Abstract
An increasingly competitive environment, reduced drug pipelines, multiple patent expiries and payers’ increasing demands for outcomes-based evidence are all factors currently presenting challenges to the pharmaceutical industry. Offering value-added services alongside products, as a means to improve health outcomes and provide a competitive advantage, is a strategy currently being explored by many pharmaceutical companies to confront these challenges. The aim of this study is to analyse to what extent such service strategies are and will be integrated into the pharmaceutical business model. The scope of the study is global and concentrates on pharmaceutical companies manufacturing branded products. In all, 59 experts working for the pharmaceutical industry were asked for their perceptions on current and future service strategies within the industry. Most respondents believed that service strategies are becoming increasingly important. However, there are still multiple challenges to overcome. Legal restrictions, difficulties in measuring return on investments, conservative business philosophies and mistrust towards the pharmaceutical industry are factors slowing down the advance of service strategies.
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