Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

There was good news and bad news printed in the Use of Medicines in the United States: Review of 2010 report. Just issued by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, the report notes that consumer spending on medication rose slightly in 2010. And the volume of medications consumed reflected a per capita decline. These trends have serious implications for the amount of advertising pharmaceutical companies will roll out this year.

The National Center for Health Statistics recently issued a report showing that use of dietary supplements has been on an upward trajectory over the past decade — only 40% of Americans took supplements in 1988, compared with 53% who took supplements in 2006. More than 150 million Americans take dietary supplements each year to improve their overall health, to fill in nutrient gaps and because their doctors recommend them. Multivitamins/multiminerals are the most commonly used dietary supplements, with approximately 40% of men and women reporting use during 2003–2006. Use of supplemental calcium increased from 28% during 1988–1994 to 61% during 2003–2006 among women aged 60 and over.

A new report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons shows that men underwent more than 1.1 million cosmetic procedures in 2010, a rise of 2%. Many male surgical procedures increased significantly; facelifts for men rose 14% in 2010, while male liposuction increased 7%. For men, though, some experts believes the spike in plastic surgery has a direct relationship with the economy, as baby boomers are trying to look younger to compete in the job market. Another trend plastic surgeons are seeing is the type of patient seeking their services – the typical patient is now just an “average” guy who wants to look as good as he feels, and is not necessarily a high-profile consumer. The type of procedures that men seek out vary by age.

Ad-ology Research recently updated their Industry Marketing Insights report Doctors, Allergists. The following are the predicted Top 3 Opportunities/Challenges from the report for this industry for the upcoming 12 months:

Pharmaceutical firms spend a significant sum educating and informing patients about new drugs as they become available. But for the most part, these companies must convince physicians to write a prescription in the first place. These days, more physicians are spending time online and as they do so, they visit specific sites. The latest research shows that pharma companies may be able to increase sales by targeting physicians as they search for information online.

Every day, Americans use online tools to gather information, pay bills, communicate with friends, and conduct business. Intuit Health’s second annual Health Care Check-Up Survey shows that they want and expect that same connectivity and convenience from their doctor’s office. Seventy-three percent of Americans surveyed would use a secure online communication solution to make it easier to get lab results, request appointments, pay medical bills, and communicate with their doctor’s office. The convenience of anytime, anywhere access is so important that almost half would consider switching doctors for a practice that offered the ability to communicate and complete important health care tasks online. “Doctors who offer secure online solutions can meet this patient demand while increasing office efficiency and enhancing the doctor-patient relationship,” said Steve Malik, president and general manager of Intuit Health.