How a Quality Check Spoiled Some Serious Problems in a Pharma Website.

In the pharma world, digital presence has the ability to make or break a company. This case study shows how a standard QA audit of an HCP (Healthcare Professional) website flagged problems that could have resulted in lower prescriptions, fines from the regulators, and brand harm.

Key Findings:

• Cookie consent issues potentially violating data protection regulations
• Responsiveness problems affecting user experience across devices
• Content discrepancies risking brand confusion
• Functionality issues hampering key features like video playback and NPI lookup

Why This Matters to You:

If you’re involved in managing digital assets for pharmaceutical products, this case study highlights the importance of regular, thorough QA reviews. The issues found on the HCP website are common in the industry and can have serious implications:

1. Regulatory non-compliance can lead to fines and legal issues
2. Poor user experience can decrease HCP engagement and potentially impact prescription rates
3. Incorrect branding or content errors can damage product credibility

The Business Case for Addressing These Website Issues

These problems weren’t directly quantified in the initial review, but problems in the pharmaceutical sector have:

1. Brought regulatory penalties for violating data protection laws – in the millions of dollars
2. Decreased HCP engagement, potentially leading to fewer new prescriptions
3. Damaged brand reputation, affecting long-term prescriber trust

By identifying these issues early, the brand had the opportunity to:

1. Ensure regulatory compliance, avoiding potential fines and legal issues
2. Improve user experience, potentially increasing HCP engagement and site effectiveness
3. Maintain brand integrity and prescriber trust

Conclusion: The Value of Proactive QA

This example shows the need for regular, full-featured QA review of drug websites. Catching these problems early, the brand fixed them before they affected prescriber satisfaction or caused regulatory hassle.

For digital managers in pharma, this means website care isn’t just a technical exercise: it’s an essential part of product development and regulation. QA audits should be conducted on a regular basis as a part of your digital approach, so that you are online helping your product succeed in the market and not against it.