Prescription panels answer a different question than call logs. Calls measure effort this week; panels measure prescribing behaviour from weeks earlier. Overlaying them without noting the lag produces false conclusions in cycle reviews.
We standardise on annotating every panel chart with the estimated lag for that data source. IQVIA and local Korean panel providers differ — your engagement letter specifies which source we assume and how many weeks we subtract when comparing to call dates.
Share shifts below one point quarter-over-quarter often fall within panel variance. We mark these as 'within noise' unless field activity changed dramatically in the same cluster. Directors appreciate the distinction — it prevents over-reaction to flat lines.
When call frequency rises but share falls, we write a explicit caveat: correlation cannot be established without lag adjustment and competitor activity data. Our briefings state what the data shows and what it cannot prove.
If you license multiple panel cuts, send the one your franchise already uses for planning. Introducing a new cut mid-review adds reconciliation time without improving the briefing.