phactMI™ Benchmarking Survey: Analysis of 27 Medical Information Departments Responses to Inquiries from Health Care Decision Makers

Abstract

Background: The nature in which health care insurance companies have interacted with drug manufacturers has evolved over the last 50 years, demanding shifts in how the pharmaceutical industry responds. The purpose of this article is to highlight how medical groups within Pharma Collaboration for Transparent Medical Information (phactMI™) member companies respond to requests from health care decision makers (HCDMs) and to understand the similarities and differences among drug manufacturers (DMs) in this evolving climate of information exchange.

Methods: As health care insurance companies transition towards a managed care model and began assessments of both the clinical and economical aspects of drug products, DMs began to respond to requests from HCDMs. An anonymous 16-question survey was conducted to evaluate how 27 Medical Information departments (MIDs) respond to payer requests for information, and to identify payer needs in order to provide a better overall customer experience.

Results: The results from this survey provided insight into the overall management of payer unsolicited medical requests (PUMRs) and focused on a few different areas, including how requests are received, what materials are requested and which are sent, online availability, and availability of materials for products in the pipeline.

Conclusion: Further discussion is recommended to ensure a focused approach in developing tools and identifying appropriate resources are available to address inquiries from HCDMs.

Keywords: Formulary decision makers; Medical information; Payers; phactMI™.