Creating an Effective Sales Force to Win a Place on Hospital Formularies |
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – April 1, 2008 – Faced with shrinking staffs and less physician availability, pharmaceutical sales forces are having a challenging time serving the hospital marketplace. As their time to communicate with physicians continues to shrink, sales reps for the pharma industry are turning to other decision-makers in the hospital market to win a place on formularies, according to research from benchmarking leader Best Practices, LLC.
Among hospital administrative personnel, pharmacy and therapeutic committee members are the key formulary decision-makers for both hospital networks and local hospitals, according to the study. While hospital health care professionals such as doctors and Pharm Ds continue to be viewed as the most influential positions overall, companies are looking to expand their activities beyond physicians, the study found.
The study provides strategic insight into the optimal sales strategy, structure and resources for influencing the hospital market. Review a complimentary excerpt of the study at http://www.best-in-class.com/rr922.htm.
Additionally, the 66-page report, Sales Force Effectiveness: Benchmarking the Resources and Structure Required to Service the U.S. Hospital Marketplace, found that 80 percent of companies focus additional sales force training on hospital system networks to help their sales forces navigate the decision-making structure of hospital networks.
The research encompasses all the key hospital market segments, from community hospitals to Academic Medical Centers. Companies that participated in the study and shared their hospital sales force strategies include: Bayer, Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer.
The study’s key focus areas include:
- Targeting Key Decision Makers/Influencers in Making Formulary Decisions
- Hospital Sales Force Alignment, Structure and Support
- Hospital Sales Force Staffing and Training
- Group Purchasing Organization Targeting and Sales Force Size
To learn more about this report, including information about the research participants, key findings and sample best practices, please download a complimentary excerpt and study overview at http://www.best-in-class.com/rr895.htm.
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For more information on the topics covered and sample best practices collected in this study, download a complimentary report excerpt at http://www.best-in-class.com/rr953.htm or contact Cameron Tew, Senior Research Analyst at (919) 767-9246/ ctew@best-in-class.com
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