The rise of chatbots in pharmaceutical marketing and customer service
Are bots able to transform pharmaceutical engagement and support -- or are they just another stupid tech trick? (1,260 words, 6 minutes)
Artificial intelligence has proven its value to pharma in areas such as drug development and sales training, and the coming application is likely to be “chatbots.” Master of Code Global, a company that develops the tech, says bots can effectively engage healthcare professionals and patients. They are powered by AI and natural language processing (NLP) technologies,
According to the Abmatic AI blog site, there are immediate benefits to using chatbots for business and customer service. One of the key benefits of using chatbots, they say, is that they allow a deep level of personalization. Chatbots can deliver tailored content and recommendations by analyzing user data and behaviour patterns, enhancing the overall customer experience.
Additionally, research published in the Canadian Journal of Health Technologies notes that chatbots can provide patients with 24/7 access to health information, such as symptom assessment, medication reminders, or appointment scheduling.
Technology website [x]cube LABS writes that, unlike traditional websites, chatbots offer an interactive and user-friendly option for patients seeking information and support. They can handle a wide range of inquiries and support requests at the same time. In terms of patient care, chatbots could attend to multiple patients simultaneously without compromising the quality of care.
Subject expert Rachit Khullar writes that chatbots have also found their place in pharmacovigilance and adverse event reporting. These AI-powered assistants can interact with patients to provide information and assistance about drug safety and adverse event reporting. They can also alleviate the burden on pharmacovigilance professionals, streamlining the reporting process, enabling faster response times, and facilitating proactive risk management.
According to Emagine Health, a portal for healthcare innovation, chatbots have a transformative impact on pharma marketing. Chatbots can offer customer service by responding to customers’ common and complex questions. They can monitor social media trends, share drug pricing information, and support physician education. Moreover, Emagine Health states that chatbots enable pharmaceutical companies to conduct market research and collect feedback from healthcare professionals and consumers more effectively. By engaging in interactive conversations, chatbots can gather insights on product preferences, usage patterns, and satisfaction levels, helping companies to make data-driven decisions and customize their offerings to suit the needs of their target audience.
Additional reading:
https://www.foreseemed.com/artificial-intelligence-in-healthcare
https://www.zendesk.com/blog/5-benefits-using-ai-bots-customer-service/
https://www.pharmexec.com/view/ai-revolution-arrived-shaping-next-generation-pharma-marketing
THIS WEEK 03/12/24
Sandoz announced that the U.S. FDA approved denosumab-bbdz (Wyost and Jubbonti), two interchangeable biosimilars to Xgeva and Prolia, respectively. Wyost is approved to prevent skeletal-related events in patients with multiple myeloma and bone metastases from solid tumours, among other indications. Jubbonti is approved to treat postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture and other skeletal-related indications.
The U.S. FDA approved Hugel’s neurotoxin, Letybo, for treating moderate-to-severe frown lines in adults.
The Institut National d’Excellence en Santé et en Services Sociaux (INESSS) recommended Roche Canada’s glofitamab for injection (Columvi ) for public reimbursement. Columvi is used to treat adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell Lymphoma.
Fresenius Kabi announced that the U.S. FDA approved tocilizumab-aazg (Tyenne), the company’s tocilizumab biosimilar to Actemra, for treating several inflammatory and immune diseases.
LISTEN UP
In season 12 of the NPC Podcast, Aldona Armstrong, Commercial Solutions Lead, Immunology at UCB, gives insights into patient advocacy initiatives, working with key opinion leaders, and ways to implement specialty marketing approaches. Hear her in conversation with podcast hosts Mitch Shannon, Jim Shea and Mark McElwain.
CANADIAN HEALTHCARE MARKETING HALL OF FAME
The Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame awards were established in 2002 to honour healthcare marketers who have contributed to our vocation and inspire others.
More than 100 honourees have been selected during the past 21 years. In the selection committee’s view, they represent a cross-section of the qualities that make our business unique and fulfilling. NPC Healthbiz Weekly will acknowledge the 2023 Hall of Fame Honorees over the next few weeks. Nominate a colleague for the 2024 Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame here.
2023 Inductee - Phil Diamond Award for Community Service
Danielle Portnik
Senior Director, Commercial and acting Country Head
Emergent BioSolutions
Toronto
Danielle Portnik, Senior Director, Commercial and acting Country Head at Emergent BioSolutions, says her career in pharma is directly linked to her post-secondary education. She attended the University of Toronto, and for her bachelor’s degree, she majored in science with a distinction in genes, genetics, and biotechnology. Later, she pursued a master’s degree in biotechnology from U of T. Her master’s program included an internship to enter the pharma industry. “I interviewed with several companies and ended up at a small company called Ikaria. I started there as a marketing manager. There was no prior marketing manager in Canada,” she says. Portnik adds that this opportunity to work in a smaller organization was an incredible experience.
Portnik thoroughly enjoys the work that she does. Her favourite parts of working in the pharmaceutical industry are the stories that allow industry professionals to see their teams or products’ impact on someone’s life. “I’ve been fortunate enough to work in organizations that create life-saving therapies,” she says. “The stories you hear are stories of an entire lifetime that, without your therapy, may not have been an option.” She recalls a particularly moving story that impacted her life and career. It happened a few years ago when she and a physician were able to help a baby born with pulmonary hypertension get diagnosed quickly and transferred to the right centre for treatment.
Throughout her career, Portnik has encountered many people who have positively influenced her in more ways than one. She believes that solid mentorship can be crucial for having a thriving career. One of her most influential mentors was Robin Hunter, who has become a good friend and someone she holds in high esteem. “Robin was my general manager for eight years and challenged me daily,” she says. “He pushed me to think about what made sense, why we were doing things, how we could do it differently, and how we could challenge the status quo.” She adds that he supported her career growth, provided the right challenges for her career to move forward, and made sure she had access to female mentorship.
To Portnik, being inducted into the Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame and awarded the Phil Diamond Award for Community Service is an honour. She said she was “over the moon” when she found out about her induction. She said she had never imagined that what started as an internship all those years ago could turn into knowing her work would have a substantial impact on her community.
“I’m humbled to have the opportunity to stand amongst the greats,” she says. “For me, this recognition means that anybody can do this. I never thought of myself as the smartest or the bravest. I think this award shows that anyone can have a major impact if they want to.”
Life Sciences Ontario: 2024 Annual Awards
Join LSO for a night of celebration of the #lifesciences sector and individuals and companies that have made outstanding contributions — Bill Mantel of Centre for the Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM); Dr. Benjamin Rovinski of Lumira Ventures; Dr. Christine Allen of Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto; Dr. Durhane Wong-Rieger of Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders; and Satellos Biosciences Inc.
Date: Wednesday, May 15th, 2024
Venue: Liberty Grand, Exhibition Place - 25 British Columbia Road, Toronto
Time: Reception - 5:30 p.m. / Dinner: 6:30 p.m.
Grab your tickets now here.
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