To create a path that’s as frictionless as possible for the drug to land in the hands of the patient who needs it is the job of a market access professional.
What a lot of market access professionals don’t realize is that their work has potential to move our health care system forward in so many ways.
The ones who DO recognize this become the trendsetters.
It can feel like drinking from a fire house when information is coming from a million different sources for a particular project. More information means greater likelihood to get lost in its sea.
Staying in control of the information is critical because if it can’t be found when you need it, it might as well not exist.
Here’s the organization system that works for me:
For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned –Benjamin Franklin
A slide riddled with bullets can use help from some visualization so that the audience can “get the joke” on the slide within seconds.
Try drawing out the idea on paper. Drawing out the idea not only helps to better understand it, but it can also uncover new findings.
After drawing out the idea, see which diagram family it might belong to (it might belong to a combination of families):
If you’ve gotten this far, congratulations! The hard work is done. Now it’s a matter of choosing a diagram template (diagrammer.com is a PHENOMENAL resource) and plugging in the information.
Building a simple deck is anything but simple.
Back at his workshop, the writer creates an outline, draws countless diagrams, does hours of research—and might even re-do some of this because it didn’t work the first time.
None of this will see the light of day. What everyone sees a simple, singing deck.
Remember that time when you came out of a medical/legal review as glazed over as a donut?
When a medical/legal review comment flies in the face of what YOU believe it should be, ask yourself: “why is he right?”
Before throwing solutions at the wall in hopes that something will stick, understand what’s really at the root of his concern. Listen for clues in his response. It may not what you had imagined AT ALL.
Empathy eats strategy for breakfast.
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” –Abraham Lincoln
Upskilling is highly under-rated. For most people: if it happens, it happens; billable work is what counts.
How can anyone in Market Access develop professionally without staying up to date? After all, billable work goes to the ones who are up to date.
As Francis Bacon declared roughly five hundred years ago, “He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils: for time is the greatest innovator.”
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” –Jim Rohn
Seek out the right people.
Market Access professionals are doing the work that matters. But only the work that’s actually done will matter.
There’s a good chance for abandonment if I’m doing it out of convenience/paycheck/promotion.
To do something despite all odds requires a purpose that’s bigger than myself.
Market Access professionals are in the business of SERVICE. They work for manufacturers. Manufacturers are part of the health care system. The North Star of ANYONE working in the health care system should be: “What can I do in order to keep patients healthy enough so they stay OUT of the health care system?”
Imagine if people around us began thinking like this. How efficient would be meetings, projects, budgets, organizations—and even the system as a whole?
Who benefits? Don’t we all?
When something goes wrong, it must be the rookie who screwed up. Even the rookie believes it.
But how the tables turn when the truth surfaces: the rookie wasn’t at fault…it was the expert!
What can happen if experts gracefully accept their mistakes?
What can happen if experts refuse to accept their mistakes?
How would each scenario impact morale of the team and the possibility of a new beginning?
By definition, humans make mistakes (otherwise we would be God). Owning them requires courage and wisdom.
Gather a group of people who care enough to contribute. A diverse group actually works in your favor.
Before they come into the brainstorm session, hopefully they think through the problem on their own.
Then, watch the magic happen during the meeting when a brand-new idea emerges that no one could’ve imagined on their own, because it’s actually the product of the individual ideas.
Before dispersing, ask the person who didn’t speak up during the meeting: “what are your thoughts?” This could be another magical moment waiting to happen.
Collaboration at its best!
