iPad Surge in Pharma Made in Haste: Why Not Test the Waters with a Rental?

The iPad and iPad 2 have quickly been integrated into the enterprise from the beginning of both of their respective releases. From event planners, to lawyers to sales representatives—the convenience of tablet portability is now a necessity across many playing fields and pharmaceuticals is no exception.

The iPad has taken a huge space in pharmaceutical sales; raising a lot of questions among industry professionals. One recent Wall Street Journal article by reporter Jeanne Whalen found the industry’s recent downsizing can point some of the blame at the digital devices that are "taking the place" of sales reps in some instances.

"Tens of thousands of pharmaceutical sales reps have been eliminated in the U.S., creating a void that drug makers are now increasingly filling with websites, iPad apps and other digital tools to interact with doctors who prescribe their treatments," she wrote.

Recent reports have shown pharma companies engaging in iPad buying sprees as a means to enhance their sales reps’ efforts to engage doctors in a shorter amount of time. As doctors find themselves also utilizing the latest technology with smartphones and tablets, they have less patience for the long-winded pitches of sales reps and their free samples—a once staple image for the industry.

Whalen emphasized how the changes are a means to cut costs and to reach doctors in ways other than the traditional office visit, which many busy physicians say they find intrusive and annoying.

The result: stock-piling iPads and iPad 2s for sales reps to quickly charm the physicians, or as Eric Newmark, an IDC Health Insights analyst described it in a blog post: "a quicker, lighter and more attractive way of displaying drug-related information."

"Several major pharmaceutical companies are putting the cart before the horse by purchasing iPads in large quantities prior to even owning a single application to run on the iPad," Newmark said. "More than one company has told us they have already purchased iPads in significant volume and are storing them for later use," when the sales apps are released.

As analysts like Newmark are seeing the "skyrocketing adoption of iPads in pharma sales and marketing" and we see Apple in a position to grow as a major hardware vendor, we here at Vernon Computer Source have both the iPad and the iPad 2 available for short and long-term rental. Before pharmaceutical companies make the final commitment to purchasing the devices, they can try out the tablets before buying or simply rent them on an "as-needed" basis.

To learn more about tablet rentals, visit us at Vernon Computer Source or our UK affiliate Hamilton Rentals.