OTC sales study: image problem in pharmacies

The OTC manufacturers that pharmacists value the most are Ratiopharm, Bionorica and Hexal. Overall, however, the image of OTC manufacturers among pharmacies still leaves a lot to be desired. This is shown by the new Bonsai OTC Pharmacy Sales Study, the detailed results of which are currently being reported by Markenartikel, Healthcare Marketing and Pharma Relations.

"OTC and over-the-counter manufacturers still have an image problem with pharmacists," the brand article quotes Bettina Mertens-Danowski, Head of Bonsai Health. And Healthcare Marketing writes: "Only two of the 20 OTC and over-the-counter manufacturers achieve a positive Net Promoter Score: Bionorica and Ratiopharm. In contrast, more than half of the providers are clearly in the negative score range between -25 and -71. Bettina Mertens-Danowski explains: 'Every year we ask for the same factors, how important they are to pharmacies for a positive image of a manufacturer. At the top of the list are always the commercial aspects such as purchasing conditions, returns regulations, delivery capability, simple ordering, high customer demand, but also high-quality products and then very soon the human factor: good sales support, competent contacts, sensitivity to pharmacists' concerns."

One of the issues addressed by Pharma Relations is that the manufacturer portals are a touchpoint with potential: "Pharmacies have been using fax machines for longer than other sectors. This is increasingly changing. What used to be ordered, returned or complained about by fax is now done digitally: 85 percent of pharmacies now use one or more online portals of OTC manufacturers. However, there is still room for improvement: even the two most frequently used manufacturer portals are only used by 28 percent of pharmacies each."

Healthcare Marketing, among others, deals with the results on the topic of couponing. "82% of pharmacies have taken part in manufacturer couponing campaigns in the past year - most of them often or very often. However, 56 percent of respondents have mixed feelings about coupons or even rate them negatively. Bettina Mertens-Danowski observes, "Those who use couponing quickly become convinced and participate in such campaigns more and more frequently."