For health care stakeholders, having strong, quality real-world evidence in hand is important for making decisions about treatments, benefit design and clinical pathways as well as for engaging in value-based contracting.
In his latest commentary for the American Journal of Pharmacy Benefits, National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC) President Dan Leonard examines the challenges with developing, analyzing, using and communicating real-world evidence in our dynamic health care environment.
He writes, “The value of the new information is lost if it cannot get into the hands of the end-user – the health plan setting up the guidelines for coverage and reimbursement for patients. If we can work with regulators and policymakers to reduce the barriers to the alignment of a drug’s value and price, and use good methods to understand what works in the real-world, the public’s interest in health and safety will be well served. The promise of a more affordable and healthier future depends on it.”