Unlocking Pharma Outreach: Physician Specialist Segments
By Mary Dominiecki, SVP, US Country Lead
August 18, 2023
Physician specialists are not all alike!
MD Analytics surveyed 100 U.S. physician specialists on topics such as work-life balance, patient care, pharma companies, technology, and information sources with the goal of identifying attitudinal differences in order to help pharma marketers more effectively communicate with their target audience.
Four segments emerged as described below:
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Dominant (28%)
Dominant specialists are the most traditional where the doctor is the expert. They are least likely to take patient calls outside business hours and have fewer patient requests for specific medications. They are not as supportive of patients having access to information online or through DTC. They value pharma, prefer branded treatments, and believe sales reps add value to their practice. How to reach: In-person sales reps
Divergent (27%)
Divergent are the happiest with their work-life balance. They are not working overtime and not seeing pharma sales reps as often. They are the only segment with rural representation and are the most ethnically diverse. They focus on preventive and alternative care more than others. However, they also strongly prefer branded treatments and trust and value pharma reps. How to reach: Live chat
Disconnected (25%)
The Disconnected are not happy with their work-life balance. They work overtime and feel the administrative burden. They are not as open to engaging patients in treatment decisions and have negative perceptions of DTC advertising. They restrict sales rep visits, are later adopters and have no preference for branded vs. generic treatments. How to reach: email and non-pharma websites
Diligent (20%)
Diligent have a high patient load and work on weekends, but still cite good work-life balance. They are very patient-focused and collaborative. They are early adopters and prefer branded treatments. They value pharma and have longer and more frequent rep discussions than others. How to reach: MSLs and virtual details
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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