Pharmaceutical Marketing in the Philippine setting has never been formally () and taught in colleges, universities, and other institutions of learning. Therefore, this textbook (Pharmaceutical Marketing in the Philippine Setting) will definitely provide valuable insights to would-be pharmacists who, after passing the Pharmacy Board Examinations, may decide to proceed to managing a drugstore business. It is also for practicing pharmacists in drugstores, hospital pharmacies, industrial clinics and other drug outlets, who find themselves wanting for knowledge and skills in preparing marketing programs to efficiently run the business, to at least break-even in their investments, or even do better, in the light of stiff competition in the marketplace.

 Drug companies employ varying degrees of marketing techniques on day-to-day operations and on long-range goals, with the burning desire of obtaining a bigger() of the huge pharmaceutical business. Training and development in marketing and related fields are done on a continuing company-to-company basis, in order to deliver desired results in terms of Sales, Market Growth, Market Share, Profitability, and Leadership.

Drug companies and sales outlets are constantly in search of competitive marketing strategies. () has become the lifeblood of successful business endeavors, and competition is increasingly stiff and sophisticated towards greatly improving customer satisfaction.

Pharmaceutical Marketing, to a number of people in the industry like product managers, marketing managers, division managers, traders and entrepreneurs, has become a way of() and its dynamics will undoubtedly be with us for a lifetime, if not forever.

Several marketers believe that () is basically the selling and promotion of drug products, and as such, focus all their marketing efforts on those elements

In many instances, we observe people frequently patronizing ()()()() in spite of availability of drug products in adjacent or nearby drugstores. There is also the tendency of consumers to buy popular brand names repeatedly and in bigger quantities.

A number of OTC or proprietary, or ethical/semi-ethical drug products are perceived to be of higher (), efficacy, safety, and potency. Some buyers prefer to have () for high-priced brands, or the lower-priced drug products. Nowadays, drug manufacturers are heavily investing and pouring in more money to create demand for their products in drugstores, hospital pharmacies, industrial clinics, and even in groceries and supermarkets, trading and sari-sari stores.

therefore, goes beyond selling and promotions, but rather, is about knowing and understanding more, the customers, the intended target market, and the set of marketing tools that work together to affect significantly, the normal equilibrium in the marketplace.

In today’s highly volatile environment, it is not enough that we in marketing or business are able to () customers with our products’ unique features or better pricing schemes, or competitive placement or distribution strategies compared to other products in the marketplace. More importantly, we need to deliver other () to delight them even after the sales is consummated.

Delighting customers may be in the form of entertainment, fellowships, and other non-business or socially- oriented activities. () delightful endeavors through gifts, cards, telegrams, etc., during birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and special occasions of the year, are very much a part of this strategy.

In the light of keen competition and rapid environmental changes, satisfying and delighting our customers do not suffice because our competitors are also doing the same thing. They also have high quality products that satisfy the needs and wants of individuals or groups, they also render extra services to customers to() them.

The next most important success-ingredient therefore, in pharmaceutical marketing where a majority, if not all drug products are “me too”, “copycats”, “gaya-gaya”, or “look-alikes” of other products is the element of () our customers over and above normal expectations, being one step ahead of competition or at least 1% better in 1001 different ways

When (). used to be operating a modest drugstore in Sto. Cristo, Binondo, Manila, as wholesaler and retailer, every time drug products are sought for and are not available in the store, (), the owner, would immediately instruct a sales attendant to buy the said product in nearby drugstores at whatever cost or price, simply to promptly satisfy the customers’ needs and wants. This is a Superb-Value-Service customers will always remember, a simple but surprising gesture of accommodating and making available drug products at the right place, right time, and right quantity, for the first time, any time, and all the time, without reasons, excuses or alibis.

To summarize therefore, in today’s Pharmaceutical Marketing, especially in the context of the Philippine setting, we need to deliver sincerely and devotedly as ever and always, the following:

1.() our customers with his needs and wants for our high-quality drug products and its superb-value over other products with the same generic equivalent from a reputable drug company.

2. Delight our customers with after () beyond product features and superb-value of product offerings.

3. () our customers with related or non-related pharmaceutical activities that goes beyond normal expectations and which are not usually done by direct competitors.

We will discuss briefly fully two core marketing concepts namely () and (), that govern practically all our marketing activities in satisfying, delighting, and surprising our customers.

When we employ radio, television, and print advertising for example, we are guided by the fact that our target audience have specific (). Again, when we do sampling, sales promotions, publicities, and other promotional activities our communications and messages are directed to a particular ()t, where if properly executed, will definitely trigger positive responses and ultimately achievement of situation wherein every peso counts to deliver the equivalent return sales, growth, market share, and profitability. Our communications program therefore, should be geared to address the specific needs and wants of target markets, be it physicians, dentists and allied professionals, or authority endorses namely salesclerks, or the very consumers or end-users of our products.

 is a state of felt deprivation in a person

Hierarchy of Needs,

Hierarchy of Needs

r body needs such as food, medicines, clothing, and shelter