In a video interview with Pharma Commerce, Mark Jara, founder and CTO of RxS, dives into how the sample distribution process in the pharmaceutical industry has evolved significantly over the years. A major change has been the reduction in the size of sales teams. In the past, organizations had large sales forces with 5,000-10,000 representatives, but that is no longer the case. Technological advancements and changes in product types have contributed to this shift. While products were once ambient (requiring less complex distribution), they are now more biologic and often require cold chain logistics, catering to a smaller, more specific patient population.
This shift in product types means that the traditional push model of distribution—where samples and literature were sent out to healthcare providers (HCPs) by sales reps—is no longer the primary approach. Instead, pharmaceutical companies have moved toward a “right-sizing” of their organizations, streamlining operations and using alternative communication methods. The new model is more focused on the needs of HCPs, who now drive the communication process. HCPs are the ones requesting access to samples at their convenience, based on patient needs.
This shift from a push to a pull model reflects broader changes in the industry, where technology, product specialization, and the role of HCPs in decision-making have reshaped the way samples and information are distributed.
Jara also discusses the value in an online portal that offers logistics flexibility, the inspiration behind developing SampleHub, the future of eSampling platforms, and more.
A transcript of his conversation with PC can be found below.
PC: What was the inspiration behind developing SampleHub?
Jara: We have the platforms available for that branded experience, and there are organizations who will want that, such as the top 10 pharma companies. More and more, we’re seeing those smaller pharmaceuticals, those biologic organizations coming out, where they have a finite patient base, but from a financing perspective, they don’t have the ability to create their own environment from a branded solution, or they want to be co-mingled with other industry leaders in that same therapeutic class.
We saw the value of creating this one-stop-shop platform called SampleHub, allowing them to be able to log in and do what they need to do. On our end, technically, each one of these pharmaceutical organizations or manufacturers have relationships with their own logistics organizations. We’re partnered with many of the leading logistics organizations. The backend process made it very simple for us to be able to integrate, where a doctor may place an order for different products from different manufacturers, and we—behind the scenes—place those orders, make sure that they’re compliant, and track those orders, making sure that they are getting to the HCP, who ultimately gets it to the patient’s hands as well.