Contents:

Overview Introduction Presents Datamonitor’s recommendations for driving greater uptake of pharmaceutical company branded services and maximizing online exposure to physicians – specialists and primary care physicians – and consumers in six major markets: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and the US. Scope Evaluates the eHealth market in six major countries: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and the US Assesses how physicians and patients want to use the Internet Evaluates the growth of the ePrescribing market in the UK Presents strategies to support the management of the patient-physician relationship in the US Report Highlights Pharmaceutical companies should provide physicians in each of the six markets with convenient access to disease and drug information online. Online continuing medical education (eCME) programs serve as ideal tools for this purpose, and help to establish valued relationships with physicians. In the UK, the National Health Service’s (NHS) Pharmacy in the Future scheme will result in growth in the ePrescribing market, which Datamonitor projects will drive greater use of handheld devices among physicians. The UK will act as a pioneer in the adoption of ePrescribing technologies. In the US, companies must focus on supporting the management of the patient-physician relationship to increase uptake of online services, including disease management tools. Reasons to Purchase Plan market-specific strategies by understanding physician attitudes towards the use of emerging technologies for work-related purposes Improve your online consumer marketing in each country by analyzing the current and potential consumer use of the Internet for health purposes Capitalize on the unmet needs of under-developed eHealth markets such as Germany DRIVERS AND TRENDS The pharmaceutical industry has the opportunity to provide various online services and tools to physicians and consumers in the six major markets of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and the US. The eHealth market in each of these countries is unique and must be considered separately. Pharmaceutical companies are looking to implement strategies that drive greater uptake of branded services and maximize online exposure to physicians – specialists and primary care physicians – and consumers. These strategies should be specific to each country’s level of Internet penetration and demand for online services. What services should be provided to physicians and consumers in all the countries? How can online continuing medical education (CME) programs be used to offer physicians access to disease and drug information? What is the level of demand for online CME in each of the examined countries? Which online strategies are ideal in reaching physicians and consumers? EPRESCRIBING The potential and current markets for ePrescribing vary from country to country. It is important for companies to make investments in ePrescribing in regions with sizeable demand for such technology. Given the National Health Service’s plan to implement the use of electronic prescriptions, the UK will act as a pioneer in the adoption of ePrescribing technologies in Europe. The demand for ePrescribing in the other countries varies, with significant interest in both Germany and the US. In which countries should ePrescribing services be offered? How will the ePrescribing market evolve on a global level? EDETAILING As with ePrescribing, the market for eDetailing is different in each of the examined countries. Companies should use online detailing to complement live detailing in the regions where demand for such a service exists. For example, there is a sizeable opportunity to provide Spanish physicians with eDetailing. Where should eDetailing initiatives be pursued? How can eDetailing and extranets be used to reach physicians in each of the countries examined? Why are physicians in France and Italy not highly receptive of eDetailing? DISEASE MANAGEMENT The provision of disease management tools can assist the patient-physician relationship, by supporting patient demands for information and by helping the physicians to manage treatments. The demand for these tools varies between physicians and patients and from country to country. In particular, there is significant interest among physicians in the US market. How can companies build corporate brand loyalty through online services that support interaction between patients and physicians? Which services are most appropriate to the demands of physicians and patients in each of the covered markets? ACTION POINTS Pharmaceutical companies should provide physicians in each of the six markets with convenient access to online disease and drug information. Online continuing medical education (eCME) programs serve as ideal tools for this purpose and help to establish valued relationships with physicians In the UK, the National Health Service’s Pharmacy in the Future scheme will result in growth in the ePrescribing market, which Datamonitor projects will drive greater use of handheld devices among physicians. The UK will act as a pioneer for Europe in the adoption of ePrescribing technologies In Spain, pharmaceutical companies have the opportunity to develop eDetailing and extranets to reach physicians. In contrast, the demand for these initiatives among French and Italian physicians is minimal In the US, companies must focus on supporting the management of the patient-physician relationship by meeting demands for online disease management tools APPENDIX Research methodology: Datamonitor's Physician Insight Surveys (September 2001, December 2001, February 2002, March 2002, May 2002, September 2002); Datamonitor’s IMPACT Surveys (April 2001, 2002); Datamonitor Cross Therapy Area Physician Surveys (2001) DATASETS Table 1: Online forums supporting peer to peer communication were most recently cited when physicians were asked about their greatest unmet need online Table 2: Popular product sites among Spanish PCPs Table 3: There is no single online destination that emerges as a favorite among UK based physicians for accessing medical information and resources Table 4: Google is the search engine most likely to drive physicians to medical websites Table 5: Most consumers in the UK do not use the Internet to search for health related services and information Table 6: Age does not impact the type of information consumers are looking for online; across age groups information about specific diseases, symptoms and treatments is the most sought after Table 7: Drug interaction warnings are considered the most functional service to offer via handheld devices