Last updated on Aug 23, 2024

What are the best practices for aligning market access teams across different regions and countries?

Market access is a critical function in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, as it involves developing and executing strategies to ensure that patients can access and afford innovative therapies. However, market access is also a complex and dynamic process that requires coordination and alignment across different regions and countries, each with their own regulatory, reimbursement, and stakeholder environments. In this article, we will explore some of the best practices for aligning market access teams across different regions and countries, and how to overcome some of the common challenges and barriers.

1 Define a clear vision and goals

One of the first steps to align market access teams across different regions and countries is to define a clear vision and goals for the global market access function, and communicate them effectively to all the local teams. This can help to create a shared understanding of the value proposition, the target segments, the evidence requirements, and the key messages of the product or portfolio. It can also help to align the expectations, roles, and responsibilities of the global and local teams, and to foster a culture of collaboration and trust.

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Eric WERY

International Life Sciences Consultant | Global Market Access Excellence Expert
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Objectives must indeed be clear from the beginning. A life sciences business may want to expand the use of their product as far as possible including in emerging markets, they may want to prioritize high-revenue countries and just focus on a few markets, or they may adopt an intermediate position, weighting global volume and price. This definitely and understandibly has an impact on what market access activities need to be performed to reach objectives.

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2 Establish a governance structure and processes

Another key step to align market access teams across different regions and countries is to establish a governance structure and processes that enable regular communication, feedback, and decision-making among the global and local teams. This can include setting up cross-functional steering committees, working groups, or task forces that involve representatives from different regions and functions, such as medical affairs, clinical development, regulatory affairs, health economics, and market research. It can also include defining the scope, frequency, and format of the meetings, reports, and updates, and using digital platforms and tools to facilitate information sharing and knowledge exchange.

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3 Leverage best practices and learnings

A third step to align market access teams across different regions and countries is to leverage best practices and learnings from previous or ongoing market access initiatives, both within and outside the organization. This can help to identify and adopt proven strategies, tactics, and solutions that can enhance the market access performance and outcomes of the product or portfolio. It can also help to avoid or mitigate potential pitfalls, risks, and mistakes that can hamper the market access success and reputation of the organization. To leverage best practices and learnings, it is important to create a repository of market access insights, case studies, and benchmarks, and to disseminate them widely and regularly among the global and local teams.

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Arielle Le Brenne

Helping people access life-changing MedTech | Market Access @ Cochlear
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Everyone's got a challenge. Identifying shared market access challenges across countries is the most effective way of bringing teams together and identifing best practices/learnings. It shifts the focus from a country-centric perspective to a more holistic view. The easiest way to implement this is to ask a group about their no.1 access challenge at the moment. You'd be suprised at the number of similar responses.

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4 Customize and adapt to local needs and realities

A fourth step to align market access teams across different regions and countries is to customize and adapt the global market access strategy and plan to the local needs and realities of each market. This can help to account for the differences and nuances in the regulatory, reimbursement, and stakeholder landscapes, as well as the patient preferences, unmet needs, and competitive dynamics of each market. It can also help to optimize the value proposition, the evidence generation, and the stakeholder engagement of the product or portfolio for each market. To customize and adapt to local needs and realities, it is essential to conduct thorough market access assessments, analyses, and research, and to involve the local teams in the co-creation and implementation of the market access strategy and plan.

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Eric WERY

International Life Sciences Consultant | Global Market Access Excellence Expert
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We still often see lack of nuance when it comes to apprehending the complexity of local contexts. No, there is not "Europe" or APac, ... in terms of market access. Each market, and usually even different decision makers within the markets have distinct expectations and requirements. Sure, a coordinated and rationalized approach must be adopted, but local contexts still need to be understood in order to avoid strategic mistakes.

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5 Monitor and evaluate the market access performance and impact

A fifth step to align market access teams across different regions and countries is to monitor and evaluate the market access performance and impact of the product or portfolio, both at the global and local levels. This can help to measure and demonstrate the value and outcomes of the market access activities, such as the market access launch readiness, the market access uptake, the market access sustainability, and the market access return on investment. It can also help to identify and address any gaps, issues, or opportunities that may arise along the market access journey, and to adjust and refine the market access strategy and plan accordingly. To monitor and evaluate the market access performance and impact, it is crucial to define and track relevant market access indicators, metrics, and targets, and to use data-driven tools and methods to generate and report market access insights and recommendations.

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Eric WERY

International Life Sciences Consultant | Global Market Access Excellence Expert
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The difficulty here is sometimes to evaluated which part of performance is brought by which locus of control in the organization. For example, some could argue that if targeted performance is not obtained in a certain geography, it is due to the fact that the relevant evidence was not collected at the central level. Actually, this can be "solved" by including the different levels of the organization into early discussions. They cab then provide input on what they need to achieve their performance target..., or all stakeholders can conjointly and intentionally decide that some time of evidence will not be collected, knowing the expected impact on performance... But please keep in mind that patients everywhere could benefit from treatments.

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6 Foster a continuous learning and improvement culture

A sixth step to align market access teams across different regions and countries is to foster a continuous learning and improvement culture within the global market access function, and across the organization. This can help to enhance the market access capabilities, competencies, and confidence of the global and local teams, and to encourage innovation and excellence in the market access practice. It can also help to foster a positive market access mindset and attitude among the internal and external stakeholders, and to build a strong market access reputation and credibility for the organization. To foster a continuous learning and improvement culture, it is vital to provide and promote market access training, coaching, mentoring, and recognition programs, and to solicit and act on market access feedback, suggestions, and ideas.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Andy Davis

Tourism.
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There is no definition of what you mean by market access. So which teams are you talking about? There is no discussion about why alignment is important. Or why it may not be. Or to what level do you align and then allow totally free rein to address the local market. There is also a huge cost associated with alignment. For example imposing the same health economic models which in my experience always need to be re-worked to reflect the local need. A more interesting question would be why alignment. Not how to.

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What are the best practices for aligning market access teams across different regions and countries?

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1 Define a clear vision and goals

2 Establish a governance structure and processes

3 Leverage best practices and learnings

4 Customize and adapt to local needs and realities

5 Monitor and evaluate the market access performance and impact

6 Foster a continuous learning and improvement culture

7 Here’s what else to consider

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