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Doctors say pharma rep details are stale, need updating for digital age

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Print 04 August 2017
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New DRG Digital - Manhattan Research study finds that pharma sales tactics haven’t kept pace with the evolving behavior and information needs of today’s physicians
Despite the pharma sales force making great strides towards “digitizing the field” with tablets and other technologies – a new study from DRG Digital’s Manhattan Research finds that the content reps are showing in details is often old news. Physicians who see sales reps say that over half of the time (51%), the reps show them information they have already seen through their own research or in previous meetings.
The ePharma Physician® study of 1,814 U.S. practicing physicians across 25 specialties found several key missed opportunities in the field:
Details are not evolving in step with physicians’ reliance on digital for info:
  • The “stale detail” phenomenon is even more prominent among certain specialties. For example, medical oncologists who see reps say that 68% of the time, their reps show them info they’ve already seen, and dermatologists say the same of 62% of details. 
  • Today’s physicians are now adept at finding clinical info online, as they need it – and reps that focus too much time on basic product and promotional info risk boring them with info they already knew. 74% of physicians use search engines weekly or more*, and 52% use pharma digital resources regularly, with product-related info being the most accessed website resource. 
  • Reps must evolve their details to stay relevant and provide utility to docs, and showing non-promotional resources on tablets can help. 63% of physicians agreed that in-person meetings with sales reps are more valuable when resources not related to the product are shown.**
Tablets can improve detail experience – yet reps are using them less: 
  • The study revealed a surprising dip in tablet use by reps this year, with 67% of physicians seeing reps reporting they having participated in tablet rep details in 2017 – down from 74% in 2013. 
  • However, study data shows that tablets can improve the rep detail experience and drive post-meeting digital engagement -- especially when used to show highly influential content such as patient education and support resources. 35% of physicians were “very satisfied” with their interactions with reps using tablets, where 24% were very satisfied after meeting with reps sans tablets.***
Remote rep communication is underutilized as a way to share info between meetings:
  • Despite industry enthusiasm for rep-triggered email software (e.g., Veeva), only 12% of physicians said they had emailed with their rep in the past six months. More than a third (36%) said they wanted to, indicating a significant gap.
  • Similarly, just 9% of physicians are currently using remote detailing programs, such as a self-detailing app or click to chat, while 35% are interested in doing so. 
Despite these trends, the sales force remains a foundational component of the pharma-HCP relationship. 64% of U.S. physicians reported meeting with sales reps face-to-face over the past six months, and 60% of physicians say they want to meet with reps in-person in the future. The challenge for pharmas is, in part, one of aligning their digital marketing and direct sales strategies around common goals in order to maximize HCP engagement and investment in these resources, said DRG Digital Analyst Jeff Wray. 
“There’s a disconnect between the sales force, which is very focused on script volumes and meeting their numbers, and digital marketers, who are focused on physician engagement and building long-term relationships with HCPs,” said Wray. “Sales and marketing teams need to get on the same page with regards to digital pull-through, so that they’re providing a deeper level of support to physicians beyond product promotion and maximizing their investment.”
Digital communication with reps via email or remote details can extend engagement by bridging the gap between infrequent in-person meetings, Wray added.  
“Physicians have demonstrated an interest in this type of engagement, and following up digitally can really help to connect the dots between digital content and rep contacts,” said Wray.
Research and expertise spans 25+ specialty areas and 28 countries across North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Middle East/Africa.
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