ADG Whitepaper_Feb2020 The future of the pharma and GP engagement model | Page 4

Closed-door policy
An effective medicine has little value if doctors are
unaware of it, and the pharma industry has a legitimate
right to inform doctors about the characteristics of its
products. 10
A recent survey conducted among the 29,000
registered GPs who read titles published by Australian
Doctor Group (ADG) found that only half intend to make
time to see pharma sales reps in 2020. 11
This is a significant escalation of a trend reflected in
the table below that shows the proportion of GPs who
don’t see sales reps in an average week jumped from
28 per cent to 41 per cent in the eight years from 2011 to
2019. At the same time, there was a sharp decline in the
number of GPs prepared to see more than one sales rep a
week, according to the 850-plus doctors surveyed by the
Medical Publishers Association every year. 12
The decline is not for a lack of trying by these field
forces, with more than 40 per cent of GPs reporting
that sales reps attempt to see them or speak to them in
person every week. 13
While many GPs see value in these face-to-face
meetings with the top reason cited ‘to keep up to date
on new medications and devices’, however the main
reasons they give for not seeing sales reps are that they
are too busy, or they don’t believe they are an objective
source of information. At the same time, an increasing
number are finding the information they need online.
A survey conducted among
“
the more than 29,000 GPs who
read titles published by ADG
found that only half intend to
make time to see pharma reps
in 2020.
”
Number of pharma sales representatives seen in an average week, 2011-2019 (%) 14
45
41
40
35
30
36
32
27
25
20
15
10
19
35
33
27
21
38
36
32
30
28
35
34
21
20
11
9
8
5
4
5
Three
20
9
15
15
11
9
7
5
17
4
4
3
7
2
0
2011
3
2012
Two
Four +
14
8
One
36
36
34
16
11
35
None
2013
2014
THE FUTURE OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL
AND GP ENGAGEMENT MODEL
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2011 ave.= 1.44 pw
2019 ave. = 0.97 pw