Why pharma campaigns should target payers and doctors

Payer influence on physician prescribing decisions should be an important consideration for pharmaceutical marketers. Rather than targeting physicians first and payers second, marketers could see more opportunities to win big by splitting their attention between these groups more evenly. 

Since 2016, the majority of physicians are employed by a hospital or larger practice. Because these doctors are subject to centralized policies, and payers have influence over those policies, each marketing win is effectively bigger. In fact, FiercePharma reported that 84 percent of physicians usually or always follow formulary guidelines, rather than their first-choice drug. Essentially, winning over a payer could mean winning the prescribing preference of dozens of doctors within a network.

To effectively leverage the influence payers have over physicians, pharma marketers need to understand what each group desires, and how those needs play out in a clinical setting.

Value propositions: payers vs providers

In many ways, the value propositions that appeal to healthcare providers also appeal to payers. For example, health care providers are concerned with patient outcomes, drug efficacy and similar issues. Payers, which are subject to value-based care regulations, are likewise interested in the real-world outcomes of prescription drugs. In this case, the real difference is a matter of scale. When physicians make a prescribing decision, they are most concerned with the drug's effect on a single patient. When payers make a decision to include a drug in their network, they are most concerned with the product's potential impact on a patient population.

At the population level, payers are also more likely to be concerned with the financial impact of the drug. Recent reforms from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have placed greater importance on value-based reimbursement models. Payers have an incentive to utilize drugs that create the most value for patients, as those drugs likely qualify for larger reimbursements. If marketers ignore this issue in their materials, they're ignoring a major topic that payers want to engage with. Advertisements that address this topic head-on can gain the interest of payers and align their thinking with that of HCPs. Neglecting this point could mean the campaign will fail to engage payers.

The majority of physicians follow formulary guidelines when making prescribing decisions.

Building an effective marketing campaign

A comprehensive marketing campaign should make an effort to address the concerns of each distinct audience. In some places, these concerns will align, such as messaging about drug efficacy. In others, messages will require distinct pieces of collateral directed at a specific payer or HCP specialty.

With the value propositions clearly defined, pharma marketers can develop unique headlines and appeals for each audience. To maintain cohesion within the campaign, visual branding should remain consistent. For example, if a HCP-targeted ad shows patients enjoying active pastimes like running in the park, payer-directed ads should likewise feature active imagery.

Keeping consistency in mind throughout campaign development can improve alignment between physicians and payers. When everyone is on the same page, marketers will have more success building brand awareness and engagement.

Striking a balance in pharma marketing campaigns requires the consideration of two key points:

• How the product benefits patients individually and at the population level.
• The economics of the product in a value-based reimbursement model.

By addressing these topics, pharma marketers can develop campaigns that speak to the two groups with the most influence over prescribing decisions. To learn more about how to develop and distribute pharma marketing campaigns that speak to all relevant stakeholders, get in touch with an Elsevier consultant today.