Q. What is primary pharma market research?
A. Primary pharmaceutical (pharma) market research is distinguished from “secondary” pharma market research because of the source of the information. In “primary” research the data is gathered directly from respondents, while a “secondary” study in pharma may gather data from multiple sources (e.g., published reports, government resources, published clinical research studies, news sources, etc.) without speaking directly to any respondents.
The specific business need could be the same for either type of study (primary or secondary) but the process of gathering information is different.
Focus in primary research for pharma is in gathering data first-hand from a respondent source (whether it’s physicians other healthcare professionals, patients or caregivers) and then compiling and analyzing that information.
Q. What types of projects are conducted in primary pharma market research?
A. Typical types of projects in primary pharma market research include:
Opportunity assessment
KAP (knowledge, attitudes and practices)
Needs mapping
Buying process/ patient journey
Treatment landscape
Segmentation
Forecasting/pricing
War gaming
Positioning
Message development
Key Opinion Leader (KOL) research
User experience
Message and concept testing
ATUs (awareness, trial and usage)
Creative and content evaluation
Ethnography studies
Message recall
User/Non-User
Satisfaction
Patient chart studies
Salesforce effectiveness