OBJECTIVES:Market Access (MA) and Health Economic/Outcomes Research (HEOR) activities aim to ensure patients get the right pharmaceutical product(s) at the right time and price to ensure cost-effectiveness of interventions. However, it is not clear at what point these professionals should become involved. This study aimed to examine the role of these professionals in the effective uptake of pharmaceutical products by patients.

METHODS:Participants completed a survey asking - 1. Which stage of pharmaceutical product development they are involved in; responses available being: pre-launch, peri-launch, post –launch stages. 2. How long they had worked in HEOR/MA; possible responses being less than 2 years, 2-5 yeas, 6-10 years and over 10 years. 3. How they would describe their role in the uptake of pharmaceutical products: possible responses being: evidence generation to support clinical effectiveness, support cost-effectiveness; securing reimbursement; access to product; and ensuring affordability. Participants included were professionals with an MA/HEOR background attending the International Society for Pharmaco-economics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) at Barcelona 2018. Descriptive statistics were used for analyses.

RESULTS: Answers to the first question were - pre-launch 255 (41%), peri-launch 115 (19%), post –launch 250 (40%). For question 2, less than 2 years 79 (21%), 2-5 years 98(27%), 6-10 years 90(24%) and over 10 years 103 (28%). Responses to question 3 were; evidence generation to support cost-effectiveness 210 (26%), securing reimbursement 184 (22%), evidence generation to support clinical effectiveness 169 (21%), access to product 172 (21%) and ensuring affordability was 84 (10%).

CONCLUSIONS:The majority of the participants were involved at pre–launch and post launch stages of product development. Participants had a range of experience (majority over 10 years). MA/HEOR reported being involved in ensuring uptake of pharmaceutical products through: evidence generation to support clinical and cost-effectiveness, securing reimbursement, ensuring access to product, and ensuring affordability.