Patient-oriented approach becomes a formula for long-term success in pharmaceutical industry

As one commercial affairs manager said in a recent Best Practices, LLC study: "I believe that by considering the patient first, rather than the product, we will identify unmet needs for patients. By developing solutions that address these needs, we will improve patient health and outcomes."

Best Practices, LLC conducted a primary research project to capture the current state of affairs in pharma's move to patient centricity. The resulting report, "Patient Support Excellence: Structure, Activities and Resource Levels to Ensure Patient-Centric Products and Services," produced reliable industry metrics on current patient support group structure, resource levels, activities and partners.

In the study, patient support programs that were rated as "very good" shared several characteristics: A majority of the programs have a centralized structure; 40% have a dedicated patient support group; 80% have patient support leadership/headquarters in U.S.; and 100% say patient co-pay assistance programs are highly effective activity for patient support.

The research illustrates:

• How companies are organizing their patient support groups
• What patient support activities have the most value
• What budgetary and staffing resources are present at other companies' patient groups
• Which external organizations are best partners for patient-oriented activities
• How effective organizations are at engaging patients in company programs

Leaders working in patient-oriented roles can use this study to evaluate how their patient engagement programs stack up against industry averages and trends.