Pharma: Know Your Specialists
By Jessie Robertson, VP Client Services
August 17, 2023
Physician specialists are not all alike! MD Analytics surveyed 100 Canadian physician specialists on topics such as work-life balance, patient care, pharma companies, technology, and information sources to identify attitudinal differences to help pharma marketers more effectively communicate with their target audience. Four segments emerged as described below:
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Pharma Enthusiasts (28%): Pharma Enthusiasts see the highest number of patients and work overtime but are happy with their work-life balance. They tend to present patients with different treatment options, make joint decisions and are supportive of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising. They see value in pharma and are most likely to agree that branded prescribing encourages innovation. How to reach: KOLs and MSLs
Tech Savvy (25%): Tech Savvy specialists work overtime but are quite happy with their work-life balance. They are less likely to collaborate with patients on treatment decisions but are open to patient requests and proponents of online patient information. Overall, they are more open to the role of technology in their practice and education. They consider themselves early adopters and prefer branded products. How to reach: Online CME podcasts and virtual detailing
Disengaged (27%): The Disengaged want to maintain their great work-life balance – they are the most satisfied segment in this regard. They work fewer hours and spend less time with patients and pharma sales reps than the others. However, they are collaborative with patients and make joint treatment decisions. As later adopters, they don’t value pharma as much and have no preference for branded treatments vs. generics. How to reach: In-person CME
Overwhelmed (18%): The Overwhelmed routinely work long hours and are not happy about it – they are least satisfied with their work-life balance. They steer away from discussing treatment options with patients and don’t appreciate DTC because it can lead to more questions. Although middle-of-the-road in terms of product adoption and beliefs around branded vs. generic treatments, they do value pharma, particularly for staying up to date. How to reach: Sales rep
It’s important for pharma companies to recognize the segments who want to interact with and value pharma, as well as the others who may need a different approach. Offering multiple channels for product information and education is important to reach the widest audience.
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