Abstract

PROMOTION IN PHARMACEUTICAL MARKETING

Vaibhav Singh* and Shreya Jaiswal

ABSTRACT

Pharmaceutical promotion is an essential element of pharmaceutical marketing, through which the value of products of a company is communicated to healthcare providers, patients, and other stakeholders effectively. Pharmaceutical promotion involves different strategies such as personal selling, electronic marketing, advertising, and product sampling (Kotler & Armstrong, 2010). Successful promotion methods can increase product visibility, inform prescribing behaviour, and ultimately promote sales (Nagle & Holden, 2002). Pharmaceutical promotion is also strictly regulated to guarantee accuracy, fairness, and transparency (FDA, 2020). Businesses have to harmonize promotional efforts with regulatory demands, ethical values, and changing market forces. Promotion in pharmaceutical marketing is a vital aspect of theindustry that aims to promote drug awareness, shape prescribing behaviour, and increase patient access to therapies. It encompasses various techniques like direct-to-physician (DTP) marketing, direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising, medical representative detailing, sampling, and internet-based marketing techniques. Conventional promotional techniques have undergone changes with technology, adding AI-based techniques, tele-detailing, and social media communication. Though such promotional activities are critical for commercial success, they pose ethical questions about transparency, over prescription, and regulatory compliance. These are regulated by regulatory authorities like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to ensure ethical promotional practices in pharmaceuticals. The paper examines the influence, effectiveness, and regulatory issues of pharmaceutical marketing promotion with a focus on the requirement of balanced strategies to serve public health.

Keywords: pharmaceutical marketing, promotion, personal selling, digital marketing, advertising, product sampling, regulatory compliance.