Pharmaceutical development and marketing: A comparative analysis of the opinions of managed care pharmacists and pharmaceutical industry marketing executives.

摘要

The purpose of this research was to compare perceptions and opinions of managed care pharmacists and marketing executives of U.S. pharmaceutical companies regarding current and future services, marketing practices, and research strategies of the pharmaceutical industry.; Questionnaires were sent to 300 managed care pharmacists and 200 drug industry executives randomly selected from the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy membership list. Follow-up mailings were used to increase response rate. The survey instrument contained over 100 questions pertaining to the role of pharmaceutical sales representatives (PSRs), journal advertising, direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising, drug research strategies, and services and benefits provided by the drug industry. Overall, 170 of 500 questionnaires (34% from both groups) were completed and returned.; According to pharmacists, pharmaceutical companies should decrease the use of traditional PSRs and "hard-sell" techniques, increase the use of specialty representatives, and discontinue drug sampling. Opinions of executives differed in that they want more contact with pharmacists and want to use traditional PSRs to promote products to physicians.; The two groups agreed that professional journal advertisements do not influence formulary decisions but are useful for announcing new drugs. Pharmacists wanted journal advertisements to be more accurate and less promotional. Pharmacists felt DTC advertising results in unnecessary prescribing by physicians, misleads patients, and increases drug utilization. Executives believed DTC advertisements improve patient knowledge and compliance and that patients should have a say about which drugs they take.; The study groups agreed that the two most important types of research needed from industry were clinical efficacy and outcomes studies, and that funding of pharmacoeconomic research should come primarily from pharmaceutical companies. Both groups agreed that value-added services have some influence on the formulary decision-making process. The most valued services and/or benefits identified by managed care pharmacists and executives were "cost effective" and "low cost" drugs, educational programs, and information services.; The results of this study indicate that while there are some areas of agreement between managed care pharmacists and industry executives, their perceptions of the current environment and opinions of future needs differ significantly.