It takes all sorts to make market access work

Why multi-faceted ‘payer intelligence’ is pivotal to market access success

In today’s resource-challenged healthcare environment, a market access strategy is more important than ever in influencing the success of your brand – as payers and policy makers are exerting more and more influence on the fortunes of brands.

Indeed, no brand can really hope to survive and prosper without a well thought-out and clearly defined strategy for securing funding and formulary agreement which involves understanding the multiple payer types who influence the managed uptake of new medicines. 

Market research is therefore vital to help a brand team determine the optimum market access strategy. Developing an effective strategy for negotiating with payers and getting your brand on formulary should ideally begin with MR to “dig deep” to thoroughly understand every aspect of the world of payers.   

All sorts of different issues and business questions to explore and address

It does of course depend on the specific market access challenges facing your brand. Maybe, for example, the need to identify the implications of gain-sharing for the strategy of a brand which is funded via the specialised commissioning route. Likewise, the need to understand the role and influence of MOLs or the relationship between CRGs and the Area Teams.

Just a very few examples of the topics which might require in-depth investigation. Others which readily spring to mind include exploring the implications of the advent of biosimilars for a market access strategy, or understanding how your brand might best tap into the health and social care agenda. An especially common theme is uncovering the relative influence in reality of primary vs. secondary care in the new NHS within the context of a specific situation.

Multiple areas to potentially explore e.g.

• Who are the most relevant stakeholders for your brand and why
• How do the decision-making processes/procedures work?
• Who are key influencers at national, regional and local level?
• What are payers’ conscious and sub-conscious motivations?
• How do these vary by type of payer customer?
• What constitutes ‘value’ in the eyes of different payer types and why?
•  How are national level policies being translated at local level?
• How can pharma best tap into local agendas and commissioning intentions?
• Above all, what are the realities of what is happening on the ground?

Blend of skills in one partner

Careful consideration also needs to be given to the optimum partner with which to work. Successful fulfilment of the above requires all sorts of skills in one partner, including the marriage of NHS consultancy and environmental experience with market research expertise and readily available access to payers. Plus a partner who understands your brand and its many challenges.  Multi-faceted work needs a multi-faceted partner. One who can handle all sorts!