Transforming Pharmaceutical Marketing
Through E-Detailing: A Comparison to
Traditional Face-to-Face Detailing in Al
Garhoud Private Hospital, Dubai – UAE.

ABSTRACT

Due to the global rapid adoption of pharmaceutical e-detailing (IT resources & digital technology use for
promotional activities) amongst physicians, the potential effects of e-detailing on physician prescribing
actions together with lack of regional & local data of the same, it was imperative to research the e-detailing
pharmaceutical practices in our region and specifically in Dubai-UAE, which is represented by GSK
detailing practices in Al Garhoud Private Hospital (GPH). The aim of this research was to understand how
fare our region (represented by GSK & GPH, Dubai-UAE) is from the global practices of pharmaceutical
detailing; through addressing the certain topics namely: reasons for e-detailing emergence, whether
e-detailing is a substitute for the traditional face-to-face detailing, e-detailing adoptions & its drivers among
physicians; and the characteristics of adopters. The Questionnaire was conducted face to face during
December 2020 and data was collected and analyzed in Jan 2021 using SPSS and has revealed that GPH
Doctors’ responses are sharing the globe in many challenges (limited doctors’ time, increasing number of
PSRs, PSRs access restriction, and higher cost due to travelling and waiting) to the traditional face to face
PSR visit and many advantages (high ROI due to wide reach and absence of PSRs cost, more specific,
convenient, shorter, rewarding, less disruptive, multichannel & trendy) and the pharmaceutical detailing
which have contributed to the emergence of the later. Adoption Drivers are likewise, nearly a third of doctors (29 %) needs information quality & specificity related to their needs; a quarter (24 %) needs privacy and less
physical disruptions; and another 19 % are looking for compensation & incentive (CME Hours, Attendance
Certificate, Lunch-dinner, etc.). Doctors who are using the internet spend more time online between 25-34
and are older on average.

Keywords— e-detailing, electronic visits, pharmaceutical marketing, pharmaceutical detailing, healthcare
professionals, pharmaceutical sales representatives, digital marketing.