Lilly’s attempt at pricing in DTC: tool or going to cause more anger?

Lilly has decided to inform patients about the list price for Trulicity on their website.
The information may add to patient anger and raise more questions.
What makes a drug worth $8000 a year and who get’s the money?

Forget drug prices this is the greatest threat to our healthcare

The average American is heavier than at the start of the 21st Century — and very close to being obese, according to Centers for Disease Control data on body metrics.
The average American man is 5-feet, 9-inches tall and weighs 198 pounds; an average woman is 5-feet, 4-inches and 171 pounds.
The Obesity Society, a scientific research organization, this month classified obesity as a worldwide, non-communicable chronic disease.

Baby boomers are aging alone more than any generation in U.S. history, and the resulting loneliness is a looming public health threat. (Source: Wall Street Journal)
That amounts to about eight million people in the U.S. without close kin, the main source of companionship in old age, and their share of the population is projected to grow.
Researchers have found that loneliness takes a physical toll, and is as closely linked to early mortality as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day or consuming more than six alcoholic drinks a day. Loneliness is even worse for longevity than being obese or physically inactive.

Patient centricity is not as important as shareholders and Wall Street.
CEO’s are often compensated on financial metrics and focus on the balance sheet.
Patient centricity starts with an organizations people but Millennials are avoiding careers in pharma because of the culture.

Eight in ten Americans say that caregiving is the “new normal” in American families.

Forty million Americans are currently caregivers—almost as many as the number of Americans holding student debt.

These caregivers are providing assistance to nearly 50 million adults receiving care. Half became caregivers in the past year.

Patients are skeptical of new prescription drugs.
In addition to going to a pharma site they do a LOT of online research.
Pharma sites are not meeting their needs when it comes the information they need to try or switch to new medications.
People are using social media to learn about new medications, but the trust of others posts remains low.

Pharma marketers often view website creative as the key to building a great website, but bounce rates indicated that online health seekers disagree.
Your website homepage should be a combination of key messages that are important to USERS and intuitive navigation that makes it easy for online health seekers to find the information they are looking for.
As your brand moves through the life-cycle your home page should change to reflect updated needs of your audience.