Back in April, we reported that many medical facilities are now using iPads in the workplace, specifically The Ottawa Hospital. Apple has always enjoyed showing medical applications in keynotes and commercials; banking on our doctors using iPads in the office is now getting the attention of the pharma sales market. Eye For Pharma posted back in October about this same subject, “Will the iPad kickstart a pharma sales and marketing revolution?” This is another great article written to and for the pharma market.

Pharmaceutical sales reps are trying to find better ways to engage and sale their products during all their sales calls. Doctors and physicians typically only give these sales reps 30 seconds of their time as well. That’s not very much time so every second is important, and so is presentation.

Eric Newmark, an analyst at IDC Health Insights, says that sales reps “still struggle with their ability to differentiate themselves through clear, concise, and interactive messaging.” So the pharmaceutical industry may have a solution to the problem: Purchase many Apple iPads to give the sale reps “a quicker, lighter and more attractive way of displaying drug-related information,” Newmark wrote.

Most companies prefer the iPad to rival tablets, but they are also doing this without waiting for vendors to release salesforce apps for the iPad.

“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 sales apps become available.

It appears that iPads in pharma sales and marketing will put Apple in a great position to be a dominant hardware vendor in their market.

[via TUAW via Computerworld]