Are marketers missing critical opportunities by focusing too narrowly on reaching patients of high-prescribing doctors and care providers? In this episode of Point of Care Perspectives, Nicole Divinagracia, President of the Point of Care Marketing Association, sits down with Eric Talbot, Chief Strategy Officer at MedFuse, to challenge the status quo of Point of Care (POC) marketing. (Watch the video below!)
In this article, we expand on their discussion with data-driven insights and practical strategies to unlock untapped growth opportunities and deliver greater value to patients, providers, and healthcare systems. Providing compelling proof, Veradigm provided real-world context for why rethinking who you are reaching is crucial.
Refocus on Growth: From High-Prescribers to High Potential
Is targeting the highest prescribers truly the best strategy for raising awareness and connecting treatments to patients? For life sciences companies, reaching patients and prescribers at the exact moment care decisions are made is critical—offering an opportunity to drive treatment effectiveness and improve outcomes. In today’s fast-paced healthcare environment, where staying informed can be overwhelming, Point of Care (POC) resources provide timely, relevant support.
The strategies for executing a Point of Care campaign begin with identifying the target healthcare providers (HCPs) based on an NPI list. The list matching process is critical to determine where the campaign will run and what messaging is the most appropriate for that location. Too often, the target list is focused narrowly on HCPs who are already prescribing at high volumes.
It’s like stocking fresh produce in an already well-stocked kitchen while the breadline goes underserved. Are the HCPs who genuinely need this information—and the patients who could benefit—receiving it? Or is your marketing simply reinforcing decisions that have already been made, missing opportunities to deliver critical insights where they’re needed most?
Nicole and Eric on Data-Driven Strategies Challenging Conventional Targeting Methods [Video]
Over-Relying on High Writers Can Leave Marketers Fighting for Crumbs
True market expansion lies in targeting lower- and mid-decile prescribers—those who aren’t yet prescribing at high volumes but represent untapped potential. However, traditional strategies often prioritize high-decile prescribers—the top 10–20% of prescription writers—which presents significant challenges.
While the consistent “high writers” can be appealing to marketers, these prescribers typically operate at or near capacity, leaving little room for growth. Additionally, intense competition for their attention creates a marketing glut, where messages risk being diluted or overlooked. In contrast, lower- and mid-decile prescribers—who serve diverse patient populations and are essential for expanding access to care—often remain underserved and under-engaged.
The stakes are even higher when considering the natural attrition rate among high prescribers. As Eric Talbot explains, “The growth isn’t going to come from [high deciles]. The growth is going to come from your low- and mid-decile doctors… most brands average about 30% attrition of writers, meaning new writers are essential to fill that gap.”
Veradigm’s 2024 campaign findings reinforce this perspective, demonstrating how expanding targeting criteria can dramatically enhance outcomes. By integrating first-party EHR data—including ICD-10 codes, prescribing behaviors, and patient demographics—marketers could dynamically identify overlooked prescribers treating relevant patient populations.
In one gastrointestinal drug campaign, expanding targeting beyond traditional NPI lists drove 157% growth in prescriptions over two months. This targeted use of first-party EHR data highlighted how broadening prescriber criteria can achieve transformative results.
These insights prove the potential for marketers who look beyond the ‘usual suspects’ and instead target providers positioned to make the biggest impact. This ensures underserved patient populations gain access to innovative treatments while delivering sustainable growth.
Broaden Your Lens: Clearer Targeting for Growth
1. Look Beyond High-Decile Prescribers
Focusing solely on high-decile prescribers—those writing the largest volume of prescriptions—has long been a cornerstone of Point of Care (POC) strategies. While these HCPs provide reliable volume, their prescribing capacity is often maxed out, making them less likely to contribute to future growth.
Instead, mid- and low-decile prescribers present untapped opportunities. With an average 30% attrition rate among high prescribers each year, engaging a broader audience becomes essential for sustaining growth and meeting patient needs.
By shifting focus to mid- and low-decile prescribers, marketers can expand access to innovative treatments while ensuring sustainable growth. This strategy not only helps fill the gap left by prescriber attrition but also ensures critical treatments reach the patients who need them most.
A Broader Impact: Meeting Patient Needs & Mid-Decile Prescribers
Expanding focus to mid- and low-decile prescribers isn’t just about driving business growth—it’s about ensuring critical treatments reach the patients who need them most. These prescribers often serve diverse or underserved populations, where access to new therapies can significantly improve health outcomes.
For patients, engaging prescribers who are earlier in their adoption of new treatments means:
- Greater access to updated and innovative care options.
- More informed decision-making during pivotal care moments.
- Increased equity in healthcare delivery, particularly in communities that may not be served by high-prescribing specialists.
By broadening the scope of engagement, marketers can help bridge gaps in care, ensuring more patients benefit from the latest advances in medicine and improving overall healthcare delivery.
Takeaway:
Targeting mid- and low-decile prescribers isn’t just about filling gaps—it’s about fostering equitable access to care. These physicians represent an opportunity to expand market share while ensuring that innovative treatments reach the patients who need them most. As attrition creates turnover among high writers, lower deciles can become the foundation for sustainable growth and better patient outcomes.
2. Behavior Over Labels: Targeting for a Changing Healthcare Landscape
Targeting based solely on specialty labels no longer aligns with the realities of modern healthcare. As care delivery models evolve, many providers are working across traditional boundaries to meet patient needs. These shifts in the healthcare landscape highlight the importance of focusing on physician behavior, rather than relying on outdated specialty labels.
Eric Talbot notes how specialty labels can be misleading: “A specialty that’s labeled on a physician can change depending on our data source… By focusing solely on allergists, we overlooked high-volume primary care physicians and pediatricians, missing out on significant value for our clients.”
Veradigm’s campaign insights further highlight the need to focus on provider behavior rather than static specialty labels. By targeting providers actively managing patient conditions—whether in primary care, pediatrics, or allied health settings—Veradigm unlocked new engagement opportunities that traditional specialty-based targeting would have missed.
Looking more broadly, this behavioral approach is particularly impactful in a landscape where multidisciplinary care and virtual health are blurring traditional boundaries. By aligning messaging with how providers actually practice, marketers can build deeper connections, improve targeting precision, and enhance patient outcomes.
The changing landscape of care further complicates this traditional approach:
- Role Flexibility: Providers are increasingly practicing beyond their specialty to address broader patient needs, particularly in underserved areas or multidisciplinary care teams.
- Care Delivery Models: With telehealth and virtual care expanding, decisions once confined to specialty care now occur across various settings and providers.
- Patient Expectations: As patients seek more proactive engagement, providers in non-traditional roles are influencing key care decisions.
A Broader Impact: Aligning with Modern Care Models
Behavioral targeting not only helps marketers adapt to these shifts but also ensures that vital information reaches HCPs navigating this new landscape. This approach:
- Engages providers who are stepping outside rigid specialty roles to meet patient needs.
- Ensures that patients in underserved or non-traditional care settings have access to innovative treatments.
- Supports care models that prioritize integration and collaboration over specialization.
Takeaway:
The evolving healthcare landscape demands a shift from traditional targeting methods. By focusing on physician behaviors and adapting to modern care models, marketers can ensure they’re reaching the right providers, enhancing patient outcomes, and keeping pace with the future of healthcare delivery.
3. Engage Earlier: Unlocking the Full Patient Journey
Expanding prescriber targeting isn’t just about market penetration—it’s about reaching patients earlier in their care journey. By engaging these prescribers, marketers can intervene sooner, ensuring that patients receive timely, relevant education long before they see a specialist.
“ For a melanoma patient, the first opportunity to connect and educate is in the dermatologist office when the concern is first identified and before they have even seen an oncologist,” Talbot explains, “Similarly, for diabetes, patients often visit podiatrists and optometrists, creating opportunities for engagement.”
Many of these early HCP interactions can shape patient awareness, treatment consideration, and eventual adherence. Expanding POC campaigns reach beyond high-prescribing specialists helps reach patients earlier in their journey and accelerate their progress to treatment.
Real-World Proof: Early HCP Targeting Yields Stronger Results
Veradigm’s campaign findings reinforce the power of early engagement. In one initiative targeting prescribers seeing patients earlier in their care timeline—such as primary care physicians managing prediabetic patients—brands saw a measurable increase in prescription adoption and treatment initiation.
By using first-party EHR data, Veradigm identified key HCPs who were positioned to influence patient behavior before disease progression, helping to close gaps in care while driving meaningful business impact.
These findings highlight a critical truth: reaching patients earlier isn’t just a brand-building exercise—it’s a direct path to improved treatment adoption and long-term patient retention.
Why Early Engagement Matters for Patients and Brands
1. Earlier Understanding Leads to Better Decisions
- Patient Impact: Patients who receive timely education are better equipped to navigate their diagnosis and treatment options, leading to more informed discussions with their providers and improved adherence.
- Brand Opportunity: Engaging patients before treatment inertia sets in positions brands within the decision-making process, ensuring that therapies are part of the conversation at the right time.
2. More Informed Conversations Across the Care Journey
- Patient Impact: Many patients experience gaps in communication between primary care and specialists, leading to delayed treatment decisions and insecurity. Educating patients, caregivers, and early-prescribing HCPs can help bridge these gaps and create a more cohesive care experience as well as more proactive patient self-advocacy and participation..
- Brand Opportunity: Ensuring brand messaging reaches patients early helps integrate treatment awareness throughout the care continuum, rather than relying on specialist interactions alone.
3. Patient Are More Like to Embrace Treatment Decisions
- Patient Impact: When patients understand their condition, they make more confident treatment decisions—leading to higher adherence and better disease management
- Brand Opportunity: Providing relevant information before key prescribing moments helps brands reduce therapy abandonment, reinforce adherence, and strengthen long-term patient retention.
4. Earlier, More Informed Conversations Can Accelerate Treatment
- Patient Impact: Delayed or uninformed decision-making can lead to suboptimal treatment pathways. Early engagement helps patients progress more efficiently toward the most appropriate and effective therapies.
- Brand Opportunity: Positioning therapies earlier in the patient journey increases the likelihood that brands are considered at the right time, reducing delays in adoption and strengthening alignment with HCP recommendations.
Takeaway:
Reaching patients earlier isn’t just good for business—it’s good for healthcare. The key is aligning brand objectives with patient needs in a way that is strategic, authentic, and mutually beneficial. When done well, early engagement strengthens relationships, builds trust, and ensures patients receive the education they need to make empowered, informed decisions while also supporting brand visibility, consideration, and adoption at the right moments.
New Focus Yields New Growth Horizons
Maximizing the impact of Point of Care (POC) marketing requires looking beyond traditional strategies. By expanding your focus beyond top prescribers, moving past rigid specialty labels, and engaging patients earlier in their care journeys, you can unlock significant opportunities for growth while delivering real value to patients and providers alike.
Regularly analyzing prescribing data is essential to uncover overlooked opportunities and address gaps in your targeting. Collaborating with POC experts can help ensure your campaigns reach the right audiences at the right moments, empowering healthcare professionals to make informed decisions and improving patient outcomes.
“Different approaches can certainly unlock significant new growth opportunities. We challenge you to take a fresh look at your current targeting strategies and evaluate opportunities beyond your current list,” says Eric Talbot.
Veradigm’s campaigns provide a compelling case for leveraging real-world data to expand the reach and impact of POC marketing. Marketers can create dynamic, patient-centered strategies that improve care delivery, foster health equity, and drive sustainable growth in invaluable ways.
These strategies aren’t just about boosting ROI—they’re about creating meaningful connections that support healthcare professionals, empower patients, and ultimately lead to better health outcomes.
