Russian Conditions to the health care market – How could the industry adapt?
This spring, I was as lucky to be invited to the Russian Pharmaceutical Phorum, May 23rd, in St. Petersburg.
As there is a lot to develop in the Russian health care system, there are lots of opportunities how the health industry might help out. However, they need to change their view on approach of the market from sales to partner in care. Russian markets, however still growing, will be careful in spending money. And, when you only sell medicine, your business coincides with the price of your product. But when you work together with stakeholders to care for patients you might be a collaborator and your value will go beyond your product’s price.

John Mack, better known as @Pharmaguy from Pharma Marketing news asked me to have an interview with me about this new commercial model for pharma, working customer centric.
Here’s the interview. Having no transcript, I added my pre-interview notes.

It is not an easy task to change pharma’s market approach. Ever since 2002, product oriented detaling has been grown into a firmly standardized routine for all pharma companies. But markets have changed in the meantime and have become different by structure, reimbursement and price. Avoiding the commodity trap is challenging. Here is a short review of how we changed in the Netherlands and put customer first.

In the Dutch pharmaceutical market several developments have influenced prescription policies of GPs. The liberalization of the health care market in the Netherlands has led the health care insurance companies to challenge GPs on their policies on treatment of chronic conditions.
These health care groups¹ went also on to develop prescription policies, endorsed to do so by extra reimbursement schemes from the part of the insurance companies.
In an early stage, we have acknowledged the potential impact of these health care groups on actual prescription routines. With the pharmaceutical company that we worked with, we configured an account team that would focus specifically on these groups.