Drugmakers discuss new ways to trim health care costs, replacing traditional selling on price model

Executives from pharmaceutical companies and health care payer and provider organizations convened at the "Selling Pharmaceuticals in 2015" forum in Philadelphia, USA, to discuss mutually beneficial partnerships that, if implemented, could replace the traditional model of selling drugs on price, features and benefits with a new model that focuses on quantifying and communicating total value.

"Under the traditional model, pharmaceutical companies were focused primarily on getting to the sale," says Angela Bakker Lee, principal with global management consulting firm ZS Associates and chairperson of the forum. "Today, however, they need to place greater emphasis on supporting what happens after a prescription is written. Working with payers and providers to achieve better results for patients will enable forward-thinking pharmaceutical companies to truly differentiate themselves from the competition," she noted.

Organized by ZS Associates and eyeforpharma, a leading provider of pharmaceutical business intelligence, the "Selling Pharmaceuticals in 2015" forum attracted senior-level executives from pharmaceutical companies, as well as executives from prominent payer and provider organizations. The event also featured leaders from a range of other industries.