Understanding the Difference between Consumer and Patient
An OTC brand needs to appeal to a broad range of needs – beyond efficacy and safety, and connect at an emotional level.
For pharma companies, a combination of regulatory and financial pressures, and a trend towards self-care where individuals are willing and able to manage and invest in their health has created strong interest in the consumer health sector. The recent flurry of deals (for example the joint venture agreed between GSK Consumer Health and Novartis OTC, and Bayer’s acquisition of Merck’s Consumer Care division) is testament to current excitement.
Pharma companies, however, have long looked to the consumer marketplace as a sourcing opportunity. Switching a product from the prescription marketplace to that of OTC is a strategy adopted to maximize the product lifecycle, and mitigate against patent expiry.
For marketers, the path from prescription to OTC is not easy. In addition to regulatory challenges, it requires a creative strategy to effectively navigate the transition. Successful marketing in an OTC arena requires a different strategy and tactics to that of the prescription market. A fundamental shift in approach is needed: from targeting and engaging with physicians and payors, whilst indirectly communicating with patients, to taking a more rounded approach with consumers at its heart.
Critical to the success of the product in an OTC setting is the appreciation that the needs of a consumer are distinguished and separate to that of the patient.
Consumers as self-managers
Improved health literacy within the general population, supported by the huge amount of information available online means that individuals are increasingly able to manage common health conditions independently, with minimal input from healthcare professionals. Of course, the extent to which this is true depends on the therapeutic area.Where symptoms are clearly differentiated, treatment guidance is freely available, and products and tools easy to access, consumers are often able to make decisions about how best to manage their condition, and only seek advice when needed.
Self-management of everyday health conditions is well-established – most individuals are comfortable self-selecting a medicine for a headache, cough, or cold. The boundaries, however, are being pushed, with individuals becoming increasingly confident: taking responsibility for managing long-term conditions such as osteoarthritis, eczema, reflux and allergies.
For some, the availability of OTC medicines is a huge relief. In areas such as erectile dysfunction, where sufferers are embarrassed to speak with a healthcare professional, relatively easy access to drugs such as Viagra has opened up treatment possibilities where none previously existed.
Clearly, it is important to support consumers to self-manage their condition effectively. In order to draw new people into a category, and attract them to your brand, tactics that empower the consumer are needed. This may include generating tools to help consumers to diagnose the relevant condition that also walk them through the different treatment options so that they arrive at the best choice for them.
A range of influencing channels
Consumers are exposed to a range of different influences that shape product choice including: social media and online resources, word of mouth from family and friends, direct to consumer advertising, merchandising, and intervention from pharmacy workers and other healthcare professionals. The journey that a consumer embarks upon and the weight of the touchpoints encountered vary significantly.
The key variables are the country and the category. To give an example of the former, in Germany, you can only buy medicines from the pharmacy; whereas in the UK, you can buy a range of medicines from mass channels such as supermarkets and other general stores. Take, for example, sore throat consumers; they are likely to depend on well-known brands that are easily available, and rarely consult a pharmacist. On the other hand, consumers suffering from conditions such as IBS are likely to present to a GP for diagnosis and initial recommendations about treatment. It is only over time that they come to rely on their own experience and expertise without the need for healthcare professional input.
Key to success is an influencer strategy that draws upon the right touchpoints for the consumer – depending on their location and condition.
The power of social media and online resources
As we know, consumers are increasingly referring to social media and online resources for information. Many consumers are engaging with online forums and considering others’ reviews and experiences about products and coping mechanisms to aid their own decision-making. The power of word-of-mouth is well sung; in condition areas where consumers are less likely to know others who have tried products within the appropriate category, social media can only become more prominent.
For pharma professionals, this is a clear top tip that we absolutely need to be finely tuned into social media output in relation to key brands. Monitoring this channel is critical, and campaigns that leverage this media can be pertinent.
The importance of pharmacy
Pharmacy workers are a likely first port of call for self-managing consumers that discern a need to talk to an HCP. They also have the power to intervene during a transaction with a consumer and make a recommendation.
In the context of an Rx to OTC switch, the pharmacist may need education and support to feel comfortable recommending and supporting use of a product that was previously prescription only. They will need to feel reassured about safety, confident that they understand when the product should be used versus alternatives, and who the product is appropriate for. They will require guidance about information and advice that they should give to patients alongside.
This makes it extremely beneficial to brands to get pharmacy workers on board. There are a range of strategies that can be adopted to do so. From developing initiatives to support and partner with pharmacies, to building flexible and responsive distribution and purchasing models, to relying on product-centric activities.
And above all… don’t estimate the power of brand image
Contrary to what we often think about selling to healthcare professionals, when it comes to consumers, the look and feel of the brand is one of the most compelling drivers of purchase. To sell a product to a consumer, it is important to go beyond proving efficacy, and reassuring about safety. In fact, in many cases consumers will take this for granted if the product is available OTC.
An OTC brand needs to appeal to a broad range of needs – beyond efficacy and safety, and connect at an emotional level. Thinking like a consumer when we as pharma professionals develop Rx to OTC market strategies is key and we must constantly ask ourselves: is this a brand for me?
Questions or comments? You can share you thoughts with our audience in the comments section below, alternatively you can email the author directly at Pamela.walker@incite.ws
Dr Pamela Walker is Head of Health at Incite. She has over 14 years’ experience working with both pharmaceutical and healthcare brands on clinical trials, strategy consulting, and market research. Pamela studied at Oxford University, obtaining a PhD in Neuroscience and Psychology, and specializes in pharmaceutical brand strategy, patient research and behavior change.