10 Pharmaceutical Marketing Publications for Your Research
In a world of many academic papers, journals and articles, narrow your research to 10 pharmaceutical marketing publications.
Research - regardless of the end goal - takes time. The process includes sifting through tens/hundreds of websites and journals and books (amongst other mediums) to then examine the contents of each. And this is just the beginning of the process.
I find that when doing this sort of secondary research, I have spent a lot of my time on something that will, in the end, turn into very little. The process is often very wasteful. This post provides those interested in pharmaceutical marketing and the promotion of healthcare products and services with a list of notable publications (mostly academic journals) to focus on during the research process.
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10 NOTABLE PHARMACEUTICAL MARKETING PUBLICATIONS
So, if you are conducting research to review the current literature of previous studies or looking to subscribe to a noteworthy publication that might provide future ideas and insight to aid your marketing strategies, you will find it within the ten publications below. Similarly, you could also subscribe to this blog - all we need is your email address and all we’ll do is send you a link to new articles like this one.
1. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL MARKETING
The Journal of Medical Marketing, edited by Brian D Smith (recently featured on this blog within our recommended pharmaceutical marketing books post) ceased publication in 2017. Which is a real shame as many of the articles featured were highly relevant. This said, it’s still worth keeping the publication in mind when conducting research in the marketing field. The journal contains contributions within 16 volumes of back issues that focus on the issues of key importance to pharmaceutical and medical marketers.
Notable contributions
2. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL AND HEALTHCARE MARKETING
The International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing is a leading specialist reference resource of academic information and analysis on pharmaceutical and healthcare marketing. This quarterly publication covers a wide range of contemporary subjects within the wider pharmaceutical field since 2007. Edited by Dr Avinandan Mukherjee, you can catch up from the latest issue of the International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing here.
Notable contributions
3. THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL
The Pharmaceutical Journal covers various aspects of pharmacy, including pharmacology and pharmaceutics and is the official journal of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. This isn’t strictly a marketing journal, but with its origins dating back to the 1800s, with plenty of articles on marketing and promotion, this is a monthly journal worthy of review which will require a small membership fee - you will be joining more than 30,000 members by doing so. You can also sample a limited number of articles on the website to get a feel for the content before becoming a paid member.
Notable contributions
4. JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH
Neither a pharmaceutical nor marketing publication, the Journal of Consumer Research does, however, feature a wider range of suitable articles for the pharmaceutical and science marketer. The journal is a bimonthly peer-reviewed academic journal covering research on all aspects of consumer behaviour, including psychology, sociology, economics and communications published by Oxford University Press and covered by a range of editors from the field of marketing and consumer behaviour.
Notable contributions
5. BMC HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
An interesting article relating to pharmaceutical marketing strategies (by Dr Micheline Khazzaka of the Toulouse Business School) appeared within the BMC Health Services Research last year which diverted our attention to the journal. Founded in 2001, it covers research on the broad subject of health services, and although not entirely suitable to most of the readers of this blog, is one we will be keeping an eye on in the future for similar contributions.
Notable contributions
6. HEALTH MARKETING QUARTERLY
Health Marketing Quarterly is directed at academics and practitioners concerned with the concepts, practice and research of healthcare marketing. Again more health than pharma, but pharmaceutical marketers across the B2B and B2C spectrum can draw on the various articles to review new ideas, methods and programs that can help influence future marketing strategies and activities. The latest issue includes an article that reviews the burgeoning body of healthcare marketing literature with the aim of mapping the research that has been undertaken in this area for the first time - interesting to any marketing professional.
Notable contributions
7. JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL FINANCE, ECONOMICS & POLICY
The Journal of Pharmaceutical Finance, Economics & Policy, established in 2003, provides original articles, research reports and reviews of the current literature on pharma-economics, outcomes research, patient satisfaction, quality-of-life issues, financing and pricing amongst other topics.
Notable contributions
8. JOURNAL OF PRODUCT & BRAND MANAGEMENT
Another publication not primarily focused within the pharmaceutical, healthcare or life sciences, but it does provide comprehensive information for organisations that are facing new challenges when managing their product and brand reputations. This nationally respected journal examines critical issues, which need to be taken into consideration when determining brand and pricing strategies and policies, and has been so for the past twenty years. We encourage all pharma marketers involved in brand communications and product management to examine some back issues.
Notable contributions
9. PLOS MEDICINE
PLOS Medicine is a peer-reviewed weekly medical journal covering the full spectrum of the medical sciences. The journal featured Kalman Applbaum’s highly cited essay entitled “Pharmaceutical Marketing and the invention of the Medical Consumer” previously discussed within this post. Since 2009, three years after Applbaum’s contribution, the journal reaffirmed its scope to use an evidence-based approach to give priority to studies on diseases and risk factors that cause the greatest burden worldwide. Which is a steer away from the article in which we refer to but the journal is still worthy of examining.
Notable contributions
10. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT
The International Journal of Healthcare Management serves all those directly involved in or concerned with, the organisation, delivery, marketing and management of healthcare services at a strategic and operational level. The journal's content addresses the diverse range of disciplines that healthcare services management and marketing draws upon and its international scope and aims give special focus to management issues.
Notable contributions
THE PUBLICATIONS…
This post features ten pharmaceutical marketing publications considered among peers within the industry as the most trusted. The list, however, is by no means complete and there are other notable absentees which may be more suited to particular functions and role within the pharmaceutical sectors. We have aimed to provide a range of academic journals and publications - with example contributions of what we feel are either most suited or best represents the type of content within the journals - which the pharmaceutical marketer may be interested in. Feel free to get in touch to suggest a publication for the list.
For more on strategic marketing approaches in the pharmaceutical sectors, and how we can help you, visit our section on strategy.
