In the fight to win new patients, the importance of prescription sampling programs has never been greater.
In addition, a recent study found that providing samples to physicians also can be important for brand products facing competition from generics. The Journal of the American Medical Association study found that 40 percent of doctors who received drug samples complied with patient requests for brand-name drugs instead of prescribing a generic. Meanwhile, that statistic dropped to 31 percent if the physician did not receive samples. The study, published in January, surveyed 3,500 physicians regarding the prescribing of brand drugs over generics.
Sampling programs have long been an important part of pharmaceutical brand management. But pharmaceutical organizations have realized the need for alternative ways to supply physicians with samples in the face of restricted access and declining sales force staffing.
One approach that has gained momentum is physician E-sampling - a program that enables physicians to order and manage prescription samples online. To inform sales and marketing leaders involved with sampling programs, leading pharmaceutical consulting firm Best Practices, LLC conducted a study to identify current practices and trends in physician E-sampling programs.
"Current & Future Trends in Physician E-Sampling: Managing for Superior Sales, Access, Service & Cost Benefits" presents an array of E-sampling program benchmarks that document the current state of this important tactic at leading pharmaceutical organizations, such as E-sampling prevalence, volume, budget, allocated FTEs, and performance measurement. The 46-page study also reviews how organizations manage E-sampling programs and their benefits and pitfalls.
While the study found only a third of the participants' brands were supported by E-sampling versus sales rep sampling, more companies are supplementing rep-based sampling with physician E-sampling and a few companies have moved to 100 percent E-sampling. "Particularly in open territories, it keeps the product 'alive' in physician offices," said one vice president who participated in the study.
This report will help the organizations improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their E-sampling programs through the benchmarks provided by 31 leaders at 22 organizations, including nine Top 25 pharma companies.
How microalgae, fish, and krill store omega-3s differently and why it matters