A total of 141 groups of GP practices have been selected to be the first to take on commissioning responsibilities as part of the Government’s plans to transform the NHS.
Known as “pathfinders” and covering half the population across England
Based on Adelphi’s recent insight-mining activities, we know that many Pathfinders are already very active and starting to engage with the commissioning agenda. Starting to work together to decide their structures and priorities and also how best to carry out their functions, processes for the selection of medicines going forward are bound to be a key consideration. How will Consortia decide which drugs they will and will not prescribe in the future? How will the interface actually work with secondary care.? Will they operate with a local formulary – and what will they consider to be the requisite nature of medicines management support?
Furthermore, our experience tells us that many Pathfinders are also keen to team up with potential partners who can help them.
Who better than pharma to support these shadow consortia? Pharma has the know-how and resources to support these pioneering groups - and what is more, from the industry’s perspective this support may be essential if individual Consortia are to be persuaded of the overall value story associated with using a product - as opposed to simply focusing on it’s price tag.
These are just a few examples of the reasons why we believe the Pharma Industry can’t afford to sit back and wait for further clarity on the NHS re-organisation. Early knowledge of how the environment is shaping up will be vital to the adaptation of marketing plans and the development of salesforce deployment strategies. We would suggest that those who respond the fastest are likely to benefit the most during this transitional period.
Indeed, it is Adelphi’s experience that those companies at the sharp end of business intelligence already recognise the value in seeing how the government’s vision is starting to be translated on the ground.
