Meant for the learners who are interested in Pharmaceutical Marketing and Promotion

2. The Pharma Promotions or the marketing strategy is focused on the following
level:
ii. Doctor level
iii. Chemist level
iv. Patient level
v. Masses level
vi. Packaging level
vii. Price level
1.Sales team level

3. ▪ GP (MBBS or Non MBBS)
▪ Specialist or super specialist
▪ Independent practitioner or
▪ attached to hospitals (Govt or Priv.)
▪ Physicians or Surgeons
▪ Urban or rural patient
▪ Economical status –Upper class or lower
class or middle class
▪ Urban working class or Business Class
patient
▪ Well read and aware of latest trends

4. The Objective to promote Pharma brands to the Doctors is to get their Rxion
Most commonly used promotional tools to promote pharma products is as follows:
i. Visual Aid
ii. Literature
iii. Gift articles
iv. Rxion pads
v. LBLs
vi. Stickers
vii. Clinical trials
viii. Physicians Samples
viii. Posters
ix. Catch Covers
x. Journal Advst.
xi. References
xii. Participation in symposium, Med.Conf.& CMEs
xiii. Involvement in Brand launch and various other
field activity
xiv. Sponsorships

5. ✓ Understand what type of the chemist is .
✓ What type of customers he is serving ( Drs and Patient class)
➢ Most commonly used promotional tools to promote Pharma products is as follows
▪ Bonus offer
▪ Chemist folder
▪ Stickers
▪ Chemist LBL(vernacular language)
▪ Posters
▪ Gifts

6. ▪ Patients are targeted indirectly for brand promotions
▪ The best time to divert the patients attention is when they are waiting in
consultancy for their turn
✓ Patients education literature
✓ Posters
✓ Medical camps

7. Pharma products which can be promoted at mass level includes:
- Aspirin, Iodex, Moov, Crocin, Corex, Combiflam,
–Protein powders, -Horlicks, Boost, Complan
–Zandu, Dabur, Baidyanath, Patanjali
- GSK, Sandoz, VollSante, Nestle
-Patanjali, Himalaya

8. Tools used to promote OTC products thru Mass Media ads are:
✓ Radio
✓ TV
✓ Print Media
✓ Mailers
✓ Internet Media etc

10. Every body like something free, and free prescription drug samples are no
exception.
Patients love to receive them and Doctors feel good about handing them out.

11. ▪ PS are finished goods given free to the Dr., who in turn distribute it to their
patients.
▪ Samples are meant for trials, experiment and confirmation.
▪ Samples helps doctors to try a drug on his patients.
▪ Samples are not conventional give away.
▪ They are valuable promotional input.
▪ Samples must be given with discretion, and conviction.

13. ▪ Samples are “potential sales stock” of the company
▪ They must be used with care and with definitive objectives.
▪ A particular product is sampled only to those specialist who can or will be
prescribing that particular product to their patients.
▪ There are situations when a Dr asks for a particular sample for personal use
even though in his daily practice, he has no use for that particular product

14. ▪ Every company gives adequate samples to its field team members.
▪ But it is an individual who makes the difference with these samples in
generation of Rxion.
▪ Field personnel use these samples in a judicious way to create and impact at
very visit.
▪ Distribution of samples can be done with demonstration.

15. ▪ Using demonstrating technique helps to make your product stand in Drs. Mind
▪ Always demonstrate color, scoring taste, smell and other product attributes etc.
▪ Arrange the samples on the Drs. Table in such a way that brand name and
important features face the Dr.
▪ Never keep the samples by telling that “here are few samples” instead always
tell that this

17. Samples constitute an enormous promotional outlay of pharmaceutical
companies.
Between 1996 and 2000, they accounted for slightly more than half of the total
promotional dollars spent by industry.
In 2004, the retail value of samples distributed is approximately $16bn
In 2005, the pharmaceutical industry distributed more than $18bn worth of drug
samples.
The retail value of free samples has risen steadily , doubling between 1999 and
2003.

20. ▪ The total Pharma market Rs 2,89,998 crs. (2019-20 figures)
▪ Normally the PS cost to the pharma company varies from 1.5-3%.
▪ Total value of PS distributed in India ranges from Rs525crs –Rs 1050 crs.

21. ▪ Samples are given to the Doctors to distribute it to his/her patients.
▪ Often/many times, samples never reach their intended audience.
▪ Many samples are appropriated by Physicians for personal or family use or
end up in an
▪ In most of the cases pharmaceutical representatives surveyed reported using
samples or giving them to their friends and relatives.
▪ Thus, at times samples often reach the wrong people and are frequently
misused.

22. ▪ It is difficult to escape the conclusion that the prime motivation behind the
provision of free samples is Marketing.
▪ Samples have a major influence on Physicians prescribing habits.
▪ Samples are one of the most effective ways sales representatives get their foot
in the door to pitch their products.
▪ The technique is effective ; the availability of samples is associated with rapid
prescription of the new drug.

23. ❑ In one study, Resident Drs. with access to samples were likely (than their
counterparts without samples) to heavily prescribe products and less likely to
suggest an OTC alternative.
❑ A survey based on self reported Physician judgements suggests that the
availability of samples might even influence Physicians to prescribe drugs that
would not otherwise be their top choice.

25. ▪ Distribution of free samples plays a critical role in and
of medicines.
▪ Free samples allow doctors to and to implement them
immediately on their patient.
▪ PS can give physicians valuable with new treatment options.
▪ PS can help patients , find the right medicine and offer an
option for those who have difficulty affording their medicines.

26. ▪ PS acts as great
▪ Samples can be used a .
▪ Sample distribution often during
▪ Sales reps consider free drug samples an important marketing tactic that they
employ to

28. ▪ Many samples are distributed to the wrong people and are frequently misused
– to friends and relatives for personal uses.
▪ People sell the samples too.(unethical practice)

29. When low income patients are given a “starter pack” of PS and a Rxion to fill for
the remaining period of treatment, they might not be able to afford the cost of the
extension, leading to the discontinuity of treatment.
▪ In Drs offices,
and when it does, it usually lacks information about drug interactions
or instructions on how the drug should be taken.

31. ▪ Evidence based Marketing is a way to promote product with the help of
supportive authentic documents.

32. ▪ Evidence can be for - -
▪ Efficacy
▪ Safety profile
▪ Dosage
▪ New Indication
▪ Comparison to existing treatment options
▪ Quality
▪ Manufacturing facility
▪ Drug delivery

33. ▪ FDA certification –Quality Analysis
▪ (National Accreditation Certificates -Schedule M, GMp,NABL,ISI etc.)
▪ International Accreditation Certificates
(WHO GMP, UK MCA, Australian TGA, UK MSHRA, ISO, HACCP(Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control Points) etc.)
(Special drug delivery patents like Liposome, Sustained Release (NDDS) Nanotechnology,
Spansule capsule mechanism etc)

34. Clinical trials –before/after/ ; comparative trials etc .
Trials sponsored by other pharma companies , NGOs, Govt .agencies etc.

35. ▪ Pubmed, Individuals Journal and Pharma company website etc.
▪ International-Lancet, American Medical Journal ,BMJ etc.
▪ National –JAMA

36. ▪ References reinforces sales presentations and entrust confidence in Med.reps.
▪ Helps to win the confidence of the prescriber
▪ Doctors can trust the efficacy and quality of the product
▪ Makes the sales presentation a authentic scientific presentation
▪ Give new insight to the product /molecule in terms of new indication, dosage
etc.

37. ▪ Early claims should be conservative. This allow you to make progressively
bold claims.
▪ Quote clinical references
▪ Narrate experience of others
▪ Provide guaranty
▪ National and International accreditations certificate.

38. ▪ References can be used in every communication specially when it is a new
launch or to make awareness of new indication etc.

39. ▪ Build the Tower of
On the foundations of
And with the support of