www.e-detailing.info

Warum e-Detailing?

1. Die Pharmaindustrie steht im 21. Jahrhundert an der Schwelle zu großen Veränderungen

2. Die Grenzen des Aussendienstes werden erreicht

	Der gleiche Arzt sieht mehr und mehr Aussendienstmitarbeiter Pharmaunternehmen konzentrieren ihren Aussendienst auf TOP-Verschreiber Die Ärzte nehmen den Aussendienst nicht mehr als Mehrwert wahr
	Ärzte begrenzen die Gesprächszeit des Aussendienstes Der Aussendienst hat sich in den vergangenen 5 Jahren verdoppelt, die Zahl der Aussendienst-Kontakte stieg aber nur um 15 %1 Nur 57% der Aussendienst-Besuche führen tatsächlich zu einem Gespräch2 Der durchschnittliche US- Aussendienst-Mitarbeiter führt nur 4 Gespräche täglich
	Die Durchschnittsgesprächszeit hat in den vergangenen Jahren abgenommen Im US-Durchschnitt dauert ein Aussendienst-Arzt-Gespräch nur noch 2-4 Minuten Die Durchschnittskosten pro Aussendienstbesuch steigen Zusammenfassend bedeutet diese Entwicklung eine deutliche Abnahme des Return on Investment des Außendienstes

Quellen: Pharma’s Detailing Overhaul, Forrester, February 2001 / Hambrecht & Co Analyst Report, 2001 / Scott-Levin

With the growth in e-detailing the traditional sales rep could become a thing of the past

by Stephen Dunn (healthcare business manager at doctorsworld.com)

The traditional promotional model for pharmaceutical marketing is based on access and influence via the sales force. The number of sales representatives has increased dramatically in the past decade, which proves that detailing does work: a strong correlation exists between call volume and product sales.

However, according to a report by ZS Associates, there is a growing level of discomfort with the current selling model. It is expensive, inefficient and doctors don't like it much.

Reps spend much of their time on the road, negotiating with receptionists and waiting. Even when the rep gets to see the doctor, he or she will have a matter of minutes to deliver three product details, hurrying to fit the entire presentation in to the constrained time slot whilst hoping the doctor was paying attention.

If the average cost of a rep is £70,000 per annum (salary, training, benefits etc.) and he makes 15 calls per week over 47 weeks, the cost per contact works is £99 per visit.

A report by Medemonitor (www. medemonitor.net) presents the results of a recent market research survey of 200 UK GPs on reps and e-detailing.  It concluded that the average rep call duration to be 9.5 minutes, making the cost of an hour's face-to-face selling more than £625.

To compound the issue, the majority said their attention only lasted for half the call. As number of physicians connected to the web grows, demand exists to use technology to transform the detail. Welcome e-detailing.

There are two prevailing models of e-detailing; virtual detailing and video conferencing. The virtual detail walks  doctors through scripted, interactive web sessions about a product, whereas video conferencing uses a real rep to conduct live detail sessions via web cams.

So, is e-detailing the cheap, effective and friendly way of influencing doctors that pharma has been waiting for? iPhysicianNet is the major US e-detail technology provider and claims that doctors like their fresh approach to detailing. Its service is available 24-hours a day, no longer limiting the detail to doctors' rare spare minutes.

Physicians can log on when it is convenient and access a site containing extensive drug information, where a sales rep, working from a central or home office, is on hand at all times to answer questions.

The advantages of this system over traditional detailing are many. As doctors are logging on when they want, they spend longer listening, with greater level of attention. The increased time has other advantages as well. Physicians have a greater opportunity to ask questions, creating a dialogue where once the salesperson's monologue reigned. What's more, as reps don't have to physically travel to each call, the number of details they can make per day increases enormously, from four to twenty.

Do the doctors like it? 70 per cent of iPhysicianNet's doctors reported to be 'very satisfied' with e-detailing, citing ease of use and convenience as important.

How do they use it? 70 per cent of participating physicians choose to be e-detailed outside of traditional office hours, 40 per cent request to be contacted by a sales rep and 60 per cent request samples, usually delivered by a representative.

The jury may still be out on the bottom-line benefits of e-detailing, but early adopters report making at least 20 calls per day with 'virtual' reps, with an average duration of 8 minutes, compared to 3 minutes with traditional detailing.

Speaking at eHealthcareWorld in San Diego in May 2000, Bruce Kent, executive director of e-sales for Novartis, reported that reps using live video detailing were able to complete 13 calls per day (vs 8 for field reps), spend nine minutes per call (vs 3) and deliver 2.7 details per call (vs 1.6). Furthermore, because these reps cost Novartis $18,000 less per year than field reps, their cost per minute is $14 (vs $58), yielding a cost per detail of $48 (vs $106).

Measured against scrips, the bottom line is an ROI 20 per cent higher than for field reps. However, since Novartis research shows that 58 per cent of primary care physicians prefer both field and e-detailing calls, it is continuing with its field force.

The NHS is a very different animal to a HMO, especially as physicians in the US are rewarded for going online with an honorarium which may concern the ABPI!

It is unlikely that e-detailing will replace the traditional sales call in the near future. In the interim, marketers should look to these new tools to augment, not replace, traditional methods. The ZS Associates report concurs: "Most e-efforts are additive, they facilitate rather than replace traditional approaches".

The modern day sales rep can breathe a sigh of relief.