Today the pharmaceutical industry is one of the most strategically important and dynamically developing areas of the world economy. It plays a huge role in solving significant social and economic problems, acting as a kind of mediator whose activities are aimed at improving the quality of life of the population. The world pharmaceutical market as a whole are in the conditions of globalization and constant growth of competition. It would seem what is special about pharmaceutical marketing? And then I will tell you about it as a purpose of my topic . A pharmaceutical product from the point of view of classical marketing is not quite common. On the one hand, it saves lives, but on the other — can itself be harmful if misused — that is why the pharmaceutical market is the most regulated both legally and ethically.
The process of promoting a product on the market can be described as a set of strategic actions aimed at stimulating sales of this product, conducting various types of advertising campaigns, direct marketing, personal sales within the framework of legislative restrictions. It seems that promotion in any field of activity consists in such actions, but unfortunately, pharmaceutical marketing is very «limited» in creativity due to high requirements in terms of the safety of delivering information to the end consumer, while maintaining profitability. Further in the essay, we will look at how marketing works in the drug market in modern realities and what is the main goal of it.
Pharmaceutical marketing, as part of health marketing, has a number of characteristics that are not inherent in general marketing. The products in pharmaceutical marketing are medicines in various forms, medical instruments, etc., the use of which depends not only on the patient's illness, but also on the qualifications of the doctor. Therefore, the first and main feature of pharmaceutical marketing is that in the case of pharmaceutical care, the classical formula for buying and selling becomes more complicated, because the third link is included in the buyer-seller system — a doctor, who is equally, and sometimes to a greater extent, a generator of demand. According to Kotler, the successful marketer will try to understand the target market’s needs, wants, and demands. Needs describe basic human requirements such as food, air, water, clothing, and shelter (Kotler, 2000). The second important feature is that when analyzing the market, it is necessary to take into account not demand, as in general marketing, but three parameters at once — need, necessity and demand. The third feature is that consumers often view medical and pharmaceutical products not as a desired product, but as a necessary purchase, and therefore, as a rule, they make a purchase under the pressure of symptoms of illness or when they feel deviations from normal well-being. This, in turn, determines that the patient does not buy a medicine or a care item as such, but a way to regain health and eliminate the state of discomfort caused by the disease. Summarizing the above features, we can say that, along with the patient, one of the main objects of pharmaceutical marketing is a drug (product) in various forms (product units), which, as a product, has some unique characteristics.
«As products become more complex, the public needs to be assured of their safety. Consequently, government agencies’ powers to investigate and ban potentially unsafe products should be expanded. For example, In the United States, the FFDA must approve all drugs before they can be sold. Marketers must be aware of these regulations when proposing, developing, and launching new products» — as Kotler claimed (Kotler, 2000). Ensuring the safe use of drugs is an important prerogative of the state. The safety of pharmaceutical products means the state of confidence that they are safe under normal conditions of use, are not harmful, do not pose a threat to the health of present and future generations, and do not affect the environment. The existing system in our country effectively protects consumer rights. The most controversial issue is drug advertising. Advertising of drugs is a very specific subject, in which the information needs of specialists and the public are intertwined with the commercial interests of manufacturers and distributors and with doctors' concerns about the potential danger of uncontrolled self-medication. Requirements for drug advertising are determined by the desire to ensure an informed and correct choice of a drug, on the one hand, and, on the other, to ensure the safety of treatment and self-medication. Business profitability is an important aspect, but if it is not well-intentioned and does not provide safety for consumers, then it has no value to society.
The article written by Lalitkumar Bhole and Dr. Sushma Verma states that pharmaceutical companies in the future will largely adapt to digitalization and develop rich connectivity, data analytics and collaboration. The main idea of article says that digital technologies will soon become the backbone of the pharmaceutical industry. The authors also write that patients and healthcare professionals will provide a communication platform for brands, and that traditional one-way relationships in the healthcare system can be transformed into two-way ones through digitalization. The authors argue that mobile marketing, social media and other forms of digital marketing will provide patients with valuable communication channels.
Medicines affect health, change it. By its very nature, they play an important role in society. Therefore, the sale of medicines has a number of features. And this is due to the fact that medicines are a special product, because they affect the most valuable thing a person has — his health, and the prosperity of any state depends on the health of the nation. Thus, the pharmaceutical industry, one of the main tasks of which is the production and distribution of safe, effective and high-quality medicines, must play a key role in the economy. In pharmaceutical marketing, the emphasis is on medical care, not just drugs. And the ultimate goal is to meet the needs of the patient, not the manufacturer or pharmacist. Any product, service or idea related to pharmacy, including the marketing of pharmaceuticals, can be the subject of pharmaceutical marketing. Undoubtedly, at present, the competent use of the marketing approach is one of the main factors that determine the effectiveness of a modern pharmaceutical company. The future belongs to pharmaceutical companies focused on the practical application of marketing tools to create a competitive advantage in the market.
References:
- Kotler, P. (2000). Marketing Management Millenium Edition. NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
- Vasnetsova O. (2009). Medical and pharmaceutical commodity science. Moscow, Geotar-media.
- Barry J. (2011). Pharmaceutical Marketing Handbook. Moscow, Litterra Publ.
- Kotler P., Armstrong G.(2017). Principles of Marketing. Harlow: Pearson.
- Keller, K. (2011). Marketing Management 14th Edition, Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall, Inc.
