Pharma relies on education for patients

80% of the finalists for the ‘Most Valuable Patient Initiative’ Categoryof the 2015 eyeforpharma Philadelphia Awards are focussing on education as a means of engaging with andimproving the lives of patients.

Projects from Novartis and UCB utilize technology(in particular apps and social media) to engage in real-time with patients, to help them track their symptoms and get immediate answers to questions they have. Judge Simon Davies, of Teen Cancer America commented about the Novartis ‘Me&My COPD’ app; “This is a really well researched and planned project and I particularly liked the effort made to improve interaction and education. The project has great potential to develop for other conditions.” Meanwhile UCB were praised by Judge Dwayne Dixon of Alcon for the “very creative and impactful use of customer/patient knowledge and resources”.

The full list of finalists, announced today, has Novartis, UCB, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Roche all vying for the ultimate accolade in pharma; to be crowned ‘most valuable’ to their patients. The time and resources these companies are investing in order to develop an educated and empowered patient is indicative of the strong industry-wide move towards listening to, and addressing directly, the real needs of the patient.

Internal education was another strong theme. The judging panel was impressed by Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline and Leo Pharma’s efforts to advance the internal mindset of the whole corporation towards a patient- or customer- focused way of thinking. According to Dana Evans of Genetech, Chris Preti’s Patient Engagement Team at GSK “seeks to overcome deeply entrenched models of pharmaceutical product marketing focus and is a patient-centric model recognizing the need for behavior change”.

Speaking at the release of the 2015 finalists eyeforpharma Chairman Paul Simms commented; “Educating patients is key to improving health for everyone. I am delighted to see that pharmaceutical companies no longer see the empowered patient as something to be wary of, but something to embrace, and even build their business model around. These finalists are leading the way.”

A comprehensive list of finalists and more detail about their projects can be found online here: www.eyeforpharma.com/philadelphia/awards

Winners will be announced at the eyeforpharma Philadelphia Awards, on Tuesday April 7th 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia, Penn’s Landing from 7.30pm, as part of the US’s leading event for commercial pharma roles; eyeforpharma Philadelphia.

For more information contact Awards Manager:

Jenna Gottscho
E: jenna@eyeforpharma.com
or visit www.eyeforpharma.com/philadelphia/awards