Chugai Pharmaceutical launched the Medical Partner for the Patient (MPP) program ahead of its competitors to establish an industry-leading consulting team that addresses customer needs. Three first-generation participants discuss Chugai Pharmaceutical’s sales strengths, the changes in their awareness and behavior after MPP certification, and their commitment to patient-centered, sustainable healthcare.

*Reprinted from Chugai's official talentbook (https://www.talent-book.jp/chugai-pharm). The descriptions and affiliations are current as of March 2024.

Aspiring to Be Medical Partners for Patients: Individual Visions and Aspirations

Healthcare in Japan faces several challenges, including regional disparities in healthcare delivery systems and shortages of healthcare professionals. Additionally, the environment surrounding pharmaceutical companies’ sales activities is rapidly changing due to the diversification of contact points between healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical companies, along with increasingly sophisticated patient needs driven by improved medical literacy. These developments necessitate the evolution of Medical Representatives (MRs).

In response, Chugai Pharmaceutical’s Sales Division launched the MPP program in February 2023, the first of its kind in the pharmaceutical industry. The program aims to reform MR awareness and enhance skills to achieve the goal of “transforming healthcare settings” by developing “Medical Partners for Patients.”

By acquiring extensive knowledge and skills to engage in equal dialogue with healthcare professionals and cultivating a mindset of “true patient-centricity” and “continuous learning,” participants strive to become an industry-leading consulting team that collaborates with healthcare professionals and patients to tackle medical challenges. This initiative is driven by a strong sense of mission and commitment to patients: “We want to deliver effective treatments to patients. We are fully committed to curing them.”

A total of 630 employees from across the company applied for the MPP program. Of these, 101 participated, and 38, including Onaka, Kawaguchi, and Yamaguchi, were certified as the first MPP cohort. The three reflect on their participation backgrounds and visions as follows:

Kawaguchi　“Chugai Pharmaceutical formulated its growth strategy, ‘TOP I 2030,’ in 2021, declaring its goal to become ‘a top innovator in the healthcare industry that realizes advanced and sustainable patient-centered healthcare.’ In alignment with this major policy, I have been focused on MR activities designed to establish team-based healthcare, where patients, healthcare professionals, and Chugai Pharmaceutical share common values. I felt that the MPP program embodied my beliefs, which motivated me to take on the MPP challenge.”

Yamaguchi　“I chose to work in the pharmaceutical industry because I wanted a role that involved people and health. As an MR, I have always aimed to propose treatment options I would confidently recommend to my own family. I applied for the MPP program because, as someone in a leadership position, I wanted to refine my knowledge and skills further while demonstrating leadership. I also hope to share what I have learned with my team to elevate the entire organization.”

Onaka　“What has always been important to me is being useful to both patients and healthcare professionals and becoming someone they can rely on. I applied for the MPP program, believing it would offer an opportunity to improve the skills necessary to pursue this ideal. Each Chugai Pharmaceutical MR has strong convictions and operates based on patient-centric values. However, I felt that the culture of sharing these thoughts with others was not well established. I want to exercise leadership by inspiring MRs and the organization through the strong sense of purpose I gained from the MPP program and the skills I acquired.”

Toward Establishing an Industry-Leading Consulting Team: Challenges and Lessons Learned

The MPP program develops MRs through three components: acquiring “knowledge” and “skills” to engage in discussions with healthcare professionals on equal footing, and cultivating a “mindset” to transform healthcare settings.

The "knowledge" component includes training that simulates role-playing with doctors and medical department conferences, as well as self-learning through case studies. The "skills" component enhances logical thinking, digital marketing knowledge, and dialogue skills to refine interview techniques with doctors. The "mindset" component helps participants understand patients’ true needs and emotions through dialogues with patients. Only after passing assessments for all three components are participants certified as MPP. The three participants reflect on the challenges they faced and what they learned in overcoming them:

Onaka　“What stood out to me was developing and presenting area strategies during the marketing training. After revisiting marketing fundamentals, I created strategies from scratch based on the external environment and trend analyses. I realized that, until then, I had been strategizing based on predetermined conclusions. This training helped me create more persuasive plans by considering not only the data and customer information I already knew but also by evaluating challenges in the area.
This experience taught me the difference between ‘knowing something’ and ‘internalizing it,’ and I am eager to apply this marketing knowledge in my sales activities to further grow as an MR.”

Yamaguchi　“The marketing training was particularly challenging. While I had previously worked on developing area strategies, this was the first time I thoroughly analyzed the external environment. Despite struggles, discussions with branch members and interviews with training staff led to the development of innovative strategies. Most importantly, I realized the value of investing time in marketing.”

Kawaguchi　“I had previously viewed marketing strategy as a task for specialists, such as the head office marketing department or sales managers. Through training, I learned to develop high-precision area strategies using PEST, 3C, and SWOT analyses and designing KSF and KPI. I became aware of the risks of relying on personal judgment when determining strategies and sales directions. I now understand the importance of analyzing the environment, capturing a broad perspective, and involving multiple stakeholders. To ensure these strategies are not just theoretical, I have developed area plans for my assigned region and set up time to review them with my team, fostering mutual awareness.”

How were the role-plays with doctors and dialogues with patients?

Yamaguchi　“During the role-plays with doctors, I re-acknowledged the difficulty of fully understanding patients. Despite thinking I was attuned to the feelings of patients and their families, I realized that when speaking to doctors, I tended to focus too much on data, without sufficiently delving into the patients’ circumstances. This realization provided me with valuable insights.”

Onaka　“I had previously been unsure about how deeply I could ask doctors about patient information, so I maintained certain boundaries. During the training, I consciously pushed these boundaries to explore patient information more thoroughly. The process of advancing and retreating while observing the doctor’s reactions was highly instructive.”

Kawaguchi　“I focused on the doctor’s and the patient’s perspectives during the dialogues, asking questions like ‘What is the ultimate treatment goal?’ and ‘What state do you want the patient to reach?’ I found that by providing the doctor with relevant information while incorporating drug topics as one option, the discussion became more beneficial for both parties.”

Onaka　“What deeply moved me was a conversation with a patient undergoing lung cancer treatment. After receiving the diagnosis and feeling overwhelmed, this patient struggled emotionally before eventually approaching treatment with a more positive outlook. However, shortly afterward, the patient was unexpectedly approached by another staff member, who discussed end-of-life care. This discussion immediately caused the patient to feel depressed again. Until hearing this, I had considered end-of-life care and palliative care as beneficial for both patients and their families. This experience made me realize that what healthcare professionals and we believe is ‘for the patient’ may not always align with the patient’s needs.”

Yamaguchi　“I was deeply moved by a patient with a cancer type that has a five-year survival rate of approximately 2%, who maintained a strong desire to live and a positive attitude. Equally moving was the doctor who stood by the patient’s feelings and worked together to search for optimal treatment.
With our knowledge of diseases, we often categorize such cancers as 'incurable' based on data analysis. However, if I were in that patient's position, even with a disease that offers little chance of cure, I would still want to pursue treatment with some hope. Since joining the company, I have worked in the cancer field and realized that I had unconsciously developed fixed views about disease understanding and data interpretation.
Healthcare settings are filled with unexpected realities. Despite my 17 years of experience, this experience reinforced for me the importance of supporting each patient.”

Kawaguchi　“As MRs, we typically do not meet patients directly. Nevertheless, I now realize the importance of being mindful of and acting according to each patient’s ‘patient journey.’*
Previously, when explaining drug information or side effects, the conversation would center on the ‘drug’ or ‘Chugai Pharmaceutical.’ After engaging in dialogues with patients, I have become more aware of their treatment stage, whether it’s immediately post-diagnosis or in palliative care, as well as the emotional shifts that accompany these phases. This has significantly changed how I engage with doctors.”

*Patient journey: The overall picture of how patients feel, think, and behave as they recognize their illness and navigate the process of diagnosis and treatment within medical institutions.

As Medical Partners for Patients: New Roles Expected from Within and Beyond the Company

The three individuals who obtained MPP certification are now sharing their knowledge, skills, and patient-centric mindset with those around them. They unanimously agree that, in addition to their own personal growth, they have observed significant responses from their colleagues.

Yamaguchi　"I started a marketing study group within the team I lead. We share the challenges each member faces, analyze them, and engage in discussions. So far, we have conducted environmental analyses using PEST analysis and SWOT analyses of the products we handle. Particularly with PEST analysis, everyone reaffirmed the importance of understanding the external environment, including area-specific challenges and competitor information. Implementing strategies and tactics that impact the area has required making it a habit to gather high-precision information daily and base sales activities on a marketing perspective. This shift in mindset has been a major transformation for me."

Kawaguchi　"In my regional branch, eight MPP-certified members are aware of their roles and are promoting next-generation development initiatives by voluntarily setting up discussion forums."

Onaka　"I am deliberately broadening the range of people I interact with in sales activities. As a result, I have acquired a wider range of information and started noticing issues I previously overlooked. While this transformation is gradual, I feel that change is occurring incrementally. My position within the company has changed significantly. Recognition and interest in the MPP program are growing, and along with other successful candidates, I now share the knowledge I acquired through MPP with branch members. This has placed me under a positive form of pressure."

Yamaguchi　"New initiatives to reconsider MR careers are also emerging. Recently, I had the opportunity to discuss my MPP program experiences with members who are aiming for future MPP certification."

Kawaguchi　"There has also been a response from outside the company. During a recent visit to a university hospital I oversee, a nurse commented on the MPP certification, saying, 'This new initiative toward team-based healthcare is unique to Chugai. I look forward to your future activities.' This feedback gave me encouragement and a renewed sense of responsibility."

Aiming for Team-Based Healthcare Where Healthcare Professionals, Patients, and Chugai Pharmaceutical Share the Same Values

As Medical Partners for Patients, each participant shared their vision for their role as MRs.

Onaka: "I want to continually address patients' anxieties and needs, responding appropriately throughout their patient journey. I aim to provide information that can contribute to team-based healthcare and help transform systems for more effective collaboration. My goal is to become an MR who continuously refines a wide range of skills and drives change through action."

Kawaguchi: "I aspire to lead the establishment of team-based healthcare where patients, healthcare professionals, and Chugai Pharmaceutical share the same values. To achieve this, we must involve diverse industries and sectors, free from fixed ideas. I am organizing and managing study sessions with healthcare professionals and companies outside the pharmaceutical industry."

Yamaguchi: "I want to strengthen communication with healthcare professionals and contribute to global patient care by utilizing insights gained from clinical practice and the latest evidence from our company. I also aim to actively share these insights with fellow MRs to enhance Chugai Pharmaceutical's sales capabilities."

They continue to share their aspirations for Chugai Pharmaceutical's sales strengths and the realization of advanced, sustainable, patient-centered healthcare.

Kawaguchi: "I believe the strength of our company’s MRs lies in their ability to build strong, trusting relationships with doctors through diligence and sincerity. I aim to continue understanding patients' true needs through dialogue with doctors and to deliver optimal treatments to patients. Although the MPP program involved a process of trial and error, I am confident it will lead to positive outcomes for patients, healthcare professionals, and ourselves. We will continue to provide optimal healthcare solutions to healthcare professionals and patients, striving to be recognized as top innovators in the healthcare industry."

Yamaguchi: "I believe that Chugai Pharmaceutical’s MRs are highly specialized and valued for their earnest and sincere sales approach. This is because all MRs conduct patient-centered sales activities, such as promoting the proper use of pharmaceuticals to healthcare professionals, ensuring that patients can use these drugs with peace of mind. I want to showcase Chugai Pharmaceutical’s unique collaborative spirit, where diverse values are respected, allowing each individual to demonstrate their expertise while complementing one another. Balancing the MPP program with work was challenging, but I am committed to fully supporting future MRs who will take the MPP program, enabling them to achieve even greater results."

Onaka: "I believe that combining diligence and sincerity wi