Coronavirus is going to change the way how the pharmaceutical companies’ market and promote their products; there is a possibility that their sales force would largely be made redundant by technology.
Coronavirus is going to change the way how the pharmaceutical companies’ market and promote their products; there is a possibility that their sales force would largely be made redundant by technology.
Coronavirus has ushered the medicine marketing into a new era as the pharmaceutical industry is spearheading the concept of telemedicine as most non COVID-19 patients are preferably staying home, while doctors are also avoiding their clinics.
It has been observed that the fear of catching the deadly virus has forced both the patients and the doctors to stay home. Yet the routine ailments particularly those needing doctors’ prescription and examination have not subsided. Some doctors have been advising their patients on phone but to mutual dissatisfaction, because they do not meet face to face. Coronavirus is perhaps the only disease that has changed the way healthcare professionals work; the pharmaceutical companies having personal interaction with doctors are rapidly developing software through which doctors could examine and interact with their patients through internet. Pakistan has finally entered the era of telemedicine. Numerous Pakistani pharmaceutical companies have started using telemedicine software through which interested doctors mostly specialists are registered. They are provided with an app (application) through which they make available to their registered patients. The software also provides the list of different specialists on its site and patients could take appointment from the doctor of their choice through doctor specific app. The consultation fee has to be deposited in the doctors account (mentioned in the app) and at the appointed time the patient could explain his/her condition face to face on the internet.
It is worth noting that many specialists sitting idle at their homes welcomed this concept; however, for many the snag was that they are not well-versed with technology and had to learning it seriously after registering in the software. The software also provides a list of various medicines that the doctors prescribe that also includes all the drugs manufactured by the company providing the software. Though these companies do not insist that only their medicines be prescribed but they hope that doctors who have been provided telemedicine platform by them would oblige. Those that knew the technology started practising straight away from home. This tele-practice is in its infancy but is gaining popularity rapidly as the lockdown or semi-lockdown conditions are highly likely to stay in imposed.
As the doctors start operating increasingly through telemedicine, the support they need from pharma companies, payers, and other stakeholders would also change. The way pharma firms are investing in telemedicine shows they also see a decreased role of their sales staff in future. They are preparing themselves to accommodate to new environment. If the pandemic lasts few more months, the big specialists would adapt to the concept of telemedicine. They would not welcome the sales representatives during their practice hours and would prefer all literature and promotions coming directly in their application (software). It is worth noting that this initiative was undertaken by the domestic pharmaceutical companies. Many have reason to do so as even out of top ten pharmaceutical companies are among the top ten market leaders. Only three are multinational with the top position also enjoyed by a local concern.
Telemedicine has been in vogue in developed economies for long. In Pakistan the use of this technology was restricted to seeking guidance from renowned surgeons of developed economies on case to case basis. Prescription and diagnosis through this platform would be a new concept for both doctors and the patients. Its use would for a long time be restricted to the educated and relatively affluent class. But then the pharma companies earn more for their high priced drugs prescribed by the specialist physicians practicing in cities. It will be a learning process for both the doctors and the physicians. Many educated patients are well versed in internet technology but they do not operate their accounts online. In order to make payment to the specialists they would have to go for internet banking. It would also promote paperless money transactions.
This concept is a boom for the software developers of the country. Before the pandemic these developers were pleading with many pharma concerns buy their telemedicine software at reasonable cost but most of the companies were not interested and those that showed some inclination were asking them to lower the price. Now most of the developers are not charging the outright price of their software but are billing the companies on monthly basis on the number of doctors registered. Since the companies are in a hurry to move ahead of their competitors, they have accepted this model. The software developers are charging from Rs1,500 to Rs3,000 per month per doctor and the companies pay the charges and register doctors for free. Some companies have registered 500-1,000 doctors and are aiming for more.
Overall, the impact of pandemic has dramatically reduced the number of patients seeing their physicians, since fewer patients are going to their clinics (if open) for non-corona related conditions. Since the doctors have lost most of their income during the pandemic, they enthusiastically welcomed this concept, but they are probably not aware that the consultation fee that they receive digitally would be documented and haunt them at the time of filing tax returns. They would not be able to hide their consultation fees or the number of patients that they examine in a day. It will greatly help the Federal Board of Revenue to document the incomes of these professionals. At the moment specialists have no alternative as they fear for their lives as their chances of coming across a corona patient are greater than ever. It would be interesting to see whether they continue this practice when life returns to normal.
The software developers would also be exposing their full gross income through the system introduced by them and would be liable to heavy taxes. However, it would open new avenues for them landing some best developers many overseas orders. Lifestyles are going to change after corona virus and every industry, business and government would now strive for technology that may help them in any crisis. The governments would now make efforts to have the complete information about their citizen, their professions (how they earn their livelihood). Each business and the number of workers its employees would have to be in the data bank of the state. Not only the doctors but the engineers, architects would go digital because only through the technology could they serve their clients when physical presence denied. Online shopping has gained momentum during the lockdown as is the home delivery of food.
These days the restaurants that do not accept orders online re forced to close down while those that are accepting and delivering orders through internet are doing more business than normal days. Similarly, specialist doctors are gradually regaining the patients through telemedicine plate form but ordinary general practitioners are staying put at home. After the pandemic is over many of them would procure telemedicine software APPs and would practice both from their clinics and home.
The writer is a staff member
