Doctors see pharma reputation as top priority when picking prescription meds

A pharma company’s reputation ranked as a leading factor in physician prescription decisions, according to a recent WE Communications Brands survey published in the "Brands in Motion" global report.

In “Healthy Reputation: More Than Medicine,” healthcare professionals displayed their desire for pharmas to go beyond just functional characteristics of a medication to address the entire health experience.

In addition, professionals want pharma companies to engage in patient and physician education, concerns for environmental issues and whole-body wellness solutions.

Specifically, nine out of 10 healthcare professionals said pharma and biotech companies should support improving patient health outcomes beyond drug therapies. And 73% reported that companies should add value to society such as offering patient support and driving pharma sustainability.

But according to Stephanie Marchesi, president of WE Communications Global Health, corporate reputation has always been important to prescribers.

“For a long time, healthcare communicators have asked themselves and each other a similar question, ‘To what degree does corporate reputation influence prescribing decisions?,’” she said in an interview with Fierce Pharma Marketing.

“As communicators, our instincts and anecdotal feedback have told us that corporate reputation is important. But now we have hard evidence of its impact, both as influencing prescribing decisions among HCPs as well as contributing to the bottom line for biotech and pharma companies.”

She does, however, acknowledge that the pandemic has affected healthcare professionals’ decision-making. The COVID pandemic created an opportunity for companies to differentiate themselves in positive ways, such as collaborative partnerships and prioritizing what is right for the greater good over short-term financial gain.

“It was hard not to notice those companies that really stood out, and HCPs are paying attention,” Marchesi said.

Source