The trend: The majority (69%) of healthcare providers now engage with digital pharma communications weekly, but many describe those experiences as poor, according to a recent Graphite Digital survey of US, UK, and German clinicians.

• 65% have reduced or stopped engaging with a pharma company after a poor digital experience.

Where pharma digital outreach is lagging: Complex website navigation, time-consuming login and password processes to access drug and treatment information, and poor mobile usability are some of healthcare providers’ top complaints about pharma interactions, per Graphite Digital.

Why it matters: Doctors still value in-person rep meetings but prefer to explore new drug and treatment content on their own time and in their preferred communication channel.

• 60% of healthcare providers say in-person interactions remain the biggest influence on their impression of a pharma company, but 37% say digital interactions shape their perceptions just as much or even more.
• Clinicians also want more control over pharma communications: 59% want to decide how often they’re contacted, and 55% prefer to seek out information themselves rather than receive it unprompted.

Pharma marketers are ramping up digital spending to reach physicians. We forecast they’ll spend more than $2.5 billion in B2B digital advertising by 2027, up 10.5% from last year.

Implications for pharma marketers: As digital communications play a larger role in physician engagement with pharma communication, execution matters even more.

Doctors aren’t rejecting pharma content—they’re stepping back from frustrating experiences. More than half (54%) think pharma digital content is either mostly or highly valuable, per Graphite Digital. Pharma companies and marketers must improve digital touchpoints by reducing friction on brand sites, aligning with clinicians’ engagement preferences, and making information easier to access. Customised AI-powered search tools and easier-to-use HCP portals can help, but only if they simplify the experience and quickly deliver relevant clinical and patient resources.