製藥業關係行銷對醫師忠誠度之影響

Abstract

在台灣，對於民眾廣告藥物是違法的，而藥廠若需要達行銷業績，則需透過醫師將藥品銷售到終端使用者，即病患端。經由影響醫師開立處方以創造病患需求，這樣的行銷模式中，醫師扮演了一個關鍵的中間人角色。現今藥廠的行銷方式，由於法規限制，所以須制定特殊的行銷策略引導醫師開立處方，並且觀察現今的市場行銷環境之趨勢發現過去幾十年來，各產業除單次交易行銷之外，也試圖與客戶建立並維持長久關係，以能夠與對手的產品競爭；學者Berry(1983﹚就認為行銷逐漸由吸引新客群，轉移到如何維持既有顧客群及增加顧客的忠誠，並認為若企業能與顧客建立長期關係，除節省成本也可增加利潤。現代企業長期與顧客合作關係的價值，大量證據表明關係強度越強，就會有利潤產生 (Reichheld & Sasser, 1990)，此即關係行銷。 製藥產業的關係行銷在與其顧客的長期關係中，製藥業可從顧客得到利益外，而顧客也能從中獲得利益，當顧客群衡量此長期關係所帶來的利益高於成本時，則顧客將感知到維持關係有價值，則可較有意願維持長期關係，此顧客即為醫療專業領域中的關鍵角色──醫師。本研究為了解醫藥產業的關係行銷特性與生態，以「藥廠與醫師」之關係作為研究主題，以心臟醫學會之會員醫師為研究對象，探討醫師從藥廠得到何種關係利益，會進而影響到對藥廠產生維持關係的意願，並產生忠誠態度或行為。 研究結果發現，關係利益會影響關係品質，而關係品質也會影響忠誠度，且發現製藥產業與醫師之間的關係利益，可分為兩類，以醫藥專業為業務範圍之工作往來而得到的關係利益係為業務相關之關係利益，另一類則較不涉及工作往來之聯絡，係因私人友誼而建立的關係利益係為非業務相關之關係利益。而關係品質濃縮為一變項，顯示出，信任、滿意度、承諾變項在製藥產業與醫師的關係中無法分割，推測原因為此產業中的關係行銷有兩個特性：一為醫師與藥廠之間的長期關係，需要先擁有信任，才能進一步承諾維持這一段長期關係，另一特性為此產業的醫療專業性質，須先擁有信任及滿意度後，才能進一步承諾長久關係，因此關係品質內涵密不可分。

Advertising for drugs is illegal In Taiwan. If Pharmaceutical companies want to get the marketing performance target, they should sell drugs through physicians to the end-users, that is, patients. By affecting physicians’ prescription to create patients demands the physicians plays a key intermediary role in this marketing model. Due to regulatory restrictions and the instructions of International Research-based Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association(IRPMA), now pharmaceutical companies may make some corrections or search for strategies to make business operations more efficiently and develop a special marketing strategy to influence the physicians’ drug prescription. In the past few decades, marketing environment trends showed the marketing strategies pharmaceutical companies using except traditional single transaction but trying to establish and maintain long-term relationships with customers and competing with the rivals. Scholar Berry (1983) believes that marketing strategy gradually transferred from attracting new customers to maintaining the existing customer and strengthening customer loyalty, establishing long-term relationships with customers. In addition, long-term relationships with customers can save costs and increase profits, that is relationship marketing(Reichheld & Sasser, 1990). Long-term relationships with customers in the pharmaceutical industry can benefit customers also the companies. When the customers evaluate the benefits of long-term relationships is higher than the costs then customers will perceive maintaining the relationship is worthy, and more willing to maintain long-term relationship. However, the physician plays a key role in this industry. Therefore, this study is to examine how relationship marketing theory work in pharmaceutical companies and the influence on physician loyalty. This study integrates relevant research to propose a comprehensive conceptual framework. In this framework, relationship benefit as independent variable influence physician loyalty through one mediator, relationship quality. This study investigate the relationship marketing operation and characteristics in pharmaceutical industry, in order to understand the relationship between the pharmaceutical companies and physicians, The sample of this study came from the name lists of Taiwan Society of Cardiology and using internet questionnaires by mails. The results showed that the relationship benefit will affect the relationship quality, and relationship quality will also affect the loyalty, and found that the relationship benefit between pharmaceutical industry and the physicians can be divided into two categories, the scope of business operation contacts related to the medical professional operation is business relationship benefit , and the other beyond the work contacts is related to personal friendship and social network is non-business relationship benefit. The relationship quality is concentrated to on variable, showing that, trust, satisfaction, commitment variables between the pharmaceutical companies and physicians cannot be split, presumably the relationship marketing in this industry has two characteristics: (1) long-term relationship between physicians and pharmaceutical companies, need to have trust in order to further commitment to maintain this long-term relationship, the other characteristics of the nature of this industry.(2)The medical profession should be based on the trust and satisfaction first, then the commitment to further long-term relationships, so the relationship quality and contents are inseparable. According to the research findings, we may provide the pharmaceutical companies with some insightful information. That is, to increase relationship quality on medical professional relevant business benefit is very helpful to strengthen the physician loyalty.