Five Key Reasons Pharmaceutical Companies Must Embrace Mobile Apps

Last week, VCBeat shared Dr. David Lee Scher’s recent call to leverage telemedicine in clinical trials. As a pioneer and advocate of telemedicine, Dr. Scher wrote as early as 2012 about the importance of mobile health apps in the pharmaceutical industry. VCBeat has translated and compiled this earlier article for our readers; although not new, it may well align with current trends in the Chinese market.

Although pharmaceutical companies are beginning to venture into social media, the significance of internet healthcare technologies with a strong presence cannot be overlooked. The reasons are as follows:

1. Internet-based apps are not a passing fad; pharmaceutical companies need to engage with them.The application of internet-based apps in medicine is growing steadily and rapidly. According to a study conducted by CompTIA, half of the 350 physicians surveyed use smartphones for work. In a recent study by GSMA, internet healthcare technologies are becoming central to medical activities due to shifts in supply and demand. Based on these research reports, the drivers of new global markets fall into five categories: consumer adoption, clinical adoption, evidence of efficacy, deployment costs, and the regulatory environment.

2. The patient is interested in learning more about their prescribed medications.Drugs.com’s Pill Identifier Lite is currently the top-ranked paid medical app in the Apple App Store. Patients are increasingly seeking medical information online. Moreover, they are becoming more aware of the necessity and benefits of engaging in medication management and self-care. They are looking for tools that facilitate their participation in medical decision-making. Medication adherence remains a major barrier to the successful treatment of chronic diseases. Internet-based apps provided by pharmaceutical companies can enhance patient adherence in various ways. Educating patients about their conditions, informing them of the role of medications within their comprehensive treatment plans, and utilizing interactive tools to boost patient engagement and monitor progress all contribute to improving patients’ self-management capabilities.

3. Internet-based mobile applications will be utilized to conduct clinical trials.Internet-based mobile applications can benefit various aspects of clinical trials, such as patient recruitment, transmission of clinical trial records, and rapid and accurate reporting of adverse events. Exco Intouch provides such an internet-based patient management solution for clinical trials.

4. E-sampling is an increasingly common approach adopted during interactions between physicians and pharmaceutical companies.According to MedAd News, “e-sampling is well-suited for integration into multichannel marketing initiatives under non-personal promotion (NPP) and healthcare professional relationship marketing (HCP RM). It enables various healthcare providers to download an app focused on disease awareness, patient education, and product education, serving as a central hub for mutual engagement. The significant decline in sales force presence has created educational gaps for prescribers. Some view this as a victory for conflict-of-interest advocates. Nevertheless, we must still address the challenge of prescription education. Patient safety and care depend on prescribers’ clear understanding of when to prescribe or withhold a medication, as well as its drug interactions and potential toxicity. The rapid pace at which this information evolves has far outstripped the development of new regulatory requirements. I believe that internet-based apps will play a critical role in prescribing relationships.”

5. Internet-based apps will enable hospital and institutional staff to access information.Current institutional policies significantly restrict interactions between pharmaceutical industry employees and hospital staff, regardless of whether they are in the pharmaceutical or nursing sectors, and irrespective of their roles as attending physicians, medical students, or other allied health professionals. Hospitals will have access to customized application “stores” and other internet platforms. As previously mentioned, internet-based applications from pharmaceutical companies may prove highly valuable in patient education. These applications can integrate with patient portals (for download after outpatient prescriptions are issued or upon discontinuation by the institution) or function as part of electronic prescribing applications already in clinical use.

Pharmaceutical companies are a vital component of the healthcare industry, engaging with key stakeholders across various aspects of direct patient care. Healthcare apps will become an essential part of patient care, and pharmaceutical companies must actively participate in this landscape, serving as agents of creative disruption to existing healthcare models.