COVID-19 has altered the way pharma industry reps interact with HCPs (healthcare professionals), moving primarily from face-to-face meetings to now orchestrating a series of "touch points" across different channels to provide what suits the customers better.

Zemzoum highlighted some of the broad trends in the region, noting that HCP preferences are shaped by a variety of factors including culture, local COVID-19 restrictions and the rate of digital adoption.

For instance, in the Middle East and Africa, face-to-face interactions remain key - for instance, 94% of Novartis’ HCP interactions in Egypt were conducted physically over the last 12 months. However, in Asia Pacific, the use of virtual platforms has expanded. Over the same period, Singapore has seen an even split between face-to-face and digital interactions, while Australia and Philippines have conducted over 60% of their HCP interactions virtually.

“Our strategy is all about being more customer-centric; some HCPs prefer less face-to-face interactions, while others want the opposite. More importantly, our engagements are increasingly focused on supporting our customer needs rather than a product,” Zemzoum explained.

Significantly, 2020 witnessed Novartis’ first fully digital product launch following the US FDA approval of Tabrecta (capmatinib), which treats a rare and aggressive form of lung cancer. (Also see "Commercial Models Shifting As Pharma Mulls Digital-First Launches" - Scrip, 16 June, 2020.)

On whether COVID-19-triggered efficiencies and specialisms are here to stay, including more personalized/artificial intelligence-enabled and agile content targeted at specific HCPs, Zemzoum explained that while technology creates the possibility of "hyper-personalizing" HCP interactions, whether virtual or physical, the company is mindful that the end goal is to enable better patient outcomes.(Also see "Digital Acceleration And ‘Broken’ Customer Experience: What Pharma Should Look Out For" - Scrip, 29 September, 2021.)

“So the transformation is more around people than technology itself."

How Novartis Is Tailoring Its Strategy In Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa

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