Abstract:

It is often said that pharmaceutical market research is "different". I would prefer to look at it the other way round and say that as an industry we have certain needs and that certain types of agencies cater for those needs. We require, basically, two types of research. The first is what might be called syndicated continuous audit data based on panels and the second, ad hoc field surveys based primarily on interviews with members of the medical profession, but occasionally also with pharmacists and even on occasions with members of the public. This paper looks at the problem of choosing an agency and the importance of establishing a continuous working relationship, the level of expertise of the agency in relation specifically to pharmaceutical market research and finally the ability of the agency to conduct research internationally.