There are too many of us, pharma reps say

Results from RepReview Pharma 2007 indicate that the number of pharmaceutical sales representatives now competing for prescriber attention is jeopardizing the effectiveness of personal selling - the signature approach of brand promotion for drug manufacturers. In fact, analysts suggest that the inaccessible-physician problem could be customers’ way of telling the industry that the current state of this system is not meeting their needs.

RepReview surveyed pharmaceutical and biotechnology sales reps along with sales managers to find out what’s really happening on the industry’s selling field. Conducted by Indianapolis-based G & S Research in partnership with Pharmaceutical Representative magazine, the research shows how salespeople think and feel about their day-to-day responsibilities and the industry they represent; it also explores their challenges, needs and expectations.

In general, the research results verify what many health care professionals have either known or speculated for years: that a strong relationship between a sales rep and physician often coincides with better access to physicians and better market share.

Yet developing a bond with physicians is getting more and more difficult for drug reps due to a myriad of factors. Aside from the saturation of reps in the field, industry regulations, managed care parameters and productivity requirements, and declining public opinion of the industry are impacting the influence of sales reps.

The benefits for those who can earn the trust of physicians and forge a genuine bond are significant. Primarily, there appears to be a correlation between how a physician views a rep and how much time that rep gets. For instance, reps who classify themselves as Trusted Advisors (based on how they think they were perceived by the last physician they called upon) report more time with physicians than those who put themselves in the Sample Supplier category. In fact, more than half of the Sample Suppliers (52 percent) report talking to the physician for less than one minute.

RepReview respondents point a collective finger at “too many competitive representatives taking up physicians’ time” as the key culprit of their limited time with physicians. This perception is particularly strong among managers (versus reps) and those targeting primary care physicians (versus specialists).

While the population of reps in the field is cited as the most prevalent obstacle for the pharma/biotech sales force, it’s not the only one. RepReview indicates a range of other industry conditions are also taking a toll on reps’ effectiveness. Among them are a declining public opinion of the industry (primarily due to negative publicity/media coverage and the cost of medication) and industry regulations, particularly the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) code. As well, stiffer competition from generics, the rising influence of managed care on prescribing decisions, and the “no see” office phenomenon were also identified as key challenges.

Nevertheless, reps indicate they are happy with their job. Roughly half of respondents named their own employer as the health care company they most respect, and about the same number named their own as the best sales force in the industry. Many agree that marketing is providing useful materials and training needs are, for the most part, being met.

Still, there’s no question: Salespeople in the pharma/biotech industry need to find new, creative and ethical ways to address prescriber needs and preferences and thereby meet patient needs. For more information visit www.repreview2007.com.

Newspaper Web site readers also read the printed edition

A study released by the Newspaper National Network LP, conducted by New York-based Scarborough Research, found that 81 percent of newspaper Web site users also read the printed newspaper in the last seven days. Crossover users (those who used both print and online newspapers in the past seven days) have deep affinity with both their printed newspaper and their newspaper Web site, and 83 percent say “I love both my printed newspaper and visiting my newspaper’s Web site.” Crossover users visit their newspaper Web site to: access breaking news (96 percent); find articles seen previously (85 percent); find things to do/places to go (72 percent).

The study found that 55 percent of newspaper Web site-only users are female, while 48 percent of crossover users are female. The main reasons newspaper Web site-only users cited for using newspaper Web sites include: accessing local news (84 percent); entertainment information (74 percent); food or restaurant information (58 percent).

Newspaper Web site-only users are Web-savvy group: 52 percent write or read blogs and 46 percent have joined a Web community.
The two segments differ in the time of day they are using newspapers. Crossover users are more likely to read their printed newspaper in the morning (63 percent read the printed newspaper before 10 a.m.) and access their newspaper Web site in the afternoon or evening (46 percent).

Newspaper Web site-only users are more likely to access the Web site in the morning (49 percent of Web site-only users access the Web site before 10 a.m. vs. 34 percent of crossover users). Eighty-seven percent of crossover users report that their time spent with newspaper media has increased or remained the same versus only 12 percent who say time spent has decreased. For more information visit www.nnnlp.com.

Do-Not-Call Registry a rare success story

Not only does the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Do-Not-Call Registry continue to have great success, but the agency has also done well at alerting people that their registration expires and a renewal is necessary.

Just under three-quarters (72 percent) of Americans have registered their telephone numbers for the Do-Not-Call Registry. Of those who have registered, very few people say they get as many telemarketing calls as before they signed up (6 percent) and only 1 percent say they get more than before they signed up. One in five (18 percent) report that they currently get no telemarketing calls with three in five (59 percent) reporting that they still get some, but far less than before they signed onto the Registry and 14 percent saying they get some, but a little less than before they registered.

These are the some of the results of a Harris Poll of 2,565 U.S. adults aged 18 or over surveyed online between October 9 and 15, 2007 by Harris Interactive, Rochester, N.Y.

While seven in 10 of those who are registered (71 percent) say they know that the Do-Not-Call Registry expires and they will have to renew their registration, 29 percent unaware of this fact. Interestingly, those in the West and those who have post-graduate degrees are less likely to be aware they will have to renew their registration (33 percent for both).

What is a true testament to the success of the Do-Not-Call Registry is the overwhelming response when those who are signed up are asked if they will renew their registration. Almost everyone (96 percent) says that they already have or will renew their registration. One-quarter (25 percent) have already done so and 71 percent plan on renewing their registration. Just 2 percent say they will not and an additional two percent are unsure.

With the pessimistic attitude toward a great deal of what Washington does, it is rare to see a government agency enjoying such a success as the FTC and the registry. When very strong majorities of Americans not only sign up for something that the government proposes, but then also say it is working, that is worth noting. Further evidence of how well Americans regard this program is in the 96 percent who plan to renew. For more information visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

Most feel attending worship services gave them good moral foundation

Study results released by Ellison Research, Phoenix, Ariz., show that only 7 percent of all American adults have not had any point in their lives when they regularly attended religious worship services (attendance of once a month or more). Just over half of all adults (51 percent) say they currently attend religious worship services of some kind once a month or more, leaving 42 percent who can be considered lapsed - meaning they attended regularly at some point, but no longer do so.
Most of this previous attendance was during childhood. Nine out of 10 adults attended religious worship services regularly at some point before the age of 18, including 86 percent of those who no longer attend today.

However, it appears childhood attendance is becoming less and less common. Among people who do not regularly attend worship services today, 24 percent of those under age 35 also did not attend as a child, compared to 13 percent among people age 35 to 54, and just 9 percent of those 55 or older.

The findings are from a study independently designed and conducted by Ellison Research among a representative sample of 1,007 American adults. The sample was balanced by gender, age, income, race and geography.

Most Americans who attended religious services at some point during childhood look back on their experience in a positive way. Sixty-six percent believe their religious attendance before age 18 gave them a good moral foundation, 62 percent say it’s something they are glad they did, 57 percent believe it gave them important religious knowledge, 50 percent believe it helped them grow spiritually, 47 percent feel it helped them prepare for life as an adult, and 43 percent say it deepened their spiritual faith.

On the other hand, 19 percent believe their childhood experiences turned them off to organized religion, 15 percent believe their childhood religious attendance is not relevant to their life today, and 13 percent feel it helped send them down a different spiritual path than the one they were taking at that time.

Not surprisingly, attitudes about childhood religious involvement vary substantially according to whether the person is still regularly attending religious services. Among those who currently attend services, the vast majority have positive things to say about their childhood religious attendance. For instance, 62 percent believe it helped them grow spiritually, and 75 percent believe it gave them a good moral foundation.

But even among those who have abandoned regular religious attendance, the view of their childhood attendance is more positive than negative. On the positive side, 55 percent feel their childhood religious attendance gave them a good moral foundation, 48 percent say it gave them important religious knowledge, 35 percent believe it helped them grow spiritually, 34 percent feel it helped them prepare for life as an adult, and 27 percent say it deepened their spiritual faith. On the negative side, 31 percent say their childhood attendance turned them off to organized religion, and 24 percent believe their childhood involvement is not relevant to their life today. Thirteen percent believe it sent them down a different spiritual path than the one they were on at that time.

All in all, 51 percent of Americans who attended religious worship services at some point during childhood, but who do not currently do so, still say they are glad they attended as a child.

Fifty-six percent of all adults who attended religious services in childhood feel that attendance has made them more interested in religion as an adult, including 33 percent who say it has made them much more interested in religion. Only 18 percent believe childhood attendance decreased their interest in religion as an adult, including 11 percent who believe it strongly decreased their interest. The remaining 26 percent believe their childhood attendance did not impact their interest in religion as an adult.

Again, these numbers vary dramatically according to whether the person is still regularly attending religious services. Among those who currently attend, 78 percent believe childhood involvement increased their interest in religion as an adult, while 14 percent feel it had no impact, and 8 percent say it decreased their interest in religion. Among those who do not currently attend services regularly, 30 percent still believe childhood attendance increased their interest in religion, while 40 percent believe it had no impact, and 30 percent feel it decreased their interest in religion.

Seventy-three percent of adults who attended worship services at some point before age 18 feel this attendance has had a positive influence on their life, including 40 percent who feel it has had a highly positive influence. Eighteen percent say their attendance as a child did not influence their life at all, while just 8 percent feel it had a negative influence on their life (including only 2 percent who feel childhood religious attendance had a highly negative influence on them).

Among those who continue to attend worship services as an adult, 87 percent believe attending as a child had a positive influence on their life, while only 4 percent say it had a negative influence. But even among those who no longer attend religious services, 56 percent believe their childhood attendance had a positive influence on their life, including 21 percent who say it had a strongly positive influence. Thirty percent see no influence on their life from their childhood religious involvement, and 14 percent believe it negatively influenced them, including just 3 percent who believe the negative influence was strong.

All adults who attended religious services as a child can therefore be divided into six categories: 48 percent believe attending as a child had a positive influence on their life, and they continue to attend services today; 5 percent believe attending as a child had no influence on their life, but they continue to attend services; 2 percent believe attending as a child had a negative influence on their life, but they still continue to attend services; 25 percent no longer attend services, but they believe attending as a child had a positive influence on their life; 14 percent no longer attend, and believe attending as a child had no influence on their life; and 6 percent no longer attend, and believe attending as a child had a negative influence on their life.

These findings should refute claims that having children attend religious services will negatively impact them, says Ron Sellers, president of Ellison Research. “There have long been claims from some in the atheist community that taking children to religious services is harmful to their development,” he says. “According to the vast majority of adults who have themselves been through the experience, this is simply not true. Only about one out of every 17 people who attended religious services at some point during their childhood feel this had a negative influence on their lives and no longer attend services. At the same time, almost three out of four believe it had a positive influence on their lives, whether or not they still attend. Today’s adults are, by and large, glad they attended worship services at some point during their childhood.”

These findings should have some influence on parents who may be deciding whether or not to have their children attend religious services, Sellers says. “Today’s adults are over 20 times more likely to feel attending worship services in childhood had a highly positive influence on them than to say this had a highly negative influence on them. Even adults who no longer are involved in religious attendance are seven times more likely to cite childhood religious attendance as a highly positive influence on their lives than as a highly negative influence. Clearly, most adults believe the reward far outweighs the risk when it comes to childhood religious involvement.” For more information visit www.ellisonresearch.com.