The future of pharma engagement is hybrid – but not how you think

The evolution of engagement

68% of pharma leaders say appropriate hybrid roles are the future

The pharmaceutical landscape is undergoing a fundamental shift, reshaping not only how companies engage with healthcare professionals (HCPs) but also who delivers that engagement.

For years, the term omnichannel has dominated industry conversations. But the term is often misunderstood, frequently reduced to digital-only engagement such as email, webinars, and/or social channels. To some people, omnichannel feels abstract, difficult to own, and is often seen as the remit of “digital teams,” especially with the advances in AI-powered technology.

In reality, true omnichannel is the entire experience design. It should be seamless, encompass multiple functions, and consider every customer touchpoint: in-person visits, congresses, phone calls, digital platforms, and everything in between. But too often, silos in teams and tactics result in disconnected execution, diluting both customer impact and business outcomes.

Our global research highlights that 68% of pharma leaders believe that appropriate hybrid roles will define future field excellence.

Whether that’s through individuals flexing between in-person and virtual interactions or new roles that span traditional responsibilities held by distinct functions, the signal is clear: the future demands integration.

At its core, this evolution isn’t about channel jargon. It’s about a shift toward holistic, insight-led, adaptable engagement that reflects the complexity of today’s healthcare ecosystem.

Omnichannel vs. hybrid: getting the language right

• Omnichannel = the overall customer experience that is consistent across all touchpoints. Think of it as the design principle.
• Hybrid engagement = the execution of that design across digital and face-to-face interactions. It’s the “how.”
• Hybrid roles = new or redefined positions that (compliantly) bridge traditional silos (sales, access, marketing, medical) to deliver that experience with “one voice.”

Separating these definitions makes it easier to see how they work together: omnichannel is the blueprint, hybrid engagement is the delivery, and hybrid roles are the people making it seamless.

The shift toward hybrid

Over the past decade, digital disruption, evolving HCP expectations, and economic pressures have dismantled traditional field models. As we all know, the new standard blends face to face with digital channels for maximum impact – “hybrid engagement.”

Examples in practice: 

• Pfizer reported a 31% increase in U.S. sales of its migraine drug, Nurtec. Among several factors, this was partly attributed to a hybrid engagement strategy in which a dedicated phone-support line helped HCPs and patients navigate insurance and reimbursement challenges.

• Sanofi utilizes MyVeeva for Doctors, a digital platform that facilitates compliant, real-time interactions between sales reps, medical science liaisons (MSLs), and HCPs – particularly valuable for reaching busy physicians.

• Novartis has invested in digital sales excellence, training teams to leverage AI-driven insights when planning interactions and tailoring content based on real-time prescribing behavior.

• Beyond pharma, Roche Diagnostics has demonstrated hybrid success by connecting lab systems, digital tools, and expert consultancy through its Integrated Solutions and Navify® digital tools, enabling collaboration across multidisciplinary teams and sites to deliver consistent support and connected workflows.

Hybrid engagement expands opportunities, allows greater flexibility, and supports personalized experiences. A sales rep today might combine a congress meeting, follow-up video call, tailored email from marketing, and market access webinar into one seamless plan. Integrated, not piecemeal.

Expanding roles and responsibilities across functions

But seamless engagement isn’t just about how teams engage – it’s also about who engages. Roles are broadening and converging, creating both opportunities and compliance challenges. But by enabling your teams to show up as “one voice” to customers, rather than a collection of disconnected echoes, engagement excellence will be well within your reach.

This is giving rise to some key trends, including:

• Sales reps with deeper scientific fluency: Field sales teams now receive enhanced training in clinical data, disease states, and treatment pathways, enabling them to engage more confidently with HCP needs and challenges with greater scientific detail. For example, sales professionals who can confidently discuss biomarker testing can support compliant conversations with HCPs that could improve patient access and treatment decisions.
• Strategic planning:  Beyond execution, field teams are increasingly expected to think strategically, using data to drive engagement planning and account prioritization, and adapt to real-time behavior, all supported by increasingly sophisticated customer relationship management (CRM) systems.
• Medical affairs with business acumen: Beyond execution, medical teams are increasingly expected to think strategically, using data to drive engagement planning and account prioritization, offering insights that inform product positioning, and leveraging these to adapt to real-time behavior, all supported by increasingly sophisticated CRM systems.
• Market-access integration: Pricing, reimbursement, and formulary access experts are becoming vital partners to other functions, codeveloping engagement strategies, and supporting delivery of cohesive messaging that addresses payer dynamics and value-based care. With healthcare systems facing more economic scrutiny, understanding payer dynamics and value-based care models is crucial for all functions.
• Marketing as insight enabler: With real-world data and digital engagement playing a bigger role than ever before, future-fit marketing teams are leveraging insights and AI-powered technology to support field teams with targeted, behavior-driven content and predictive analytics.
• New hybrid roles: The evolution of field teams is also giving rise to new hybrid positions such as customer engagement leads, and patient-journey partners who can bridge the gap between functions. These roles are designed to foster long-term partnerships with HCPs, payers, patients, and caregivers, beyond the traditional sales, medical, and access conversations.

Development and upskilling: The key to success

Future-fit engagement depends on capability development as much as it does on channel innovation. Pharma companies must:

• Equip teams with deeper scientific fluency: Enabling sales professionals to speak confidently about disease states, treatment pathways, and clinical data and better understand how to address HCP challenges.
• Build digital confidence and data-driven skills: Equipping teams with the necessary skills to leverage analytics, hybrid engagement platforms, predictive tools, and AI-driven insights.
• Foster true cross-functional partnerships: Breaking down silos within and between functions, fostering further strategic alignment and alignment around shared goals, and recognizing that it’s more than just collaboration – it’s partnership building.
• Embed compliance and credibility: Maintaining regulatory adherence while ensuring that all engagement is impactful, compliant, and consistent with local regulations, and maintains scientific integrity.

Success starts with a clear view of today’s strengths and gaps. This means generating insights into evolving customer expectations, internal capability baselines and challenges, and emerging opportunities. With this foundation, you can design targeted development strategies that deliver measurable business and customer impact.

Beyond omnichannel: Redefining engagement excellence 

Excellence goes far beyond connected touchpoints and design principles. It’s about effectively combining:

• Digital + Physical touchpoints
• Scientific + Commercial understanding
• Strategic + Tactical planning

By evolving our perception of what engagement excellence looks like, we can make accountability clearer, collaboration easier, and measurable outcomes achievable.