Access to medicines

The high cost of drugs is a global barrier, especially in low and middle income countries where the price is not strictly regulated and make it difficult for the people to afford the necessary therapies & medicine they need. At global level, intellectual property rights such as a patent also create barriers by limiting competitive supply and have monopoly over price setting. The access to an innovative drug is therefore especially challenging, as these drugs are typically protected by a patent for many years to come. The focus and numerous incentives of governments around the world in favor of generic drugs are an attempt to enhance access to medicine. To be noticed, in 2023, a new European law restricts the market exclusivity of a new drug to 8 years (instead of 10 years).

What are the key strategies pharma companies deploy to enable financial access to medicine worldwide? Which pricing strategies are used to differentiate between developed & developing countries?

Another challenge is the limited resources of certain medications, particularly in emerging economies. This is often due to supply-chain-related shortages due to shipment delays and customs halts, regulatory barriers or the general lack of funding for public health programs. Moreover, the availability of a medicine is also impacted by inequitable distribution of such medicines. The distribution is not uniform in the world, with a large difference between the developed & developing world, leading to disparities in health outcomes. These differences in distribution rely on the different levels of robustness of the supply chain, notably with a clear difference between developing & developed nations.

What are the key supply-chain related bottlenecks in medicines distribution? What are the most common regulatory barriers? Which strategies can be envisioned to facilitate the access to medicine in hard-to-reach areas, and what solutions are already in use?

A lack of awareness about a drug can also be a large barrier. Both patients and caregivers may not be aware of all the therapeutic options available to them for a particular indication, limiting the scope of recommendations and use. Moreover, medical professionals may not have the information they need to make informed decisions about which drug to prescribe, and similarly patients may not have the necessary information about the arsenal of medications to choose from for their specific conditions.

What are the most efficient tools to use to communicate with medical providers & patients about the availability of a new therapy for a specific indication? What are the current strategies of various players in raising awareness about their therapeutic arsenal? What is the level of acceptance of medical professionals regarding direct approaches by the industry?

Insurance-related issues can be a major barrier, especially where costs are high and insurance coverage is limited. Generally speaking, uninsured populations have the largest trouble accessing timely care, due to the limited basic coverage of the national health system. High deductibles and co-pays are also a major barrier to the accessibility of quality and essential cares and drugs, as many people in emerging economies cannot afford them. Many insurance schemes apply restrictions on formularies, restricting medicines available under their plans and require prior authorization for certain medicines. Lastly, there is often only limited coverage for specialty medicines, notably for rare diseases, which can be very expensive and therefore pose a large barrier for the patient to access such medicines.

What are the key issues & gaps to fill in the national insurance systems of developing countries? Where can pharma companies intervene in the insurance landscape to enhance the accessibility of quality and essential cares and drugs? Who are the key stakeholders in the insurance landscape, and what is the general set-up of insurance systems?