OBJECTIVES: Pharmaceutical products are developed to improve health outcomes for the patient. It is now a requirement for patients to be involved in pharmaceutical product development by healthcare providers such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); however, the role of patients has not been clearly documented. Thus, various stakeholders in the industry such as payers and healthcare providers have contested the actual role of patients in ensuring the uptake of pharmaceutical products. This study explored the perceived role of patients in the uptake of pharmaceutical products.

METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted at the International Society for PharmacoEconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) conferences, Barcelona 2018 and New Orleans 2019. The interviews explored the views of participants who were professionals with market access (MA), and health economic and outcomes research (HEOR) backgrounds. Participants were asked open-ended questions relating to the role of patients in the uptake of pharmaceutical products and interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data (once anonymised) were analysed using thematic analysis to identify emerging themes.

RESULTS: Sixteen participants were interviewed; most of the participants considered that patients had a role in the uptake of pharmaceutical products. The general themes identified were: patients giving feedback to manufacturers regarding pharmaceutical products used; making patients voices heard; Patient education; adherence to pharmaceutical products; and patient’s empowerment for patients to demand access to their care.

CONCLUSIONS: The study explored that patients have a role in the uptake of pharmaceutical products. Their role included patient education; and making patients voices heard. Policymakers should focus on the issues identified in this study to ensure effective uptake of pharmaceutical products by patients.