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Blog
COVID-19 and lasting trends that are redefining U.S. healthcare - Part 2
Second in a two-part series
Sep 02, 2020
COVID-19 has transformed the U.S. healthcare landscape, introducing challenges that would have been unfathomable even a year ago. Over the past several months, IQVIA has closely monitored the impact of COVID-19 on patients, healthcare providers, and the healthcare ecosystem, to determine how the industry responded and what enduring trends will live on after the pandemic abates.
This post is the second in a two-part series on this topic and will examine trends and impacts on promotion, launch & commercialization, and market access. The first blog in this two-part series presented trends and impacts to stockpiling, telehealth, and the patient backlog.
Promotion
Face-to-face commercial engagement with healthcare providers decreased more than 90% since the start of the pandemic. Remote detailing quickly emerged as an alternative, but often hastily accomplished and typically on platforms that were not strictly compliant.
While manufacturers and practitioners have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of virtual engagement, both believe there is room to improve. Physicians have noted that support options, such as coupons, samples, and patient education are sorely missed.
As the country reopens, pharmaceutical sales reps will have to adapt their engagement strategies to local rules, and the needs and preferences of each facility. Healthcare providers will continue to be concerned about the safety of staff and their patients, and they view sales reps presence in their offices as an added risk. Successful redeployment of sales forces will require pharmaceutical companies to deploy risk mitigation measures such as: effective use of protective equipment, social distancing, and regular COVID-19 testing of in-field resources.
Launch and commercialization
Many pharmaceutical companies grappled with the difficult decision of whether to launch a new product during the pandemic. Ultimately, what we saw, was that launch success during the pandemic, was impacted by several factors. This included: whether a product addressed an immediate unmet need, whether prescribing required lab results or titration, and whether the product could be prescribed remotely (granted appropriate educational tools and outlets and were made available).
Some manufacturers forged ahead with new launches but adopted innovative solutions to some of the market hurdles. For example, Horizon, which manufactures Tepezza for the treatment of Thyroid Eye Disease, used Patient Access Managers to facilitate delivery of home infusion options. And Biohaven gained increased market uptake of its oral migraine medication, Nurtec, by adopting remote detailing from the start. The company began using social media and webinars to drive potential patients to their brand site which connected them to financial assistance and a remote visit with an HCP.
In other cases, pharmaceutical companies opted to delay product launches because the obstacles were too high. These include Zeposia for relapsing MS, which requires an electrocardiogram and lab tests for prescribing; and Palforzia, a long-awaited oral therapy for peanut allergies that requires two consecutive days of office visits and a follow up every two weeks.
Pivoting toward the future, launches and inline products should consider what barriers physicians face in prescribing the product, and whether features, such as the ability to take the treatment at home, will give it a competitive advantage.
Market Access
With job losses caused by the pandemic at record highs, patients have been forced to shift from employee-sponsored coverage to other payers like Medicaid, Medicare, and ACA healthcare exchanges – or elect to remain uninsured. It is anticipated that Medicaid rolls for each state will continue to increase into 2021, and likely stay at permanently higher levels of enrollment.
Medicaid increases will create a ripple effect on both public and private sector budgets. Manufacturers may have to adapt or curtail the use of patient assistance programs, and private commercial payers may increase premiums and rebate strategies to regain lost premiums from those employees who no longer have access to private insurance. This in turn will affect patients who may have to pay more to receive similar healthcare coverage, as well as those who may lose access to programs that defray the cost of medications.
A Catalyst for Positive Change
The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on our industry. While it has been an event that we hope to never experience again, it has proven that in times of crisis, our industry works together to find new, innovative ways to ensure all patients’ needs can be met.
To learn more about lasting U.S. trends related to COVID-19, listen to the related podcast series, U.S. Post COVID-19 Scenario Planning & Commercial Implications.
Podcast Series: U.S. Post COVID-19 Scenarios and Commercial Implications
Explore potential scenarios that the U.S. healthcare industry could face post COVID-19, and the strategies for where and how to compete in this evolving landscape.