With the mandatory Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practice (UCPMP) expected to be released soon by the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), experts in the industry maintain that companies should turn to technologies like digital marketing platforms.
 
Companies can take advantage of the competitive tariffs offered by telecom service providers, concurred experts at the recently concluded KDPMA –DOP workshop as they see the new rules to reshape the sales and marketing operations.
 
According to Ganesh Nayak, chief operating officer and executive director, Zydus Cadila Healthcare, UCPMP is a positive move and provides a level playing field. As the country is evolving and working to reinstate its supremacy on global arena, pharma industry needs to build a future with ethical practices.

“UCPMP is a new era in pharma marketing. It will add the much needed value to product branding. The quality perception is as strong as the brand which enhances the company’s image to generate growth and profits. Now doctors prefer brands because of their conviction in the drug molecule. Other factors which boost sales are organisation credibility, innovation in the dosage formulation and a disruptive pricing strategy”, he added.
 
The challenge in pharma marketing is the intense competition with limited scope of the product differentiation. Companies wrestle for in-clinic time to seek the attention of doctors. In the ensuing UCPMP phase, companies will need to get back to the basics, focus on medication profiling, effective detailing and retailing using technology, innovation and emotions. In this era, it is likely some small business could find it difficult to survive, said the Zydus Cadila COO and ED.
 
Airing concerns on unethical pharma marketing practices, Dr. HN Ravindra, executive committee member, Medical Council of India, said that the government move was a step in the right direction.
 
The five major disruptions in Indian pharma are digital revolution, changing regulations, UCPMP, emergence of new stakeholders and growth in chronic disease segment. Pharma industry will need to maximise the power of digital platforms, forge partnerships via apps and leap into emerging fields of health economic outcomes research (HEOR) and real world evidence (RWE). Next generation of field force needs to go beyond the ‘pill’ and adopt technology to succeed, said Anup Soans, head, MedicinMan.
 
The government’s move to strengthen pharma marketing calls for robust internal controls to ensure compliance and regulation. Collaboration leveraging across functional teams will deliver business value, noted Samir Rai, National Sales Manager, Meyer Organics.
 
Sanjay Dhawan, partner, Risk Assurance Services, Price Waterhourse & Co, Bengaluru stated that in the UCPMP era, pharma industry should not look at complacency and duck under the radar. The new code will build trust among patients and demonstrate India’s high level of ethics and competence. With the all pervasive social media platforms, we expect more transparency and the industry will need to gear up for this.