Social Initiative an Important tool for the pharmaceutical companies By: Prof M H Lakdawala

Outline Pharma Marketing is unique in comparison to FMCG and Consumer durables. Only Ethical Promotion is allowed such as: a. MR detailing b. CME c. Sampling

Pharma Marketing is one of the most complex process requiring meticulous planning and great but sustain efforts to generate prescription from the medical practitioners.

Objectives: 1. To know and to understand social initiatives to promote pharmaceutical products to doctors and pharmaceutical industry in general with special reference to select companies.

Statement of scientific question addressed The Pharmaceutical marketing and promotion depends on diverse variables such as attitudes of patients, reputation of the company, efficacy of the product and the wide range of prescription generation social activities and initiatives

The following social initiatives are the latest trends in the pharmaceutical industry:

1.Cause marketing: Pharmaceutical funding of "cause marketing." Such as Affordable Healthcare programs, and Disease awareness is emerging as an effective promotional tool.

2.Marketing with Meaning: Marketing with meaning the most potent promotional tool for Pharmaceutical companies:

Foundation of These social initiatives: The traditional ethical promotion only revolve around one way communication with doctors with non existence connection with the patient.

The social initiatives revolve around interacting, engaging and connecting with the Target Group ( Both medical fraternity and patients)

Social initiatives by Pharmaceutical companies in India

1.Pfizer Pfizer began supporting the Mother and Child Healthcare Project in rural Haryana in The company has adopted 41 villages for a primary healthcare programme that aims to reduce anaemia in pregnant women and adolescent girls.

Village health workers financed by Pfizer by provide education, training and disease awareness. They coordinates with doctors for their social initiatives.

Their efforts results in prescriptions.

Providing Access to medicines: Product donations form the core of Pfizer Indias social initiatives in India. The company donate medicines to various NGOs, ensuring that the needy get access to them.

2. Ranbaxy social initiatives:

Ranbaxy Community Healthcare Society (RCHS), is devoted to the health of the disadvantaged.

Today, multiple well equipped mobile healthcare vans and an urban family welfare centre, run by Ranbaxy, benefit over 2 lakh people, in certain identified areas in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi.

The programme is based on an integrated approach of preventive, promotive and curative services, covering areas of maternal child health, family planning, reproductive health, adolescent health, health education including AIDS awareness.

3. Cipla Palliative Care Centre: a. Train relatives of terminally ill cancer patients, in symptom control and patient management, so that they can look after the patients at home.

b. Offer speciality services for effective pain control, for all stages and types of cancer.

c. Train professional like doctors, nurses and medical social workers in the principles and practice of palliative care.

Conclusion and suggestions. 1. Understanding the needs of the patient is the first crucial step in pharma marketing

2. Cause Related Marketing makes the consumers and employees feel proud and good, and it gets valuable funds to social causes that need help, it is a win-win!.

3. The pharmaceutical companies should change its promotional mix depending upon the changing scenario. This situation has led to the emergence of customer service cell in pharmaceutical industry, which was unheard of earlier.