In a healthcare system strained by rising patient demand, limited resources, and rapid innovation, one message stands out: doctors feel unheard by pharma.
Our 2025 So What? Research Survey of 400+ Australian Doctors reveals that the majority of specialities and general practice don’t feel that pharma listens to or values their feedback.
In this article, we share insights on:
While many clinicians take time to share feedback with pharmaceutical companies, only a small portion believe that their input leads to meaningful change. That gap - between speaking and being heard - is shaping the trust, engagement, and outcomes pharma can expect from the medical community.
In our latest survey of 400+ healthcare professionals (HCPs) across Australia, we asked:
“Do you feel like your voice is heard when you provide feedback to pharma companies?”
Here’s what they told us:
These numbers didn’t vary much between GPs and specialists but context does matter:
Doctors who value their rep interactions are more likely to feel heard - and those who don’t feel heard tend to rate pharma lower on trust, relevance, and support. The cause isn’t clear, but being heard and meaningful engagement consistently go hand in hand.
When asked “If you could give one piece of feedback to senior leadership in pharma, what would it be?”, doctors opened up - offering clear, consistent messages about what they need.
We coded their responses and found five key themes.
Each theme highlights a gap in understanding and more importantly, each is a call to action for pharma to partner better with HCPs.
1. Engage with Purpose
Doctors are clear: they don’t need more emails or surface-level visits. They want relevant, high-quality interactions that respect their time and reflect their reality.
Many said they’re overwhelmed with generic messaging and sales-driven content. What they value instead is tailored, two-way conversations that are grounded in clinical challenges and patient needs.
This means thoughtful engagement, real-world data (including side effects, interactions, and costs), and a genuine effort to understand each clinician’s practice - not just push a product.
2. Put Patients First
Doctors repeatedly called for stronger patient support. This goes beyond basic patient leaflets.
They want to see pharma invest in accessible, multilingual, and locally relevant materials that help people understand and manage their conditions. They’re also looking for messaging that reflects respect for patient autonomy and culturally nuanced care.
Patient centricity isn’t just a slogan. It’s a litmus test for whether a company truly understands the role of medicine in a human life.
3. Fix Access Barriers
HCPs are acutely aware of financial and logistical hurdles their patients face. They urged pharma to do more to ease access, especially in a system where the PBS can be slow to respond to emerging needs.
They called for:
This theme isn’t just about affordability; it’s about equity and accountability.
4. Be a Better Partner
Doctors don’t want to be marketed at. They want to be supported.
They expressed a need for:
This theme is fundamental to fostering strong relationships. If pharma wants loyalty, it needs to show up consistently and add value beyond the product detailer.
5. Level Up Medical Education
Education is a key area where pharma can lead (or lose trust).
They’re calling for:
This is more than a checklist. It’s about curating credible, clinician-focused learning experiences that build expertise and trust.
Final Thoughts
This isn’t just feedback. It’s a roadmap.
Each of these five themes represents what doctors want from pharma leadership. They’re saying:
"Show us you’re listening. Meet us where we are. Help us help our patients"
The gap between being heard and being helped is where reputation, relationships, and results are won or lost. Senior pharma leaders have a choice: treat this feedback as a compliance exercise or seize it as a blueprint for transformation.
In future articles, we’ll take a closer look at these themes and explore practical strategies to close the gap.
If you want to understand what your customers are really thinking, contact us today. Let’s talk about how a customised deep dive can sharpen your customer strategy.