20% cuts in pharma commercial roles?

13th February 2023 |   Journal Of Sales Transformation

The way that pharmaceutical and medical device companies market and sell their products is on the cusp of major change, according to a paper from industry consultancy Impatient Health. Significant cuts are expected across commercial departments in 2023.

“By the end of the year we will see 20% trimmed in commercial roles, at both HQ and country level,” the authors of the paper declare.

Entitled The bonfire of big pharma – 20% cuts to commercial roles across the industry, the paper predicts a slimming down of commercial departments in favour of a more flexible and adaptable approach to partnerships and working practices.

At the same time, the authors acknowledge that in some cases we will see a balancing headcount increase in medical affairs headcount – a trend the Journal also anticipates given the growing significance of medical affairs organisations and medical science liaisons driven by the ever-increasing complexity of pharmaceutical products, higher regulatory hurdles for commercial teams, increasing digitalisation, growing personalisation of treatments and expanding democratisation of healthcare.

From the Journal’s perspective, new models of engagement will likely see healthcare practitioners (clinicians) demanding information on how best to treat their patients as and when they require it, delivered via whatever channel (likely digital) works best for them. At the same time, companies will be able to derive marketing insights from the data collected from the engagement process. How effectively pharma companies engage via this omnichannel process will be one of the most significant factors in driving sales in the industry.

For more information see: The bonfire of big pharma – 20% cuts to commercial roles across the industry.