Pharmaceutical procurement

Quick takeaway: PharmaFootpath is a trade-focused alternative to IQVIA, built for WDA license holders, sourcing teams, and small-to-mid pharma companies seeking lighter, more targeted analytics.

In conversations with Parallel Traders, Distributors, and other WDA license holders, one theme comes up repeatedly: "IQVIA is a great product, but we don't know if we need that level of detail, and we're looking for more focused or cost-efficient alternatives."

IQVIA is an enterprise-grade analytics suite - the perfect choice for 'Big Pharma'. But if your focus is international pharmaceutical trade, parallel trading, clinical trial supply, unlicensed medicines - where seeing an overview of the international pharma market is today - it’s not always the right tool. PharmaFootpath exists to solve that specific problem, with pricing in mind for smaller pharma companies.

When IQVIA Becomes Overkill

IQVIA’s value comes from its breadth - commercial, prescribing volume data, market access, claims data, pricing, etc. across global markets. That’s powerful, but expensive. Many small-to-mid-sized pharma teams report that they use only a portion of the data available, and often seek more focused, trade-specific insights.

You might be a better fit for PharmaFootpath if:

• You care more about where products are available and who has access, rather than its global list price.
• You need trade license activity (parallel trade data, authorised distributor information) - not hospital data feeds.
• You want to monitor product movement patterns, not forecast market share.

PharmaFootpath vs IQVIA: A Focused Comparison

When companies consider an alternative

Organisations have come to PharmaFootpath after considering whether IQVIA:

• Provides a level of detail that is not required for their type of business
• Lacks details in specific areas such as parallel trade
• Might not be optimised for sourcing and procurement teams

By contrast, PharmaFootpath:

• Is built by people experienced in international pharma trading
• Uses a range of data sources to provide procurement and sourcing teams with clearer visibility into medicine availability
• Provides structured visibility into parallel trade licenses not commonly surfaced in other platforms.

Use Case Snapshot

A successful company in the Baltic market was considering alternatives to IQVIA, and joined PharmaFootpath.

• They were spending over €70k annually for IQVIA access, but felt they weren't able to benefit from all the data available.
• The client reported limited ability to influence platform updates or request custom data, citing prohibitive costs and long turnaround times.
• Within 3 months of switching, the team realised the volume data wasn't essential to some elements of their work, and other new data made available was valuable.
  
  (Client anonymised; figures indicative.)

Final Thought: Right-Sized Tools for Right-Fit Teams

IQVIA is a great tool - for the right type of business. But if your focus is European pharmaceutical trade, licensing intelligence, and visibility into parallel trading, PharmaFootpath is a specialist alternative to consider.

Book a call with PharmaFootpath to have a more detailed conversation about how teams have reduced cost and gained new insights since switching from IQVIA.

Disclaimers

Comparative Information
All references to third-party services, including IQVIA, are made solely for comparison purposes, based on publicly available information and anecdotal client experiences. PharmaFootpath is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by IQVIA or any third party named herein.

Informational Purposes Only
This article is for general informational and marketing purposes only. It does not constitute professional advice, regulatory guidance, or a guarantee of outcomes. Users should conduct their own due diligence before relying on this content.

Data Sources and Accuracy
Insights and data presented are derived from third-party sources and internal analysis. While efforts are made to ensure accuracy, PharmaFootpath makes no guarantees as to the completeness, reliability, or timeliness of any information provided.

No Medical or Regulatory Advice
PharmaFootpath does not offer legal, regulatory, or medical advice. References to pharmaceutical data, licensing, trade activity, or related subjects are for informational purposes only and do not constitute professional guidance.

Case Studies & Outcomes Disclaimer
Any case studies, examples, or testimonials included are illustrative only. They reflect individual client experiences and are not intended to represent typical or guaranteed results. Actual outcomes may vary depending on factors such as geography, business model, data availability, and operational practices.

Trademarks Notice
IQVIA is a registered trademark of its respective owner. PharmaFootpath is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by IQVIA.

The pharmaceutical procurement process is fraught with inefficiencies and outdated technology.

The process of acquiring medications for hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies is convoluted and time-consuming. It often requires faxing orders and tracking down inventory through a variety of channels.

Digital transformation is essential for the pharmaceutical procurement process to become more efficient.

Pharmaceutical distributors, manufacturers and healthcare providers can leverage technology solutions such as cloud-based platforms and business intelligence tools to automate processes, reduce complexity, improve compliance and generate insights into inventory levels and prices.

Cloud-based platforms enable healthcare providers to order medications quickly and accurately by connecting them directly with suppliers.

This eliminates the need for manual order entry, faxing orders or relying on intermediaries.

It also allows for real-time tracking of inventory levels so that healthcare providers have a better understanding of what is available at any given time.

The challenges of pharmaceutical procurement

When we are speaking about challenges in pharmaceutical procurement , some key challenges include:

• Difficulty sourcing medications due to limited availability or high prices.
• Difficulty tracking inventory levels across different suppliers.
• Complex regulatory requirements that require specialized knowledge and compliance processes.
• Lack of transparency in pricing, making it difficult for buyers to make informed decisions when purchasing pharmaceuticals.
• Lack of visibility based on market conditions or supplier preferences.

By leveraging the right digital tools and technologies, these challenges can be overcome and Pharmaceutical procurement can become more efficient, accurate and cost effective.

This will ultimately benefit patients by improving access to necessary medications at the best possible prices.

Pharmaceutical procurement is a complex and challenging function for procurement departments given the amount of stakeholders involved and the major implications that even small procurement decisions can have.

Due to pharmaceuticals having to meet strict regulatory requirements, procurement teams need to ensure that these strict standards are being met across their entire supply chain.

Moreover, procurement teams must also design procurement strategies tailored towards finding the most cost-effective solution while maintaining a reliable and effective sourcing process.

This can be easier said than done considering the number of external factors impacting the procurement process such as changes in competition or market prices.

As such, pharmaceutical procurement should not be taken lightly and require a professional procurement team with adequate education to handle it efficiently.

The benefits of pharmaceutical procurement digital transformation

The pharmaceutical industry is continuously changing, so efficient and successful strategic sourcing is essential to keep up with the constant evolution.

Digital transformation in pharmaceutical procurement has many benefits for organizations, such as cost savings and increased transparency.

Thanks to new technology, pharmaceutical manufacturers can track the entire process from raw material sourcing all the way to transportation and delivery of pharmaceuticals.

This makes pharmaceutical procurement more efficient as well as accountable, providing accurate information on inventory management, supplier performance, usage data, competitive insights and more.

Ultimately, embracing digital transformation can benefit everyone in the healthcare sector by reducing costs and improving patient outcomes.

In today's world, digital transformation can have major benefits to a company's pharmaceutical procurement function.

For example, supplier selection can become more systematic and efficient as levels of automation decrease time spent on supplier research and due diligence.

A new strategy that also utilizes analytics-driven insights could help identify trends in supplier behavior quickly and efficiently, leading to improved negotiation and cost savings for the organization.

The digital transformation could create increased visibility into both supplier performance and inventory information, aiding the strategic decision-making process within the team.

Undoubtedly, adopting digital transformation offers valuable advantages for achieving the desired objectives of a pharmaceutical procurement function.

How to get started on your own pharmaceutical procurement digital transformation journey

Starting your own pharmaceutical procurement digital transformation journey can be a challenging yet rewarding process, but with project management and a business strategy that focuses on initial savings, you can ensure the project gets off on the right track.

To get started you own pharmaceutical procurement digital transformation journey you need to:

• Develop a clear plan and timeline for the project, including all stakeholder requirements and goals.
• Map out the current process for procurement; this will help identify areas of improvement and opportunities for automation.
• Assess existing technology to understand what systems can be used to improve processes, such as analytics-driven insights into supplier performance.
• Communicate with all stakeholders throughout the process, including procurement staff, suppliers and vendors.
• Implement a strategy for training staff on new digital tools as needed.
• Track progress regularly to measure success and make sure goals are being met on an ongoing basis.

By following these steps, you can make sure that your digital transformation efforts are successful and drive real results for your business.

In the end, embracing digital transformation in pharmaceutical procurement can help reduce costs while ensuring higher quality products and better patient outcomes.

With the right plan of action, any organization can be successful on their pharmaceutical procurement digital transformation journey.

When developing a project plan, consider elements such as project timeline, budget consideration, risk evaluation, and process review; all of which will help to drive success throughout your project duration.

Additionally, implementing a comprehensive business strategy is an essential part of any successful project.

This entails understanding the digital landscape in terms of what technology solutions are available to you, mapping out how to use those solutions to optimize processes and cut costs, and most importantly, how it integrates with other parts of the company’s operations.

Through properly consultanting your project team and partners early on in this process you can provide your project with immediate cost savings while developing corporate strategies for long-term ROI from all process improvements and transformations.

The future of pharmaceutical procurement and the impact of digital transformation

Digital transformation is revolutionizing the procurement process within the pharmaceutical industry.

Digital transformation will continue to reduce costs, improve efficiency and transparency and drive ROI for procurement teams.

By leveraging big data analytics, organizations can gain insights into the supply market in order to gain a competitive advantage while improving supplier performance.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) can also be used to facilitate faster decision-making processes and ensure. Procurement strategy will become increasingly more sophisticated as this technology develops.

The successful use of digital transformation in pharmaceutical procurement is an attractive opportunity for any organization looking to improve their operations and generate substantial returns from their investments.

Business intelligence tools like Pharmafootpath can help and improve pharmaceutical procurement process with its new age technology solutions.

Implementing the right strategies, processes and technologies will enable teams to achieve greater cost-savings and increase transparency throughout the entire process.

It will also help to ensure improved customer satisfaction, which in turn will benefit everyone in the healthcare sector by reducing costs and improving patient outcomes.

In summary, digital transformation is a powerful tool for enabling greater efficiency and effectiveness within pharmaceutical procurement operations.

By leveraging this technology, organizations can improve their bottom line while taking care of their customers’ needs.

The transformation process should be monitored closely and strategies adapted to ensure optimal results.

With the right approach and implementation, digital transformation can unlock an array of invaluable opportunities for pharmaceutical procurement organizations.

It is therefore important to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in order to maximize returns on investments.

With these changes, businesses will be able to achieve their desired objectives and create a comprehensive procurement strategy that meets the needs of all stakeholders.

By investing in digital transformation, pharmaceutical procurement organizations can revolutionize their operations and ensure success for years to come.

With the right strategy, teams can unlock increased savings across multiple facets of the organization while taking care of customer needs and increasing patient

Through digitization and automation, procurement teams are able to better organize category management, improve supplier-buyer relationships and streamline processes to enable a smoother procurement lifecycle.

In addition to greater data access, procurement groups will be able to leverage big data analytics to determine more precise lead times, improve procurement visibility and boost cost efficiency, while still applying best practice methods such as spend optimization.

Digital transformation will bring further advantages in terms of sustainable sourcing and compliance which support organizational objectives.

Overall, this could lead to a step-change improvement in procurement for pharma companies and stakeholders alike.