Many of the modern initiatives involve offering updated information to the doctors in exchange for their time. This has proved to be the most desirable option for more than one reason. Firstly, information, once acquired, is easy to replicate and distribute. Secondly, targeted information as an offering is an ethically approved practice in the pharmaceutical marketing world. Finally, knowledge and data can be effectively packaged to have a direct association with the pharmaceutical marketing brands.

One of the most effective ways of engaging HCPs is through ‘Physician Portals’. These are web and mobile-based portals which provide high-quality, user-friendly educational material.

Success Factors

All marketers, including pharmaceutical marketers, are challenged by the diminishing attention spans of consumers. There is a struggle to claim the mindshare of consumers – HCPs, in the case of pharma marketers. For these reasons, physician portals need to have the following attributes to become successful marketing tools:

• Engaging, high-quality content

• Engaging, high-quality content

• Engaging, high-quality content

Lack of interesting material and a non-intuitive design are two of the major afflictions of many portals. The attention of the user is valuable commodity for the marketer. Once lost, this commodity is very difficult to recover.

The HCP Pain Points

Despite the rise of digital in the life science industry, the ability to provide the right information to doctors quickly and effectively remains a challenge. This is partly due to complicated and isolated processes for educating and informing doctors. Furthermore, each channel provides digital information differently. This creates a cognitive burden for the already-preoccupied HCPs.

Digital has created higher expectations among HCPs for data to be at their fingertips. They are no longer willing to wade through a sea of websites and portals to get critical product information. But on the other end, patients are becoming increasingly better informed about disease management and drugs. They now have access to websites and apps which allow them to research their symptoms in a matter of seconds. They are also more likely than ever to question the judgement of their doctors with respect to prescriptions and even diagnoses.

To tackle both these issues, doctors are now in search of resources which allow them to preserve and build upon their current knowledge. HCPs now want to be able to stay a step ahead of their patients. They want access latest medical information as well as global best-practices, without having to work too hard for it. A well-designed portal covers all these bases and allows the HCP to enhance their practice and professional reputation.

The ideal ‘Physician Portal’ will result in a strengthened relationship between the HCP and the pharma marketer by addressing the pain points of the doctors. A well-developed portal complements the entire Pharma-HCP-Patient cycle and enriches it for the better.

DigiTrends is a pioneer in the field of pharmaceutical digital marketing in Pakistan. With a special focus on creating award-winning web innovation, DigiTrends is a trusted partner to the majority of top-25 players in the Pakistani pharmaceutical market. For queries regarding how DigiTrends can help you with Physician Portals, contact us at info@digitrends.ae.