Market access plays a critical role in the pharmaceutical field; it is central to patient outcomes and the success of the industry as a whole. In general terms, this is the process of ensuring the right patients get maintained and quick access to the brand in question at the right price. Nevertheless, ‘market access’ can mean something different depending on the organisation or healthcare provider. It is a strategic discipline that involves packaging data in the right way, at the right time for the right customer. If this is a field you are interested in, you will need to take a market access course and achieve a formal qualification. With many courses to choose from, it can be challenging to know where to start. The best thing to do is look at the course curriculum to make sure it covers all of the important elements. To find out more about what market access courses should teach, read on…
Learning outcomes
When taking a market access course, there will be a number of learning outcomes you will be looking to achieve through your participation. Needless to say, this begins with grasping the full meaning of market access. You should be able to explain what it is, the importance of market access in terms of optimising product launches, as well as the impact it has on the entire organisation. The course you take should also enable you to integrate the concepts of market access into a brand and clinical marketing plans, as well as having a good understanding of the differences across healthcare systems in different parts of the world when it comes to optimising market access. By the end of the course, you should also know how to develop a plan for market access, which includes all tactical components, from the early phase until post-launch. Kids playhouse You should also know how to use the techniques and concepts that have proven to be effective in influencing the decision-makers regarding market access.
How the course should play out
These are some of the objectives you should be looking to achieve by the end of the course. All market access courses will typically start with an introduction to market access. What is it? What does it encompass? Why is it so critical to the entire lifecycle of pharmaceutical products? Topics following this will usually include looking at the role of the patient in market access, as well as the core concepts of market access. You will then move onto value generation, for example, health economics, lifecycle management, real-world evidence, and clinical trials. Most courses will also look at the health economic elements of market access, i.e. financial and economical considerations, as well as pricing and reimbursement. Another topic that is often covered is patient centricity and value-based healthcare, i.e. the importance of understanding the focal point of the complete process is the end-user. Needless to say, some courses will differ in terms of the different topics that are covered, but this is a general understanding of what is covered. A lot of market access courses will look at specific country systems as well, assessing stakeholders, issues/hot topics, trends, and decision makers.
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding regarding what you should be looking for when choosing a market access course. As well as making certain the curriculum is sufficient, you should also ensure the qualification you will attain is internationally recognised. Take the time to do your research online and see what past students have had to say as well for a better understanding.
