Monday, May 28, 2012

Mary Szela on patient-based model of pharmaceutical marketing

As Abbott’s SVP of Global Strategic Marketing and Services, Pharmaceutical Products Group, Mary Szela is always on the lookout for the recent movements and key changes in the world of pharmaceutical marketing. Applying her philosophies on effective and socially aware marketing, she ensures that each activity is able to contribute to the improvement of quality of life.

Mary Szela Photo Credit: newqualitative.org

Drugs alter health and impact life. They play a significant role in advancing human health. Consequently, the pharmaceutical industry also has a crucial role in maintaining the health and vitality of patients and customers. Included among the important tasks of marketers is knowing who the patients are and how they behave. In the words of renowned physician William Osler, “It’s much more important to know what sort of patient has a disease than what sort of disease a person has.”

Mary Szela Photo Credit: foxnews.com

Pharmaceutical executive Mary Szela would most likely believe that patient-based models is advantageous for market forecasting. Patient-based models provide a better picture of the entire market for certain medical conditions. Some of the benefits of using these models are the identification of current patient needs, changes in the incidence of mortality, and changes in diagnosis and treatment rates. These models also help in the assessment of opportunities, threats, competition, and segmentation.

Mary Szela Photo Credit: globalleadershipdesign.com

The industry recognizes the fact that market assessment requires information beyond the demographic data. In this sense, patient-based models must include patient facts such as mobility, religion, occupation, and education status.  

To learn more about pharmaceutical marketing and Mary Szela, visit www.abbott.com.