The recent study “Digital Patient Behavior 2021”prepared by the Research Area of , reveals that for digital Spaniards connected with brands Almost 90% of laboratory-consumer communications determine the purchase of a product from a certain brand.
The patient is gaining a lot of weight in the process of choosing pharmaceutical products, either because they are increasingly co-responsible for managing their illness and its treatment, or because they are interested in looking after their appearance, health and well-being.
The Digital Patient Profile bActively search for information, participate in forums and establish digital relationships, both with other users and with professionals in the sector such as doctors, health personnel and pharmacists. For this reason, laboratories face the challenge of prioritizing and optimizing their digital content strategy, since the pharmaceutical industry has begun to advance in this channel later than other industries such as food or fashion.
The digital channel, the preferred one to search for information on beauty products
The traditional channels they continue to have a great specific weight in decision-making regarding the purchase of medicines not subject to medical prescription. The pharmacist and the doctor are the main influencers in this process. Nevertheless, since the arrival of the Covid 18% of the acts of purchase of medicines without prescription, are made in the online pharmacywhich has increased by 2% in 2021, and in relation to beauty products this increase is even greater from 26% to 31%, increasing up to 5 percentage points.
According to this study that addresses the behavior of today’s digital patient, the most used information search channel when it comes to buying medicines without a prescription, it is the pharmacy (80%), followed by the doctor with 38% and 25% onlinenamely, search engine, specialized blogs, brand website or online pharmacies.
Personal care and beauty products within the Personal Care (PAC) category have a different behavior, 4 out of 10 Spaniards consider that the most important criterion when buying beauty products is the pharmacist’s recommendation. Nevertheless, Almost 60% of these same buyers also state that they obtain information prior to the purchase through the Internet.
How the digital patient searches for information online
The challenge posed by the new form of communication, both doctor-patient and laboratory-professional, in turn represents an unprecedented opportunity. The main information search channel used by Spanish digital patients on the Internet is the search engine, used by nearly 7 out of 10 digital patients for OTC (over-the-counter) medications. The online pharmacy represents 49% and the pharmaceutical laboratory website almost 30%. In addition, social networks and blogs also have their space, which represents 47%, (24%) is fed by information through social networks and 23% in specialized blogs.
The study reflects that in the Spanish market there continues to be a high fidelity to the physical pharmacy channel, in front of the online pharmacy, to purchase over-the-counter medicines and personal care and beauty products. In the case of beauty products, 46% buy them online, however, 1 in 2 consumers visit other online shopping channels before going to the physical store, which undoubtedly shows the significant power of the channel in this niche digital in the physical purchase decision
As the authors explain, “These data show that the pharmaceutical industry in Spain requires an imperative digitization, since their end customers are very present in this channel. For this reason, a strategy that makes it possible to understand these needs as efficiently as possible, always taking into account the regulatory frameworks of the sector, is no longer an option, it is a duty that the HealthCare & Pharma vertical must face.”
Would you buy medicine on Amazon?
The study reveals that more than 35% of Spaniards would be willing to buy medicines without a medical prescription on Amazon if it were possible –in the US it already is– and 46% of Spaniards believe that for the moment they would be inclined not to do so. In relation to beauty products, it is already the second purchase channel, 70% of Spaniards acquire them through eCommerce, and specifically 55% through Amazon.
At the moment Amazon Spain does not sell medicines since their sale is not allowed as they are subject to medical prescription.However, through in the US market yes, under whose platform the consumer can buy your medicineprescription cough and in two days have them on your doorstep.
According to Anna Serrano Director of the Study Y of the business division specializing in pharmaceutical marketing, pharmacy; “changes are in sight that may have come to stay and that are driven by the younger age groups: the increase in purchases through online pharmacies is significant, the influence of the price factor in the purchase of pharmaceutical products, which leads to compare pharmacies; and the finding that a third of users would buy medicines without a medical prescription on Amazon if that were possible in Spain”.
According to Ramón Montanera, Market Intelligence Director of Elogia; “The objective of this new research from our Research area is to help those responsible for pharmaceutical laboratories to better understand the patient experience in the purchasing process and thus be able to plan better differentiated, so it is important to zoom specific by category to see the nuances and differences”.
The digital channel, the preferred one to search for information on beauty products
This Study and the current context show that the digital channel represents a great opportunity for growth in the face of current change in the relationship with health professionals, patients, nursing staff, pharmacists and opinion leaders
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