Pfizer ‘best supports needs of physician practices’

Nearly half of the physicians questioned in a recent survey have named Pfizer as the pharmaceutical firm that best supports the needs of their practices, it has been reported, while other frequently-mentioned firms included Merck, Sharp and Dohme, GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca and Sanofi-Aventis.

The survey from Health Products Research (HPR), part of inVentive Health, collected information over a 12-month period. It noted that favoured attributes from sales representatives included professionalism and strong knowledge of products and disease states, in addition to the provision of physician and patient education and drug sampling.

Investigating the support given in a number of therapeutic areas, the survey found that the majority of urologists favoured the support services of Pfizer, while the company was also praised for its work in infectious diseases, pulmonary disease and psychiatry.

James Charnetski, vice president and managing director of the market research division of HPR, said; “The results of this year’s study reveal that the importance of sales rep quality metrics and other support practices beyond the scope of traditional drug sampling and frequency are on the rise.”

He added that HPR was uniquely placed to provide the pharmaceutical industry with information on the development and implantation of its physician support programmes.

HPR, a strategic consulting firm founded in 1973, offers its services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical products industries.