Building Strong Market Access Teams
A rock and a hard place. It’s not a comfortable spot to be, but increasingly, that’s where the pharmaceutical industry finds itself.
Politicians in several European markets unilaterally cut prices for prescription medicines last year, while some tabled legislation to end price-setting freedoms for the industry. And the issue is expected to go beyond European borders, as more and more payers concerned with threadbare finances search for ways to stretch public finances.
As the industry finds itself increasingly cornered by such restrictions, it does so against payers’ increasingly sophisticated information networks used to assess healthcare technologies, set standards and grades innovation.
How is the industry responding? Market access teams—once a business support function—are now the focus of rapid expansion as companies scramble to meet new demands and the challenges presented by the cross-functional nature of the work.
The redefining of market access may be a natural response by the industry—but it is also creating hurdles and bottlenecks, in filling roles with the right people and ensuring channels are created so people can talk to each other across functions and between the affiliates and HQ.
In Building Strong Market Access Teams, FirstWord charts a path through the fast-changing market access landscape by examining the current European payer mood, the end of free price-setting in two important markets and issues facing market access recruitment and the cross-functional nature of the work. Set against detailed case studies and key interviews with leading experts, the report lays out how the industry is responding to increasingly powerful payers, which strategies work best in building effective market access teams and where the industry is headed.
The report offers:
Key features
Key quotes from the report
“Market access is a global strategy with local implementation. It is about pulling together a dossier about the value of a drug with processes that can be continuously improved with input from the marketing people, or key account managers, who are talking to the policy makers.” Hervé Lilliu, vice-president of global market access and pricing, UCB Pharma.
“Our workload increased by 105 percent in 2010 compared to 2009 and we are working on three times as many assignments now [January 2011] as we were at this point in 2010. So it is fair to say demand has risen sharply.” Gareth Lee, principal consultant with market access specialists, RBW Consulting.
Politicians in several European markets unilaterally cut prices for prescription medicines last year, while some tabled legislation to end price-setting freedoms for the industry. And the issue is expected to go beyond European borders, as more and more payers concerned with threadbare finances search for ways to stretch public finances.
As the industry finds itself increasingly cornered by such restrictions, it does so against payers’ increasingly sophisticated information networks used to assess healthcare technologies, set standards and grades innovation.
How is the industry responding? Market access teams—once a business support function—are now the focus of rapid expansion as companies scramble to meet new demands and the challenges presented by the cross-functional nature of the work.
The redefining of market access may be a natural response by the industry—but it is also creating hurdles and bottlenecks, in filling roles with the right people and ensuring channels are created so people can talk to each other across functions and between the affiliates and HQ.
In Building Strong Market Access Teams, FirstWord charts a path through the fast-changing market access landscape by examining the current European payer mood, the end of free price-setting in two important markets and issues facing market access recruitment and the cross-functional nature of the work. Set against detailed case studies and key interviews with leading experts, the report lays out how the industry is responding to increasingly powerful payers, which strategies work best in building effective market access teams and where the industry is headed.
The report offers:
- FirstWord ExpertViews interviews with leading thinkers in the field
- Detailed case studies of market access organisations at UCB, Lundbeck and Bayer Germany
- A concise, critical analysis of how payer politics are impacting prices
Key features
- Analysis of the European payer mood and regulatory changes to price-setting
- Insights into how the industry is responding through market access expansion
- Examination of key issues in staffing market access teams
- Highlights from regulatory changes in Germany and the UK
- A review of training and accountability benchmarks
Key quotes from the report
“Market access is a global strategy with local implementation. It is about pulling together a dossier about the value of a drug with processes that can be continuously improved with input from the marketing people, or key account managers, who are talking to the policy makers.” Hervé Lilliu, vice-president of global market access and pricing, UCB Pharma.
“Our workload increased by 105 percent in 2010 compared to 2009 and we are working on three times as many assignments now [January 2011] as we were at this point in 2010. So it is fair to say demand has risen sharply.” Gareth Lee, principal consultant with market access specialists, RBW Consulting.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
European diversity
Outcomes before cost
Market access is a mindset
THE RISE OF MARKET ACCESS
Downward pressure on prices
Devil in the detail: Portugal case-study
End of free price-setting
Germany: patient-reported outcomes
UK introduces QALY-plus pricing
PUTTING TEAMS TOGETHER
Bottlenecks in recruitment
Health economics
Highest demand in pricing
COMPONENTS OF MARKET ACCESS
Health economics and outcomes research
Health policy
Project management
Key account management
CASE-STUDY: LUNDBECK
Two but not two
Global operations
Cross-fertilisation of ideas
Evolution
BUILDING BRIDGES
Communication between global operations and affiliates
Breaking down internal silos
A cross-functional approach at Bayer Pharma
A MARKET ACCESS MINDSET
Customer-centricity at UCB
Customer-relationship management
Strategic advice
TRAINING AND ACCOUNTABILITY
European Market Access University Diploma (EMAUD)
Adapting the sales forces
Accountability
A mobile market
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
INTRODUCTION
European diversity
Outcomes before cost
Market access is a mindset
THE RISE OF MARKET ACCESS
Downward pressure on prices
Devil in the detail: Portugal case-study
End of free price-setting
Germany: patient-reported outcomes
UK introduces QALY-plus pricing
PUTTING TEAMS TOGETHER
Bottlenecks in recruitment
Health economics
Highest demand in pricing
COMPONENTS OF MARKET ACCESS
Health economics and outcomes research
Health policy
Project management
Key account management
CASE-STUDY: LUNDBECK
Two but not two
Global operations
Cross-fertilisation of ideas
Evolution
BUILDING BRIDGES
Communication between global operations and affiliates
Breaking down internal silos
A cross-functional approach at Bayer Pharma
A MARKET ACCESS MINDSET
Customer-centricity at UCB
Customer-relationship management
Strategic advice
TRAINING AND ACCOUNTABILITY
European Market Access University Diploma (EMAUD)
Adapting the sales forces
Accountability
A mobile market
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
