Abstract

In an age when technology enables communication on a huge scale, our ability to communicate the capabilities of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry to bring relief to those suffering from disease is still, in my opinion, poor. The industry has a problem: costs are rising and there is a downward pressure on the price of drugs. Pharmaceutical R&D is both costly and risky, yet there are still expectations from those who pay for medicines that the price should be low #8211; even for novel and breakthrough products. The practice of pharmacoeconomics allows us to determine the cost benefit of each drug to the health system, but does this really benefit patients or just the payers? Doctors prescribe the best medicines available, but often they do not have direct control over this, and some drugs that could benefit the patient are not making it to the pharmacy because they are not reimbursable. The industry needs to make a more concerted effort in communicating the real benefits of its drugs to patients, and stop being defensive, and the patient and patient groups need to be empowered to communicate their needs. Otherwise there is a real danger that truly novel drugs of significant benefit will no longer be developed because the risks associated with reimbursement will, basically, halt their development.

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