Many pharmaceutical giants push on new online approach to customers

Photo: Image of a vividly CPE lesson video for pharmacies on PharmaCom

By Hoai An from the Saigon Times

In the age of digitalization, many multinational pharmaceutical companies in the Vietnamese pharmaceutical market are having new opportunities in branding and business development through PharmaCom and MDCom – two pioneering mobile apps for pharmacies, doctors and medical staffs.

Vietnam currently has about 60,000 pharmacies, and 1,700 hospitals with hundreds of thousands of pharmacists, doctors and medical staffs. Their demand for medical search, updates and continuous education is very high.

According to a survey by the “evidence-based clinical medicine” handbook ’s authors on more than 3,000 medical staff, 70% of them need regular updates on professional information or research and up to 95% has problems because there are so many different sources.

In particular, the need for Continuous Medical Education (CME) for medical staffs and Continuous Pharmaceutical Education (CPE) for pharmacists in order to maintain medical practice certificate, is enormous.

Circular 22/2013/TT-BYT issued by the Ministry of Health stipulates that medical staffs need 48 hours of continuous education in 2 years; and Decree 155/2018/ND-CP and Pharmacy Law 105/2016/QH13 require pharmacists to have 8 hours to update pharmaceutical expertise for 3 consecutive years of work.

Facing the actual needs, especially the digitalization trend and the unpredictable Covid-19 pandemic with many priorities to promote online activities, many big pharmaceutical companies have focused on renewing the way of approach and taking care of customers being pharmacies, pharmacy pharmacists and medical staff through mobile apps.

Ipsen is a pioneer in this trend to accompany with Pham Ngoc Thach Medical University to organize online CPE and professional update programs for nearly 1,000 pharmacies in many major cities, via PharmaCom mobile app. Mundipharma, on the other hand, has just begun with the same course for about 400 pharmacies.

An other “big player” in pharmaceutical industry is also promoting with professional units to organize online CPE, CME programs and symposiums using prioritezedly online functions on PharmaCom, MDCom mobile app.

Currently, PharmaCom and MDCom, developed by MediHub, are known as the two pioneering social networking platforms in Vietnam for pharmacies and medical professionals, with lawful approved license. This company receives professional cooperation from units having training functions and CME/CPE Certification issuing – medical Universities and Associations across the country.

Original article: thesaigontimes.vn/75656/many-pharmaceutical-giants-push-on-new-online-approach-to-customers.html