Choosing which doctors to target when promoting a new product is essential to success, since most doctors are less likely to start prescribing your drug.
According to an SDI report, 20% of endocrinologists were responsible for prescribing 95% of new-to-brand oral diabetes therapies from September 2007 through August 2008. With primary care prescribers, the top 30% were accountable for 90% of new-to-brand scripts in this group.
The report measured oral diabetes-indicated products, including sulfonylureas, meglitinides, amino acid derivatives, biguanides, insulin sensitizers and alpha-glucos inhibitors, according to Tracy Everly, marketing publications writer, SDI.
In order to maximize the efficiency of physician marketing, companies have to reach these key drivers of market growth. “The traditional method of evaluating prescribers based on total prescriptions, which include renewals and refills, does not accurately identify customer segments that have the most influence on generating new market volume,” SDI said in a statement. “Utilizing SDI patient-level data, pharmaceutical companies can identify prescribers most likely to drive new prescription volume, enabling them to refine their promotional strategies and improve field sales force performance.”
