How should healthcare business leaders (pharma, devices, diagnostics, disposables and other related healthcare service providers to doctors and hospitals) respond to the challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic?
Covid-19 pandemic has created a two-fold challenge for medical doctors and healthcare workers. On one hand, those who are in the forefront of treating Covid-19 patients are overwhelmed by the sheer complexity of the new disease and have very little by way of therapeutics to deal with Covid-19 pandemic. On the other hand, doctors and hospitals either have no patients to care for or are grappling with the fear of contracting Covid-19 from the few patients that they do see and treat. Many are switching over to digital tools to talk to their patients – but that model is yet to evolve into a viable alternative.
Before healthcare business leaders plunge into any activity (as have some with a plethora of ill-thought webinars) for their humongous sales force, they need to take time to understand the challenges faced by doctors and hospitals. Their first concern should be to make medicines available to patients without any disruptions, especially to elderly, chronic and high-risk patients like those on cancer chemotherapy and organ transplant patients.
Some like Yugal Sikri, Managing Director, RPG Life Sciences have already demonstrated their concern and have taken decisions with alacrity to bring life-saving medication Azathioprine to patients in India. Read – Overcoming all COVID-19 odds, this pharma company delivered life-saving medicine to patients https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/companies-2/overcoming-all-covid-19-odds-this-pharma-company-delivered-life-saving-medicine-to-patients-5161741.html
This lead by RPG Life Sciences should spur more healthcare business leaders to form task-forces co-ordinated by their sales force to make this the opportune moment to become patient-centric as well as digital savvy to deliver care to patients keeping the treating doctor/hospital in the loop.
Even companies with mundane generic products can make a big difference – Mankind Pharma has taken up the task of disinfecting clinics through an outsourced service provider with their field force directing the efforts as they are in the best position to coordinate with HCPs to know their real needs.
GSK has also done a commendable work by donating 40,000 Augmentin duo, 3000 Augmentin IV 300 mg, 3500 PPE kits with N95 mask, 2 proton plus critical care ventilator – https://www.theweek.in/news/biz-tech/2020/04/16/US-companies-sharing-their-resources-to-help-India-fight-COVID-19.html
There are many such efforts that need to be commended and emulated. The danger is in duplicating the efforts as was done with the wanton spray and pray webinars, which drew a sharp push-back from doctors.
The field force has still an important role to play – and that remains the same: finding and meeting the genuine needs of patients and doctors who treat them. And listening and finding those needs will go a long way in how healthcare business adapts to the challenges of the post Covid-19 era.
When will the situation return to ‘normal’ and what the ‘normal’ will be, are hard to predict. But one thing is certain – it will not be business as usual.
The lockdown is a temporary measure to deal with the acute phase of Covid-19 outbreak, but measures like social distancing will continue, making in-person calls by field force more difficult than it already is.
Covid-19 is an opportunity for healthcare business leaders to take a hard look at their way of doing business and repurpose their field force with knowledge and skills as the Covid-19 pandemic becomes the biggest accelerator of digital adoption by business that seek to remain relevant in the post Covid-19 era.
We at MedicinMan have joined hands with Credoweb and launched Digital Excellence Pharma Academy for healthcare sales and marketing professionals to familiarise, understand and acquire the Digital Mindset along with knowledge and skills to be able to continue interacting with doctors via the digital route.
Digital Excellence Pharma Academy will deliver 40+ webinars, virtual interactions and other resources from Indian and international healthcare business leaders over a period of 12 months from May 2020 to April 2020.
So, Welcome aboard the Digital Excellence Pharma Academy.
How to join and participate?
Participation is open to sales and marketing people working with Indian pharma, devices, diagnostics, disposable and related providers of products and services to doctors and hospitals.
There is NO FEE for participation as the entire series of 40+ webinars is sponsored by CredoWeb
Participants will awarded a certification at the end of the program.
To register:
Go to www.credoweb.in
Create your “Pharma professional” registration
Follow Digital Excellence Pharma Academy page and stay tuned for the invitation.
