AI and Patient Behavior

The June installment of Pharmaceutical Commerce officially puts us halfway through the year, and I could not be any prouder of the important topics and business-essential subjects the publication has explored thus far. Transitioning from earlier coverage dives into such areas as third-party logistics providers to the state of affairs for pharmacy benefit managers, this current issue is headlined by a look at the influence of artificial intelligence and real-world evidence/real-world data on patient behavior and ultimately, the many factors and complexities of medicine adherence. In the piece, contributing editor Suzanne Shelley describes how the challenges that patients face when it comes to starting and staying on therapy can prove detrimental to the point of disease progression, along with a rise in morbidity and mortality. Notable as well is the wider impact on other pharma and healthcare stakeholders. For example, as Shelley reports: “Insurance companies end up paying for expensive medical interventions that could have been avoided by more stringent adherence to therapy; even pharmaceutical brands fail to recoup the sunk costs associated with drug development and miss the opportunity to achieve competitive success for the brand when their often life-saving medicines—which were proven to be safe and effective in clinical trials—fail to deliver on their promise due to adherence lapses.”

Sustainable practices in pharma—which consist of implementing environmentally-friendly practices into clinical, manufacturing, and commercial operations—continues to be a paramount topic as well. In our June issue, Craig Wilson, senior director of strategic planning at Marken, specifically outlines the value of environmental, social, and governance practices, including his company’s role in practicing decarbonization strategies, which are vital when working to conserve resources.

Examining the drug pricing landscape, Blake Powers, CEO of Medigi and a member of Pharmaceutical Commerce’s Editorial Advisory Board, notes that new digital solutions and dynamic pricing advantages can have application beyond the generics drug world, trickling into branded and specialty lite products, while trending direct; in turn, pharma manufacturers are providing unique price points to certain sites of care.

In her healthcare reform column this month, Amy Niles of the PAN Foundation suggests that there should be urgency in making the telehealth flexibilities that were given to Medicare enrollees during the COVID-19 pandemic a permanent fixture. These flexibilities are set to expire Dec. 31, and if Congress doesn't step in, it could result in additional health inequities, Niles contends.

I hope you enjoy this month’s issue. As always, thanks for reading.

— Mike Hennessy Jr., President and CEO, MJH Life Sciences