War and promotion: promotional activity of pharmaceutical companies according to the results of the first half of 2022

Ukraine has been heroically resisting the full-scale invasion of Russian troops for 5 months. The data will highlight how the war affected the promotional activity of pharmaceutical companies based on the results of the first half of 2022. During the preparation of the material, data from the PromoTest project of the analytical market research system “PharmXplorer” of Proxima Research International was used.

Methodology

Analysis of promotional activity based on data from the PromoTest project involves a comprehensive assessment of promotion channels, target groups of specialists, brands and marketing organizations using a telephone interview based on a standardized questionnaire. Pharmacists and doctors of 17 specialties in 25 largest cities of Ukraine participate in the survey.

The analysis includes data on the mention of health care professionals about the following types of promotion: visits by medical representatives; conferences/seminars; POS materials; remote communication (sms, Viber messages); mailings; electronic mailings; promotion through calls from medical representatives; shares; advertising in the specialized press; television advertising; information on the Internet; advertising on the radio.

Promotional activity of pharmaceutical companies

According to the results of the first half of 2022, 2.6 million mentions of health care specialists (doctors, pharmacists and purchasing center experts) were recorded about the promotion of “pharmacy basket” products (medicines, cosmetics, dietary supplements, medical products, baby food). Compared to the same period of the previous year, this indicator decreased by three times.

Such types of promotion as visits and calls of medical representatives, as well as remote communication, are recovering the fastest. Their share in the structure of the promotional mix has increased (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Change in the share of visits, calls from medical representatives, and remote communication in the general structure of mentions of health care specialists about the promotion of “pharmacy basket” products from the 1st quarter. 2021 to II quarter 2022

The focus of the promotion shifted slightly more from pharmacists to doctors (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Distribution of specialties by the number of mentions of the promotion of “pharmacy basket” products from the 1st quarter. 2021 to II quarter 2022

Medical representatives

In March 2022, the number of mentions of health care professionals about the promotion of medicines through visits by medical representatives decreased almost to the level of April 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among drug brands, the leaders in the number of mentions of promotion due to visits of medical representatives in the audience of pharmacists according to the results of the first half of 2022 are Fervex, Decatilen and Helpex. In the audience of doctors, Dexalgin, Sumamed and Dikloberl are leading.

Berlin-Chemie, Teva, Kusum Pharm, Acino and Farmak are the top five pharmaceutical companies in terms of the total number of mentions of promotion through visits of medical representatives among doctors and pharmacists.

According to the results of the first half of 2022, the number of mentions by doctors and pharmacists about the promotion of medicinal products using remote communication amounted to 416.7 thousand hryvnias.

The ranking of marketing organizations by the number of mentions of doctors and pharmacists about promotion through remote communication is led by the company “Teva”. The top 3 among doctors according to this indicator also include “Yuriya-Pharm” and “Darnytsia”, pharmacists – “Organosyn Life Sciences” and “Darnytsia”.

Mention of appointments and recommendations

Promotional activities of marketing companies, as a rule, are converted into appointments by doctors and recommendations by pharmacists.

It is important to note that during a significant decline in promotion in March 2022, the number of mentions of doctors and pharmacists about the prescription/recommendation of medicinal products decreased by only 34% compared to the same period of the previous year (Fig. 3 ).

Fig. 3. Dynamics of mentions of doctors and pharmacists about the appointment/recommendation of medicinal products from January 2021 to March 2022, indicating the rates of growth/decline compared to the same period of the previous year

Results

This year, the promotional activity of pharmaceutical companies has significantly decreased. In March 2022, the number of mentions of all types of promotion by healthcare professionals decreased by 82% for the first time in the history of monitoring. But already in the next month, a tendency towards recovery has emerged.

Despite the difficult situation, many pharmaceutical companies managed to maintain or quickly establish work with a professional audience.

Such types of promotion as visits of medical representatives and remote communication are recovering the fastest.

The focus of the promotion shifted a little more towards doctors.

According to the research results of the MDM company, which were presented during the “SALES FORCE EFFECTIVENESS 2022” conference, it is important for health care representatives to maintain contact with pharmaceutical companies and medical representatives, to receive answers to their questions and information about medicinal products. There is also a high interest in webinars and trainings. There is a need for information on long-term rehabilitation after treatment of the wounded abroad and provision of care after severe concussions and return to training in a specialty.