E-DRUG: Access to medicines and product diversion – an opportunity to provide your views
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IGFAM is keen to investigate experiences of product diversion within the pharmaceutical industry and the supply chain in developing countries and to understand how this impacts on pharmaceutical company pricing behaviour. In doing this, industry and organisations working in the medicines supply chain are being asked to take part in a research survey. We would be grateful for those working in industry posts with involvement in pricing strategy in particular to help with this survey.
The survey is being conducted by telephone and is being carried out by BDRC Continental, an independent market research agency based in London on behalf of IGFAM, and Professor Margaret Kyle, an economist and expert in the study of product diversion trends in Europe. The survey will take 20 minutes or so of your time. All participants in the study will be provided with a summary of the results.
An estimated 2 billion people lack regular access to essential medicines, and these people are predominantly living in low-income countries. Affordability is one component which is known to provide a barrier to access. The price charged by pharmaceutical companies in the marketplace can be a contributor and tiered or differential pricing strategies have been identified as one potentially effective strategy for lowering prices.
In 2009 the Industry Government Forum on Access to Medicines (IGFAM)* commissioned a study by Prashant Yadav of MIT-Zaragoza, which identified several perceived barriers to companies scaling up use of these pricing strategies.
Among these barriers was product diversion, which is perceived as a significant and on-going threat to company marketing strategies. We are keen to find out more about individual experiences of product diversion through this research.
Confidentiality and anonymity: BDRC Continental is bound by the strict Code of Conduct of the UK Market Research Society, and complies with all privacy and data protection requirements. You will not be identified as having taken part in the survey and your answers will not be attributed to you personally. The information that you provide will be anonymous and will not be passed on to any third parties.
If you are able to take part in the survey, please contact Sally Bussell at BDRC Continental
on +44 (0)207 490 9155
or sally.bussell@bdrc-continental.com;
or Sophie Mason on Sophie.mason@perspectivemr.com.
We will then arrange a suitable time with you to carry out the interview over telephone.
Yours sincerely
Sally Bussell
Research Manager, BDRC Continental
London, UK
Sally Bussell <Sally.Bussell@bdrc-continental.com>