Director General, Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI)
Covid-19has triggered not only a health crisis but also an economic and social crisis as well. Undoubtedly, it is the science-based pharma industry along with the medical fraternity who are on the front lines of the battle against this global pandemic. And while the industry remains committed to ensuring uninterrupted supplies of medicines to patients, it is focused on delivering new innovations to fight Covid and other diseases as well as address unmet medical needs that help patients lead fuller and more productive lives.
There is no better time than now for the industry to set the right priorities and re-augment the development engine by exploring new opportunities with interventions such as genetics, cellular programming, nanotechnology, and bionics; employing digital technologies in business; and integrating research and technology to create a patient-focused, value-based healthcare chain.
The progress of scientific knowledge, technological prowess, and research-driven treatments for many complex diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and Crohn's disease has begun to drive knowledge-rich scientific conversations and engagements between the pharmaceutical industry and HCPs. In addition to digital tools being used in clinical development, other streams of pharma business, such as manufacturing, supply chain, marketing, disease management, and patient-support programs, are undergoing transformation owing to rapid digitalization. And while this is true of the pharma industry, the entire healthcare ecosystem is already witnessing the power of technology, and transformation is underway.
Technology will change the way in which healthcare is consumed and delivered. Patients will have access to telehealth. E-counseling and home health will become increasingly important as more and more patients begin to employ technology for widening access to healthcare. HCPs have already begun to use technology in diagnosis and consultations, and even interactions with the pharma industry are being driven digitally.
In this digitally enabled ecosystem, we are already witnessing a change in the manner in which patients demand healthcare services. This health-seeking behavior will call for innovative & patient-focused healthcare policies. To begin with, increasing public healthcare spending from the current 1.28% to 2.5% of GDP, as envisaged in the National Health Policy 2017; building innovative healthcare financing models through strong public-private partnerships; and empowering patients with a well-regulated over-the-counter (OTC) medicines policy are progressive steps that will widen access to healthcare for patients in the country.
Going ahead, innovation and a multi-stakeholder collaboration among government, the private sector, academia, technology & health start-ups, experts, and other stakeholders will pave the way for a stronger patient-centric and technology-enabled healthcare system.
As they say, “He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.” So, let us work towards a future where health meets hope.