This evolution requires pharma to find new ways to reach and engage patients directly. However, it is still vitally important to avoid tactics that could undermine the patient-doctor relationship and breach ABPI code.
Instead, focus on strategies that strengthen this relationship and improve health outcomes.
Here are our top tips to support and enhance the patient-doctor relationship:
- Provide balanced educational resources. Create accurate and balanced materials that properly inform patients about diseases, treatment options, drug risks and benefits.
- Invest in digital tools. There is an opportunity to provide online resources, apps and websites that help patients better manage their health between doctor visits. These tools can help them gather data for discussion during appointments.
- Sponsor continuing education. Your medical education programmes help doctors to stay up-to-date on the latest treatment developments. Although you may feel compelled to shout about your product, by becoming a partner and supporting their therapy area knowledge, it builds trust, benefits the doctor and the patient.
- Fund additional services. Consider the role of a patient support programme to support patient adherence. We work closely with pharma companies to support patients to administer their treatments correctly through patient support programmes.
- Promote collaborative decision-making. Highlight the importance of patients and doctors working together to make treatment decisions.
The patient-doctor relationship remains the critical focal point within healthcare, even as patients take a more active role. There is a compliant role for pharma to support this shared decision making through helpful resources, improving access and championing joint decision-making.
Want to know how we work with pharma to support the doctor-patient relationship? Take a look at our patient experience pages