General Industry Title The Pharma e-50 Sub title A study of the 50 largest pharmaceutical companies and their use of the Internet. Author n/a Publication date June 2001 ISBN 1843110083 Pages 49 Price pdf n/a   |   print n/a Summary Free report Download the report (pdf) The Pharma e-50 report examines the online behaviour of the world's 50 largest pharmaceuticals companies by revenue. Each was appraised on the basis of eight scoring dimensions: Web Site Access and Design Core Content Product/Clinical Information/ R&D The Medical Community Patients/Users/Carers Investors Media Web Site Proactivity Overall scores and rankings were then created by aggregating all eight dimensional scores for each firm. Here is a sample of the most essential findings: Pharma firms everywhere are embracing the internet 100% of the pharmaceuticals companies we examined have already developed a Web site. The overwhelming majority of firms have invested time and money in producing substantial sites. Europe now the web leader over the US and Japan With Germany's Merck KGaA the overall survey winner, and with three of the top five places, Europe has emerged as regional winner of the Pharma Web 50 survey. Similarly, among the top ten ranked companies, four are European, three are American and three are Japanese. US weakness in web site design and interactivity These findings would appear to indicate that any previous 'Internet gap' between the US and the rest of the world has disappeared entirely, with American firms now fighting to keep up with online innovation increasingly coming from Europe and Japan. Investors are clear focus of most companies A large majority (82%) of companies specifically acknowledge investors and direct them to a dedicated area of their Web site. Only 42% of firms offer the same dedicated area to patients and carers, and fewer still (40%) provide special online areas to medical professionals. Media rank second as a target audience After investors, most of the firms surveyed see the press as their most important target audience to reach over the Web. Clearly, the most aware among the global pharmaceuticals industry have realised that the media are greatly influential in shaping the public's view of them as successful businesses. Doctors and patients needs not well addressed Disappointingly, far less online attention is paid to patients, carers and members of the medical profession than to investors and the media. In fact, of our eight scoring dimensions, addressing the needs of medical professionals came in sixth place, and helping patients and carers with information finished a distant seventh. Most firms now recruit talent online It was evident that many companies are utilising the Internet as a powerful recruitment tool to complement existing human resources strategies. An impressive 90% offer specific information for job seekers on their Web sites, and 72% post live vacancies and offer advice on how to apply for these posts. Ethical and environmental issues poorly represented Despite growing public concern over a host of issues such as environmental issues, animal testing and the ethics of selling drugs for profit in the developing world, only the most aware among our survey have responded with any serious attempt to address these issues over the Internet. e-commerce barely a factor There is very little e-commerce presently undertaken by the world's 50 largest pharmaceuticals companies. Just 8% of surveyed firms offer some products for sale over the Internet. Many are of course unable to do so because of various regulatory restrictions and regulations. TABLE OF CONTENTS -- General Industry

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