WHITEHOUSE, N.J., May 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a survey conducted by Health Products Research, Inc.(R) (HPR(R)), a division of Ventiv Health, Inc. , seven out of twelve physician specialty segments surveyed rated Pfizer as the top company who best supports the overall needs of their practices. According to the information collected by HPR, Pfizer ranked first in six of the twelve specialty segments surveyed a year ago, moving to the top position among Orthopedic Surgeons this year. This data was collected during a three-month period ending January 2004.
HPR’s Metropolitan Area Promotional Audit (MPA) is a monthly service providing insights into pharmaceutical/healthcare company promotional activities and sales force structure. For this annual survey, over 10,000 medium-high potential physicians were asked to identify the top 3 companies best supporting the overall needs of their practice, and the factors that distinguish these companies from the rest. In total, 12 unique specialty segments were represented in the survey. This is the third consecutive year in which HPR has conducted this study.
“For the third year in a row, we have utilized the breadth of HPR’s Metropolitan Area Promotional Audit to assess what avenues of pharmaceutical company promotion resonate best with physicians,” said Leonard J. Vicciardo, President and COO of Health Products Research. “Over 10,000 physicians were asked to participate across 12 different therapeutic areas. The information collected provides excellent insight into the specific needs of doctors and the differentiating aspects of some of the industry’s best representatives. We are delighted with the level of usage this information has amongst our clientele.”
Some of the unique reasons companies were cited by physicians included: organizing sample closets, providing access to a network of physician consults/thought leaders, offering a prescription card assistance program for seniors and developing an information website for the physician’s practice.
The following summarizes the key findings from the research: -- Among the General/Family Practice physicians (2,277 respondents), Pfizer (63%), Merck (41%) and GlaxoSmithKline (34%) ranked as the top 3 companies best supporting the overall needs of GP/FP practices this year. AstraZeneca (17%) moved up one position to rank 5th this year, while Novartis continued its 4th place ranking among the primary care physician segment. The most common reasons cited by the GP/FP audience for selecting Pfizer were based on its vast company product line, support of patient education, support of patient assistance programs around drug reimbursement, very knowledgeable sales reps and adequate supplies of drug samples. -- Among Internal Medicine physicians (2,031 respondents), Pfizer (65%), Merck (48%) and Novartis (33%) continued to rank one, two and three, respectively; GSK (25%) maintained its 4th place position among Internists while AstraZeneca (19%) jumped to the 5th spot, surpassing BMS (15%). -- Pediatricians (1,276 respondents) continued to rate GlaxoSmithKline as the top company supporting their practice, as GSK was cited by 41% of the respondents surveyed among this specialty group; Pfizer (32%) and Ross Products (31%) rounded out the top 3 companies. Merck (24%) moved into the top 5 this year among Pediatricians, finishing just behind Mead Johnson (26%). The key reasons cited by Pediatricians for selecting GSK were the company’s excellent product line, frequency seeing the sales rep and quantity of sampling, and support of patient information. -- Among Psychiatrists (900 respondents), Pfizer (56%) eclipsed Lilly (55%) this year to maintain the top position as the company best supporting Psychiatrists. Forest (34%) moved up to the 3rd position while GSK (32%) slipped to the 4th spot from its 3rd place ranking a year ago. Janssen (29%) continued to rank in the 5th position. -- Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals (OMP) continued its 1st place ranking for the 3rd consecutive year among OB/GYNs (884 respondents), where it was cited by 63% of the total respondents. Wyeth (46%) and Pfizer (37%) rounded out the top three companies cited by OB/GYNs. -- Pfizer was cited by 86% of Urologists surveyed (519 respondents) as the company best supporting their practice; Bayer (41%) ranked 2nd, while Merck (26%) and Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals (26%) tied for the 3rd position. -- Among Orthopedic Surgeons (496 respondents), Pfizer (80%) eclipsed Merck (76%) to remain the dominant two companies among this specialty group; Abbott Labs (8%) and Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals (7%) followed. The Cox-2 product line, excellent clinical information and support of drug samples were common themes cited by Orthopedics for selecting Pfizer. -- Among Cardiologists (462 respondents), Pfizer (79%) and Merck (63%) continued to rank number one and two, respectively. AstraZeneca (27%) moved up two positions to rank 3rd. -- Amgen maintained its top position among Hematology/Oncology specialists (370 respondents), where it was cited by 47% of the responding physicians from this specialty group. Aventis (43%) and Novartis (27%) continued to rank 2nd and 3rd, respectively, followed by OrthoBiotech (25%), which jumped two positions to rank 4th overall. -- GlaxoSmithKline (72%) continued its number one ranking among Allergists (359 respondents), followed by Aventis (62%) and Schering (34%). Pulmonary Disease specialists (297 respondents) also rated GlaxoSmithKline as tops, with 73% of the Respiratory specialists surveyed citing GSK as company best supporting their practice. Merck (42%) and Pfizer (34%) rounded out the top 3 companies among this specialty group. About the MPA Service:
The Metropolitan Area Promotional Audit (MPA) is a monthly service providing insights into pharmaceutical/healthcare company promotional activities and sales force structure across 22 metropolitan area geographies (MSA-GEOs). Physicians provide insights into the nature of the sales rep product discussions, the value of this information, their intent to prescribe the product, in addition to a host of other information collected on the sales rep call. This enables pharmaceutical companies to fine-tune their marketing, field force resource allocation and professional medical education support initiatives to better meet the on-going information needs of physicians and healthcare providers. The MPA service was launched in January 2000, and has a dedicated panel of over 15,000 physicians representing 12 specialty segments.
For questions or information on the MPA service, or for more detailed information on the company ranking report, please contact James Charnetski, Eileen Henne or Kevin McFadden at (609) 771-9777.
About HPR:
Headquartered in Whitehouse, New Jersey, Health Products Research, a division of Ventiv Health, Inc. , provides the pharmaceutical industry with sophisticated consulting services, including market research, promotion analyses, market segmentation, strategic planning, sales force deployment and call planning, for more than 30 years. Utilizing market, product and physician-level intelligence, in combination with advanced statistical modeling, mathematical techniques, and market research. HPR offers management solutions that maximize the effective use of promotional resources, optimizing Return on Investment (ROI).
Ventiv Health, Inc.
CONTACT: Investors - Corporate, John Emery, CFO of Ventiv Health, Inc.,+1-732-537-4804, investor@ventiv.com; or Client Questions - Marketing, JamesCharnetski, jcharnetski@hprmrd.com, or Kevin McFadden, kmcfadden@hprmrd.com,both of Health Products Research, Inc., +1-609-771-9777; or Media, FeliciaVonella of Lazar Partners Ltd., +1-212-867-1762, fvonella@lazarpartners.com