While physicians are still the ones making the final decision about whether to prescribe a specific drug, they now report that patient requests for specific medications at the point-of-care are as influential as office visits from pharmaceutical sales representatives.

According to a new report patients have begun to play a more significant role in the healthcare decision-making process. While initial predictions warned that patient empowerment would ultimately undermine the medical establishment, the report shows that it appears that the opposite is true. It shows that the level and quality of interactions between patient and physician has improved which has, in turn, both enhanced patient satisfaction and had a positive effect on clinical outcomes.

The internet is potentially a powerful tool for pharmaceutical companies to inform patients and prescribers alike of their products, yet few companies achieved the expected return on their initial investments. However, there are still compelling reasons for companies to move forward with an eStrategy – provided that the pharmaceutical industry is willing to rethink its approach.

The new report says that with internet penetration rates among the general population ranging from 60-70% in the US, the UK and Japan, the internet has created a consumer who demands not only more sophisticated information, but also a bigger role in how that information is applied to their lives.

At the core of every unsuccessful online campaign is a failure to meet the needs of the end-user. The central goal has to be to make it easier for individuals to either gather information or make a decision. The study shows that although it is hard to believe, it has only been very recently that brand teams have begun to really consider the needs of the individual in front of the computer screen.

You can have a highly effective drug and the right patient clicking the mouse, but if the message you deliver fails to answer his or her specific information needs you have little chance of being heard. On the other hand, if the information provided by a company does meet a specific need, it is growing increasingly likely that consumers will take that information to the physician during an office visit, which may impact the physician’s prescribing decision.

Pharmaceutical companies need to work more closely with healthcare professionals to develop online content and services that make sense not only for prescribers, but also for the patients they are caring for. The true advantage of the internet over other channels of communication is that brand teams can move beyond reaching groups of individuals to build a relationship with the individuals themselves through tailored information and services online. There is a significant opportunity for pharmaceutical companies to build brand loyalty by investing in disease management and compliance programs.