Pharma Marketing by 2030 – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1148

Pharma Marketing by 2030 – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1148

Dear Colleagues! This is Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1148 for Pharma Veterans. Pharma Veterans Blogs are published by Asrar Qureshi on its dedicated site https://pharmaveterans.com. Please email to pharmaveterans2017@gmail.com  for publishing your contributions here.

Credit: Timur Saglambilek

Credit: Mikael Blomkvist

Preamble

I discussed how pharmaceutical selling is likely to change during the next five years. Now, this is a broad vision of how pharmaceutical marketing may look like by 2030, with a special lens on Pakistan. It is more complex than selling because marketing is the brain and it works for present and future simultaneously.

What will change materially by 2030

Omnichannel becomes the default, not “digital vs. rep,” but both. HCPs increasingly want integrated experiences across rep visits, virtual touchpoints, portals, webinars, medical content hubs, and peer channels. Medical and commercial touchpoints will be orchestrated from one brain, with consistent sequencing and measurement across channels.

AI as the commercial co-pilot –  Gen AI and ML will target micro-segments, personalize content, suggest next best actions for reps, summarize call notes, and automate compliant materials generation, lifting productivity and precision. Expect tighter message-to-moment fit, less time on admin, and more time on clinical dialogue.

Launch and lifecycle excellence get data-driven – Insights from real-world evidence (RWE), omnichannel analytics, and dynamic segmentation become standard at launch; mature “established brands” are re-energized through analytics as the 2029/2030 patent cliff releases huge value at risk.

Medical Affairs steps further into the spotlight – With HCPs valuing scientific depth and digital access, Medical Affairs will run more of the education layer, modular scientific content, micro-CME, KOL communities, tightly coordinated with commercial but held to higher evidence and compliance standards.

Compliance is embedded and real-time – AI-assisted review and interaction logging will make content governance continuous, not episodic. Off-label risk, inducement controls, and transparency rules will increasingly be enforced through platforms rather than policy PDFs.

Procurement influence rises – Formularies, tenders, and health-economic scrutiny keep expanding, shifting some promotional effort from individual prescribers to institutional stakeholders and payer-like actors—even in emerging markets. Launch playbooks and established-brand optimization reflect this shift.

What will change partially (evolution, not extinction)

Face-to-face selling won’t disappear; hybrid wins. In-person calls stay crucial for complex therapies and trust, but will be fewer, better prepared, and digitally amplified before/after the visit. Many HCPs actively prefer more digital engagement than pre-COVID.

Sales forces get smaller but more skilled – Expect higher scientific fluency, analytics literacy, and use of AI tools; role mixes shift toward MSLs, KAMs, and hybrid inside-field teams.

Channels consolidate; measurement matures – The industry will move from “channel sprawl” to curated, orchestrated journeys with unified identity, consent, content, and KPIs.

Pakistan (opportunities & constraints)

Market and structure – Pakistan’s pharma market is estimated at PKR one trillion (MAT June 2025), dominated by local players. Growth has been strong but uneven, with top 50 companies accounting for 95% of the market.

Digital reach is now at scale – By early 2025 Pakistan had 116M internet users (46% penetration) and 150M broadband subscribers with penetration 60%—a step-change in addressable digital HCP and patient engagement.

Telehealth usage grew post-COVID (e.g., Sehat Kahani, Oladoc, Aap ka Muaalij), but adoption varies, and rural uptake still faces barriers (connectivity, workflows, trust). This creates room for pharma-supported disease education and PSPs that plug into telemedicine responsibly.

Regulatory direction of travel – DRAP modernization includes searchable product databases and digitalized submissions via Pakistan Single Window (PSW), a sign that regulatory processes are moving online.

Push toward generic prescribing has been visible, affecting brand strategy and pricing dynamics.

Ethical marketing scrutiny remains high; companies should assume tighter enforcement on HCP engagements and inducements.

Implications for marketing in Pakistan by 2030

Omnichannel, but localized: WhatsApp-compliant messaging, Urdu/regional-language scientific explainers, and mobile-first design.

Field force augmentation: Smaller, higher-skilled reps using AI to plan calls and tailor scientific narratives.

Institutional buying weight: Greater focus on hospital systems, tenders, and HTA-like evidence (economic and outcomes data), not just retail Rx promotion.

Patient Support Programs (PSPs): Digitally enabled adherence, refills, and affordability programs tied to verified pharmacies/telehealth nodes, designed with privacy by default.

Established-brand revitalization: With a global patent cliff approaching 2030, local firms can grow by optimizing mature portfolios and bioequivalents while investing in quality and supply resilience.

A pragmatic transition playbook (2025–2030)

Build the data & consent backbone (Year 1–2). Implement a unified customer data layer (HCP identity resolution, opt-in/consent, content metadata). 

Standardize channel analytics and “next best action” models; start with narrow, high-value use cases (e.g., event follow-ups, rep call planning).

Treat privacy, consent, and content governance as product features, not afterthoughts.

Redesign roles & skills (ongoing).

Upskill reps on data literacy, omnichannel choreography, and compliant use of AI co-pilots.

Shift hiring profiles: more scientific depth, virtual engagement fluency, and account-based skills.

Integrate medical & commercial (Year 1–3)

Stand up joint planning between Marketing, Sales, and Medical Affairs with a shared journey map and channel rules; what Medical leads vs. Commercial, and how hand-offs work.

Expand credible, modular scientific content; micro-learning, case vignettes, short video abstracts, that reps can personalize.

Launch with omni by design (Year 1–3)

For each launch or relaunch, define HCP cohorts, content modules, and channel sequences in advance; measure lift vs. control. Use AI to test message variants and suggest next interactions; retire channels with poor ROI.

Double down on established brands (Year 2–5)

Apply analytics to identify under-served indications, adherence gaps, and pharmacy leakage; deploy PSPs and trade programs accordingly. Prepare for the global cliff by strengthening bioequivalence narratives, quality assurance stories, and supply reliability—important in Pakistan’s cost-sensitive market.

Partner into the ecosystem (Year 2–5).

Form compliant partnerships with telehealth platforms and reputable e-pharmacies for education, diagnosis prompts, and PSP enrollment; no promotion to the public for prescription products. Collaborate with hospital systems for formulary access, outcomes pilots, and training.

Localize for Pakistan’s realities

Content in Urdu/regional languages; mobile-first formats that load fast on modest bandwidth. Embrace WhatsApp for approved scientific updates and event reminders (with auditable consent).

Plan tiered field coverage: metro hybrid engagement + lighter, digitally supported presence in secondary cities. The digital base (150M broadband users; rising penetration) makes this viable.

Technical compliance modernization

Automate material review, interaction logging, and HCP transfer-of-value records; align with DRAP rules on ethical promotion. Leverage DRAP/PSW digitization to streamline submissions and keep labels/materials current.

Sum Up

By 2030, pharma marketing won’t be entirely unrecognizable, but it will be tighter, smarter, and more scientific. Field forces remain, smaller and stronger. Medical Affairs’ role expands. AI and omnichannel do the heavy lifting behind the scenes. In Pakistan, surging connectivity and gradual regulatory digitization unlock scaled, compliant hybrid engagement, if companies invest now in data foundations, skills, and ecosystem partnerships.

Concluded.

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For most blogs, I research from several sources which are open to public. Their links are mentioned under references. There is no intent to infringe upon anyone’s copyrights. If, any claim is lodged, it will be acknowledged and recognized duly.