Prescription generation is most difficult and most essential thing in pharmaceutical sector in India. If you have capability of prescription generation, you are king of pharma world. Most of start-ups in pharmaceutical sector know very well about prescription generation and importance of prescription generation. For pharma sector – Prescription means Sale and Sale means business, and Business means income.
Now question arises, how you can generate prescription from Doctors in India? or How many types you can generate prescription of your products?
There may be many way for generating business through prescriptions. Some methods are ethical and some are non ethical but its business. No one care about which method should be followed, all companies only focus at sale and business. Here we are discussing about few most commonly used methods for prescriptions.
- Regular Meeting/Visiting (Doctor’s Call)
- Seminar’s/Conferences and Sponsorship
- New and Researched Molecules
- Tours and Lucrative Gifts
- Cash and commissions
- Net Price Basis/Schemes
Regular Meeting/Visiting ( Doctors’s Call):
Doctor’s call is well known word for all sales and marketing professionals in pharmaceuticals sector. This word is used for the term when company Medical/company representative/sales representative/manage visit to doctor and fix meeting with him and detail company’s products, convey information about product & updates about medical & healthcare sector. This method is used by pharmaceuticals companies from long since existence of modern era of medical science and still it is useful in generating prescription from doctor’s chamber. This is the base.
You can try all way, we will mention below but without this one, all methods are useless. Primary and most effective one.
Before digitization, Medical representatives were single medium for providing updated and knowledge about new molecules and research in pharmaceutical sectors. Doctors welcomed Representatives with regards in their cabins. One more reason was availability of less companies and their representatives. As number of companies increased and market filled with representatives, this method become irritated to doctor’s. But still it is main source of prescription generation.
Companies or pcd/Franchise distributors who follow this method regularly definitely get results.
Regular meeting doesn’t mean, you are visiting daily or number of times in month. You should have schedule so your attendance doesn’t irritate or disturb doctor’s work.
Seminar’s/Conferences and Sponsorship:
Doctor’s are always have hunger of knowledge and regular updates in medical and healthcare sector. Seminar’s and conferences at national level or international levels are best way to gain knowledge from well known and reputed speakers. These are also way to meet reputed personalities of medical sector. Seat availability or passes of these conferences are not easy works. So, this method is mostly used by big pharma companies only. Companies provide passes or ticket of big seminar’s and conferences and in return doctor’s prescribe companies products.
New and Researched Molecules:
One old molecule will be available at every company. There is tough competition in market for already existing molecules and their compositions. Making place in these is tough one. More safe and effective molecule can help you in beating competition and building strong market presence. Patented molecules also comes in this category. In Today’s time, only big pharma companies have this strength. Spending money at research of new molecules is not possible for small pharma companies but launching molecules with less competition so it become easy to convince doctor for prescribing your products.
Tour and Lucrative gifts:
Touring Packages and Lucrative gifts is favorite option for both pharmaceutical companies and doctors. Specially foreign tours build attention toward company and its products in mind of beneficiary doctors and surrounding doctors. Lucrative gifts and luxury cars are great deal for getting prescription out from doctor’s chamber.
Recently Medical Council of India issued a ethic code draft for all doctors for not involving in any type of exchange with pharmaceutical companies against prescription. But still it is an important way to get generated prescription.
Cash and Commissions:
From last few years, this practice has built its strong presence in market. It started with 10-20% commission at PTS/PTR/MRP and has been increased to 35-50% against prescription. This is bitter truth of our pharmaceutical sector. This is one of the main cause of higher maximum retail price of medicines. Game of cash against prescription make it easy for pharmaceuticals companies to approach to the doctors and take it to next level.
Net price basis/Scheme:
Pharmaceutical sector is open one. Manufacturing cost of common molecules is known to all professionals in market. Doctors also know manufacturing cost of commonly used molecules for treatment. Doctor’s who practice self dispensing or has indoor chemist facility in hospital prefer to purchase medicines at net price basis. Big distributors/wholesalers who have strong relationship with doctors also prefer to sell medicines at particular rates to doctors. Even big pharma companies sell many products especially injections at net rates to doctors and hospitals.
Business and Marketing plan for Pharmaceuticals companies:
Note: If you have good experience in Pharma Sale and Marketing. You don’t need any type of stupid business plans. Only do what you think; is better way to sell product.
Suppose you have 20 products to which you want to start prescription marketing. Before going into market, you have to complete your home work about each and every product. You should have business plan for each product from starting. You have to adhere at your plan for a specific period of time. Marketing is mind game; you can’t just do it by coping to others. You have to think different and possible implement it far better than others.
Every battle is fought first at papers before in battle field. You should know completely about products you are going to launch. Products annual turnover, its competitors & competitors turnover, their strategies, specialty of doctor’s who can write prescription for it, substitutes, class, generation, uses, dosages, complications, indications etc.
Make a product report about each molecule mentioning brand name. It will solve your many purposes. It will help you to clear doctor’s all doubts regarding your products and same time it will help you to train your medical representative about detailing of products. Prepare a complete detail about molecule’s market cap, value in rupees, percentage share in market, percentage of growth etc
Hope above information is helpful to you. If you have more way for prescribing medicines, you can let us know at pharmafranchiseehelp@gmail.com
For any query and suggestion, mail us at above mail id.