Pharma manufacturers, for the very first time, are revealing how much they have spent on HCOs and HCPs . By 30th June 2016, all pharma manufacturers will be required to publish payments made to healthcare professionals. Pharma manufacturers have made mistakes in the past, but these are evolving rapidly.
Non-duplication of data is one major concern for Pharma manufacturers as it poses a great risk to their reputation and relationship with healthcare professionals. Duplication of data can be avoided by verifying it with HCPs before making the data public. In the case of those who don’t consent to publish data, a non-aggregate reporting section in collaboration with HCP can help in minimizing the errors.
In Europe, collecting data can be difficult because each country has its own interpretation. Andie Powrie Smith, EFPIA’s Head of Communication, is confident that the companies will meet the deadline as transparency has become a major reputational issue. If HCPs want to revoke consent, the manual way of keeping track of it can be a burden on manufacturers in terms of time and cost. A real-time database solution can ease doing business.
Manufacturers need to develop a supportive role with the physician as without it, the industry cannot progress. Manufacturers need to develop a fair method of payments made to HCPs and avoid any ambiguous transactions. This dilemma spreads negative stereotyping, and efforts to make the spending more transparent will be jeopardized.
To avoid any complications, the manufacturers should review the data before publication. Â This could save a lot of revenue and time in the long run. Previewing data can help with duplication and irregular transfers which are or may not be justifiable. The publications should be kept current as some HCPs might revoke the consent, and their data should be updated to avoid any complications.
