Go-to-Market or Go-to-Patient: The Evolving Strategy
Preamble
This post honors Mr. Sanjiv Navangul, who championed the “Go-To-Patient Strategy” for the pharmaceutical industry, a shift from the traditional “Go-To-Market” approach. He exemplifies putting theory into practice!
In 1960, Harvard Business Review published Theodore Levitt’s groundbreaking article “Marketing Myopia,” which posed a critical question: “What business are you truly in? Who are your customers?”
The same applies to Pharma India today. Are we in the business of selling drugs, or in the business of improving healthcare outcomes by enhancing the experiences of both doctors and patients?
While doctors prescribe, it’s the patients who ultimately pay for and use medications. Therefore, Pharma India must recognize that patients are key stakeholders, not just beneficiaries.
In essence, your customers are a two-part equation: doctors and patients working together in the healthcare journey.
A winning Go-To-Patient Strategy
What will a winning Go-To-Patient Strategy have?
- What makes your product unique? (The USP)
- How will it truly benefit patients? (The value proposition)
- Who exactly needs this product? (The Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning)
- How will patients learn about it and understand its value? (The brand plan with inbuilt strategy implementation)
- What’s the patient’s experience from start to finish? (The patient journey mapping)
By planning how patients will experience your product, you can avoid common launch mistakes and smooth the way for success. A Go-To-Patient strategy isn’t a magic bullet, but it can help you address potential issues before you invest heavily in promotion.
Here are some key points to keep in mind when implementing a Go-To-Patient strategy.
Product-market fit
Product-Market Fit means finding the right balance between what your product offers and what your padocumer’s need and want.
It’s like making sure that your product is the perfect match for the patients who have been prescribed. When your product fits well with the market, it means that padocumer’s find it valuable and useful for solving their problems or fulfilling their needs.
In simple terms, it’s about making a product that the doctors really like and want to prescribe because it meets the needs of patients perfectly.
Dynapar-QPS Spray stands out as a perfect fit for the market. Doctors were seeking a diclofenac solution that wouldn’t irritate the stomach, and Dynapar-QPS Spray delivers just that. It goes straight to the source of inflammation while preventing gastric irritation.
The target audience
Finding the right doctors is key! Think of them as your ideal customers – the ones who would benefit most from your product. Picking the wrong doctors wastes money and the marketing efforts. This happens a lot and hurts profits. Focus on solving problems. What are the biggest challenges doctors and their patients face? What makes their jobs harder? Your product should make things easier for them!
Competition
Check out the competition! See what other brands are doing well and where they might be weak. Can your product address a gap in their strengths?
Is the market crowded? If so, how will you stand out?
Can you create something entirely new? Maybe there’s a whole new group of patients who need a solution your product can offer. This would be like finding a “blue ocean” – a market with little to no competition!
Accessibility
Make it accessible! Keep your product affordable for a large audience, ensuring its safety is always top priority. Reach out to patients where they shop, both online (e-commerce sites) and in retail pharmacies.
Ready to build your Go-To-Patient strategy? Dive into my step-by-step guide below!
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Mapping the Patient Journey
It is crucial to meticulously map out every stage of the patient journey, viewing each step as an opportunity to enhance the overall patient experience. By identifying and addressing pain points at each stage, healthcare facilities can significantly improve patient satisfaction. Through patient journey mapping, valuable insights into patient experiences throughout their care journey can be gained, enabling the detection of potential blind spots.
Identifying Negative Patient Experiences
In instances where patients report negative experiences, it is imperative to discern the underlying reasons. For instance, it is essential to ascertain if patient advocacy groups are adequately represented and if patients have the opportunity to connect with others sharing similar experiences. Such measures are indispensable for fostering a supportive environment conducive to positive patient outcomes.
Let’s listen to the voice of an actual patient: “When diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, I felt overwhelmed and as if I were alone in the world. I joined the Parkinson’s disease club supported by a pharmaceutical company where I met ‘patients like me’ and discovered many others with my condition. I felt such relief knowing I was not alone. Being able to communicate freely with them helped me tremendously.”
And that patient was none other than my late father. The emotional support he received from ‘patients like me’ was tremendous, something we, the caregivers at home, couldn’t provide.
Patient Adherence to Medicines
Patient adherence to medication is an essential component when mapping the patient journey. Improving medication adherence will provide you with a competitive edge and should be integrated into your Go-To-Patient strategy. Patient adherence to prescribed medication significantly impacts healthcare costs.
Non-adherence to prescribed medication is a serious problem because it affects positive health outcomes. Just imagine the loss of revenue to the pharmaceutical industry if we extrapolate the Capgemini report findings to the global scale. It amounts to a staggering US $395 billion annually worldwide. A simple back-calculation would equate to approximately Rs. 87,000 crores every year, or about 50 per cent of the prescription market in the Indian Pharma Market.
Handling Side Effects
Handling side effects is another crucial aspect of the patient experience in patient journey mapping. Prescription drugs heal you when you’re sick, alleviate your pain, and prevent or control long-term conditions. Despite the significant advancements made by the pharmaceutical industry, a drug without unwelcome side effects remains elusive.
This can cause a lot of concern not only for the patient but also for the caregiver at home. Patient education and caregiver education can significantly aid in managing side effects. For example, when a cancer patient undergoes chemotherapy or radiation therapy, adequate information must be provided to both parties to discern whether the issue arises from the disease itself or the therapy. This proactive approach will help alleviate the emotional burden associated with the problem.
Caregiver Education
Caregiver education should also be included in patient journey mapping. Caregivers play a significant yet often overlooked role in the patient journey. Are they truly recognized for their value in the healthcare system?
With the increasing patients with conditions like cancer, Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson’s require caregivers and cancer it’s crucial for pharmaceutical companies to support caregivers and acknowledge their vital role in patient care.
Conclusion
a ‘Go-To-Patient’ strategy entails focusing not only on the clinical aspects of patient care but also on the human element and individual needs. By recognizing the holistic nature of healthcare, this approach emphasizes empathy, communication, and support alongside medical interventions. Incorporating strategies to enhance the patient experience, such as personalized care plans, comprehensive education, and emotional support for both patients and caregivers, distinguishes a healthcare provider or pharmaceutical company from competitors. This comprehensive approach not only improves patient outcomes and satisfaction but also fosters loyalty, trust, and positive brand reputation, ultimately yielding a substantial competitive advantage in the healthcare industry.