Industry overview
What is shaping pharmaceutical
Pharmaceutical and medical-device companies need evidence from doctors, pharmacists and patients, gathered with verified respondents, strict confidentiality and careful questionnaire design.
- Prescribing behaviour is shaped by evidence, experience and access
- Pharmacies influence brand substitution and adherence
- Patient journeys reveal unmet needs between visits
Client background
A consumer health company, working in 10 cities in Indonesia & Malaysia. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A consumer health company
- Sector
- Pharmaceutical
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Offline data collection, Quantitative research, Data analytics & dashboards
Client challenge
For over-the-counter products, pharmacists often guide customer choices. The company wanted to know how pharmacists recommended brands for common ailments.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: understanding pharmacist recommendations at the counter.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of pharmacies.
- Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 6 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 1,000 pharmacies.
- pharmacies1,000
Audiences we typically reach in pharmaceutical
Physicians and specialistsPharmacists and chemistsNurses and allied HCPsPatients and caregiversHospital procurement teams
Geographic coverage
Coverage: 10 cities in Indonesia & Malaysia. Markets: Indonesia and Malaysia.
- Indonesia
- Malaysia
Research methodology
A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.
- 1Brief
- 2Pharmacist interviews
- 3Mystery shopping
- 4Insight
We interviewed pharmacists about recommendations and stocking, and mystery shoppers asked for advice on common symptoms, recording which brands were suggested and why.
Offline data collectionQuantitative researchData analytics & dashboards
Sampling strategy
- pharmacies
- 1,000
- Healthcare professionals and patients were screened on specialty, setting or condition, and professionals were verified before taking part.
- Respondents were selected across 10 cities in Indonesia & Malaysia using quotas set in advance for each location and respondent type, so no single area or group dominated.
- Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
Data collection
- Trained local-language interviewers conducted interviews in person, supervised in the field.
- Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
- Auditors and mystery shoppers followed a standard checklist, recording evidence at each visit.
Data quality & validation
- Back-checks on a share of completed interviews
- Time and location checks on field interviews
- Supervisor accompaniment in the field
- Recordings and transcripts for every session
- Re-screening of qualitative recruits
- Photo or document evidence for audit points
- Second-reviewer checks on scores
- Verification of healthcare professionals
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
- Interactive dashboard for ongoing tracking
Key findings
- Pharmacists recommended brands with consistent availability and good margins, and valued simple product information.
Mystery shopping showed actual recommendations, not just stated preferences.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: mystery shopping showed actual recommendations, not just stated preferences.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: pharmacists recommended brands with consistent availability and good margins, and valued simple product information.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The company improved supply consistency and created pharmacist-friendly product cards.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Interactive dashboard
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: which messages resonate with HCPs?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.