Verispan: Merck Advances to No. 1 With Managed Care Executives
Posted on: Monday, 4 August 2008, 09:01 CDT
For the first time in the past 11 Verispan audit cycles, both managed care medical directors and pharmacy executives were in agreement about the company that best met their needs: Merck. Both managed care audiences ranked Merck first overall in the spring 2008 editions of Verispan's Managed Care Medical Director Promotional Audit and Pharmacy Executive Promotional Audit.
Verispan's Managed Care Medical Director Promotional Audit Best Overall - Top 3 Companies ====================================================================== Company Rank ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Merck 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Eli Lilly 2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GlaxoSmithKline 3 ====================================================================== Spring 2008
Verispan's Managed Care Pharmacy Executive Promotional Audit Best Overall - Top 3 Companies ====================================================================== Company Rank ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Merck 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Novartis 2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Schering-Plough 3 ====================================================================== Spring 2008
Since spring 2003, Merck had ranked between second and 10th overall in the Managed Care Medical Director Promotional Audit. The overall ranking is calculated by Verispan based on five assessment areas: clinical objectivity, value-added services, disease management, account personnel and corporate approach.
Between fall 2007 and spring 2008, Merck's net score improved in all five assessment categories, and by spring 2008, the company was ranked No. 1 in all five. The company's most notable improvement appeared in disease management, where Merck improved its net score by 6 points.
One medical director who listed Merck as best for disease management commented, "Experience end to end." Others said, "They have been helpful in the asthma and diabetes areas with excellent implementation"; and "very flexible and excellent support."
In the account personnel category, Merck rose from No. 2 in fall 2007 to the top spot in spring 2008. Medical directors praised the company in the following ways: "Highly professional and knowledgeable reps that follow through"; and "good understanding of managed care."
The overall Managed Care Pharmacy Executive Promotional Audit ranking is calculated by Verispan based on four assessment areas: contracts, value-added services, account personnel and corporate approach. Merck was ranked first for both value-added services and account personnel in the spring 2008 study.
Previously ranked No. 2 in the account personnel category, Merck's experience, communication and knowledge were cited as the company's strengths in spring 2008. For example, one pharmacy executive noted, "National account manager is extremely responsive to our needs for a quick turnaround on a formulary contract; well-seasoned individual within Merck that gets the appropriate people on the phone to make a decision." Another pharmacy executive said, "Has called on us for a long time; is very knowledgeable about us and the managed care industry."
Former overall leader Novartis, now in second place, led the industry in corporate approach with 13 net mentions. One pharmacy executive who listed Novartis as best for corporate approach said, "I believe Novartis corporate understands the market and is willing to adjust to make themselves a better partner for the future; they seem to support their account personnel very well and give them autonomy to make key decisions."
About the Audits
Verispan's Managed Care Pharmacy Executive Promotional Audit is based on the responses of pharmacy executives who represent a large portion of American lives covered by HMOs. These influential executives reported promotional activity by pharmaceutical firms over an 8-week period in spring 2008. They also rated pharmaceutical companies on their ability to meet managed care's needs in five areas: contracts, value-added services, account personnel, corporate approach and Medicare Part D. The Medicare Part D evaluation is not included in the aggregated overall ranking.
Verispan's Managed Care Medical Director Promotional Audit is based on the responses of medical directors who represent a large portion of American lives covered by HMOs. These medical directors reported promotional activity by pharmaceutical firms over an 8-week period in spring 2008. They also rated pharmaceutical companies on their ability to meet the managed care industry's needs in five areas: clinical objectivity, value-added services, disease management, account personnel and corporate approach.
For more information on the Managed Care Pharmacy Executive Promotional Audit, or Managed Care Medical Director Promotional Audit or other Verispan managed and institutional market products, please contact Keith Mandia or Emily Dorf at (800) 982-5613; e-mail: keith.mandia@verispan.com or emily.dorf@verispan.com.
About Verispan
Verispan was purchased recently by Surveillance Data Incorporated (SDI). Verispan, a healthcare informatics company, provides a broad array of information products and services to the healthcare industry, including sales targeting and compensation products; market research audits; healthcare profiles; comprehensive managed care offerings; data integration, warehousing and mining; data analysis and consulting; direct mail; list services; disease management studies; clinical trial investigator targeting and protocol recruitment evaluation; healthcare outcomes; and cost/benefit analyses, among many others. Verispan is a leading provider of patient-centric longitudinal data, with dozens of products used by clients spanning the industry.
Located in Yardley, Pa., Verispan employs over 500 dedicated healthcare information professionals. The company's Web site is www.verispan.com.
About SDI
Since 1982, SDI has been delivering the most innovative healthcare data products and analytic services on the market to the pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare, medical device, and consumer packaged goods industries. SDI is a leading provider of de-identified patient-level data, as well as real-time localized disease and treatment surveillance and modeling data. SDI takes a consultative approach to designing the best analyses for its clients, combined with expert study execution and analytical expertise to produce superior insights. Its current roster of client companies in the pharmaceutical/biotech sector includes all of the top 20 firms. For more information visit www.sdihealth.com or call 610.834.0800.
Source: Business Wire
Related Articles
- In Colorado, Commercial Medical and Pharmacy Benefit Enrollment Down at State Level
- Commercial Medical and Pharmacy Benefit Enrollment Down in New York
- Top Blue Cross and Blue Shield-Branded Managed Care Organizations Lost More Than One Million Members in the First Half of 2008
- Insiders Speak on Wall Street Crisis Effect on Managed Care, More at iiBIG Forum
- Strategic Buyers, Investment Groups Vie for Opportunities in Managed Care, More at iiBIG Forum
- Targeting High-Prescribing Physicians, Pfizer Inc. Ranked Best in Managed Care Pull-Through Programs, Cognet-X Inc. Reports
- Continucare Enters Into New Managed Care Agreement With Humana Medical Plan, Inc.
- Verispan Introducing New Managed Care Profiles Focusing on Part D Plans
- Verispan Reports: Spiriva Becoming a Preferred Drug in Managed Care
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds