Managed Care Market Research: Reaching Opinion Leaders to Develop a Cohesive Strategy

This is the second of a two-part series examining managed care's profound influence on pharmaceutical prescribing and the challenges of conducting market research within managed care organizations. August's eTip! examined the impact of managed care on prescribing behavior. This month's eTip! focuses on the characteristics and strategic applications of market research in the managed care arena.

As managed care organizations (MCOs) grow in influence, pharmaceutical manufacturers have developed a thorough understanding of the MCO environment to compete for market leadership. This is an on-going education as the MCO marketplace landscape changes with new regulations and policies. What has not changed is the need to know the information required of the four key stakeholders-MCOs themselves, patients, pharmacists and healthcare professionals. A top-quality market research partner will help you identify these needs and develop an integrated marketing approach that delivers value to all.

Characteristics
Of the stakeholders, market research with MCOs has its own unique set of challenges. Top most among these is that they comprise a relatively small population that is scattered nationwide. These influential players-pharmacy directors, medical directors, and benefit managers-are extremely busy and highly sought after, making it difficult to capture their attention.

That's why it's critical to select a market research partner with recruiting expertise, especially at getting past gatekeepers (primarily administrative professionals) for direct access to thought leaders. Successful research providers respect stakeholders' time constraints by using flexible approaches and offering more appropriate (typically higher) honorariums. Two avenues are used to reach MCO professionals:

• Generalized market research is most appropriate when seeking an overview of the market from their perspective. Respondents are usually drawn from pre-defined panels of these professionals and often convened via the Internet. While convenient and cost-effective, the smaller sample size has its limitations (e.g. not projectable).
  

• Targeted market research is suitable when the business decision requires validation and/or strategic clarification. MCO industry thought-leaders are targeted and screened to ensure their perspective is representative of the industry. Recruiting efforts often begin<