Bristol Myers Squibb sells its various pharmaceutical products to customers operating within the healthcare sector. The Company markets its products directly to healthcare professionals and providers – including doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, technologists, pharmacy benefit managers and managed care organisations – but principally sells its products to wholesalers, retail pharmacies, hospitals, and government entities. In 2015 the Company’s three largest customers were distributors McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health.

Channels
Bristol Myers Squibb operates a website at www.bms.com, through which it disseminates information pertaining to its operations, products and facilities. The Company, however, does not operate an online sales channel.

Bristol Myers Squibb operates several marketing and sales organisations, with each product marketing organisation being supported by a direct sales force, which may be responsible for selling one or more products. The Company also operates specialist marketing teams that focus on certain classes of customers, such as managed care entities, as well as on certain types of marketing tools, such as digital or consumer communications.

In a small number of jurisdictions outside the US, Bristol Myers Squibb has established a full scale distributor model, collaborating with a network of distributors and sales agents to provide local distribution and logistics, regulatory assistance, and sales and advertising for certain products.