Electronic Sampling Has The Potential To Increase ROI In The Pharmaceutical Industry.

(PRWEB) October 6, 2004 -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com) has announced the addition of Electronic Sampling: Influencing Physician Prescribing Behavior Through More Efficient Sampling Approaches to their offering

Electronic sampling, used in combination with in-person sampling initiatives, has the potential to increase ROI by cost-effectively expanding sample distribution.

Pharmaceutical companies looking to adopt electronic sampling solutions should choose a vendor that is able to demonstrate stability, as well as offer a non-disruptive link between established sample distribution sites and physicians.

Scope of Report:

Analyzes the growing electronic sampling market in the US and Europe, including general strategies for assessing eSampling vendors

Defines characteristics of electronic sampling vendors that are important to long-term stability in the market

Explores challenges companies will face when designing an integrated electronic sampling solution

Looks at current industry leaders operating within the eSampling market, including their best practices and opportunities for improvement

Highlights of Report:

The current vendor market is immature and highly in flux. The past few months has seen the dissolution of a handful of eSampling platforms and their providers. At the same time, other vendors are just beginning to develop solutions and move into the market. Companies interested in eSampling should carefully consider the stability of their vendor.

Traditionally, despite having the decisive function in distributing drug samples to patients, prescribers have had little or no control over what samples they received and when. By more accurately matching the supply of samples with demand, the pharmaceutical industry has an opportunity to increase sales and more efficiently distribute resources.

Patients, in particular, will help drive the expansion of the eSampling market in the US as they begin to play a larger role in the prescribing process by requesting specific treatments based on information gained online.

Reasons to Purchase Report:

Understand the current and prospective electronic sampling opportunities in both the US and European pharmaceutical markets

Recognize how to effectively target electronic sampling services to best serve the needs of both physicians and consumers

Understand the limitations and opportunities offered by each eSampling approach and hasten adoption by choosing the best vendor for your company

ACTION POINTS 6

Outline of the brief 6

Two key things you need to know about the electronic sampling market 6

Electronic sampling provides pharmaceutical companies with a cost-effective way to reach physicians who have been routinely under-covered by sales representatives. eSampling also simultaneously offers an opportunity to improve the quality of the services provided to prescribers with whom brand loyalty has already been developed 7

When used in conjunction with traditional in-person sample distribution methods, electronic sampling has the potential to allow manufacturers to meet increasingly challenging sales and marketing goals by reducing the significant costs associated with the traditional sample distribution process 8

ELECTRONIC SAMPLING 10

Introduction 10

Applications of pharmaceutical sampling 11

Drug sampling: traditional vs electronic 12

Traditional sampling 14

Electronic sampling 15

The current market for electronic sampling 18

Size of the electronic sampling market 18

Penetration of electronic sampling 22

Regulatory issues 26

The Food and Drug Administration 27

The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act 27

The Anti-Kickback Statute 28

The Prescription Drug Marketing Act 28

Regulatory Compliance 29

American Medical Association 30

The European eSampling Market 30

Best practices in the application of electronic sampling 31

Current approaches to electric sampling 31

Voucher system 32

Third-party web portal 33

Case Study: AstraZenecas Zomig 34

Integrating eSampling with eDetailing 36

Vendor market 38

Key players within the market 38

MedManage Systems 38

Univec 39

Selecting a vendor 40

THE FUTURE DECODED 43

Outlook for electronic sampling 43

Conclusion 45

APPENDIX 46

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c6880

Laura Wood

Senior Manager

Research and Markets

press@researchandmarkets.com

Fax: +353 1 4100 980