Doctors rate Merck’s ePromotion efforts as tops in the industry, according to pharmaceutical marketing data firm Verispan.
Of the approximately 1,000 physicians who participated in “Verispan’s 2007 ePromotion Annual Study,” Merck was mentioned as a top company by 361, while the closest competitor, GlaxoSmithKline, was mentioned by 219 physicians. Forty-eight percent of primary care doctors and 52% of pediatricians ranked Merck among the three companies with the best ePromotion programs.
Verispan’s online study surveyed approximately 1,000 physicians across 14 specialties. For purposes of the study, the term “ePromotion” was defined as video details, online events and virtual details.
Merck’s spending on ePromotion activities has more than quadrupled over the last three years, Verispan said. The drugmaker spent almost $83 million in 2007 on ePromotion, an amount that accounts for over 20% of industry spending for the medium.
Merck’s ePromotion efforts in 2007 were concentrated on primary care physicians (68% of spending), pediatricians (13%) and obstetricians/gynecologists (8%). The drugmaker most often promoted Januvia, Singulair and Vytorin to primary care physicians and Singulair, RotaTeq and Gardasil to pediatricians, Verispan said. OB/GYNs were most likely to participate in Fosamax, Singulair and Januvia ePromotion activities.
