It seems pretty clear that Merck's announcement concerning its new commercialization model reveals a shift in reimbursement focus:
"To improve its commercial selling model . . . Merck will place more emphasis on active engagement with key opinion leaders to accelerate the development and diffusion of scientific information and devote additional resources to utilizing technology and demonstrating product value to physicians, as well as payers and consumers who have increasing influence on prescription decisions."
While the company was careful not to neglect physicians, the real point of emphasis is use of opinion leaders (who might well be physicians) to reach payers and consumers. The company's marketing spending will reflect this change.
What’s new here?
Well, while much has been written about the impending death of the conventional pharma selling model (i.e., using sales reps to double- and triple-team docs), Merck’s announcement is an early suggestion of what may replace it. It's also reaffirmation of the growing health care centrality of payers and the consumer-insureds who influence them. And so at the very time direct-to-consumer advertising aimed at influencing physician Rx choices is falling out of favor, we're witnessing acceleration in a new type of consumer outreach designed to influence the Rx choices of insurers. The health care world is indeed becoming one of reimbursement uber alles.
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