship and advertisements play the
most imp role in influencing the physician i.e. the
decision makers in drug.

7. 3. TRANSPORTATION
 It means movement of goods from thr points of
production to the points of consumption.

9.  MODES OF TRANSPORTATION:
1. Railways :
 Widely used
 Used for bulk transport
 Low cost of transport
 Covers long distance
 Less time consuming
2. Motor carriers :
 Costlier than railway
 Can made delivery at any corner
 Loading and unloading can be done at any hours.
 Easy and timely
 Of these Trucks - Most popular
3. Waterways :
 Not much popular in India
 Slowest mode of transport
4. Air transportation :
 Most speedy
 Safe
 Costly
 Used to a limited extent
 Used for exporting drugs.

10. 4. STORAGE
Storage is governed by
various factors like
Contamination by dust ,
Microbes, and deterioration
by humidity , temperature etc.
 Many times raw materials are oxidized by oxygen.
Reasons for storage:
1. Finished products are to be stored till the time of their
distribution or sale on demand.
2. For gaining higher commission by wholesalers and retailers.
3. Some drugs are seasonal e.g.Antidiarrheal
4. Thus raw materials and drugs vary in their requirement of
storage conditions and hence storage facilities should be
provided accordingly.

12. 5. FINANCE
 Any business transaction is performed between two
parties and involves receipt of a benefit in shape of
cash , goods of services , or the imparting of such
benefit.
 Thus it becomes necessary to categorize any
business transaction as to whether it results in the
receipt of a benefit or the giving of a benefit.
 Accordingly each amount is divided into two
sections and written on a particular side of the
account

15. 6. CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION

16. • 7. FEEDBACK
 The essential elements of a communication system are a
message , a sender and a receiver.
 To be effective , a marketing communication must get into
a buyer’s perpetual field and into focus .
 In face to face communication each person in the system
is both encoding and decoding at the same time.
 The advertiser faces a more difficult communication task
because he is cut off from feedback.
 As a consequence he may be weeks, months or forever
removed from feedback from his intended receivers.
 good promotion management as an integral part of
marketing recognizes the need for feedback and tries to
create flow of information back from the market place in
order to evaluate and improve communication.

17.  Feedback is a part of the complete communication
system as shown :

18. THANK YOU !