Technology
Whitepaper: Together Beyond COVID-19 – A Look at the Future Introduction The year 2020 has been challenging. COVID-19 struck, causing a global crisis, and people worldwide were forced to adapt to the new normal brought on by the pandemic. The current situation has affected industries differently, benefiting some and disrupting, even sidelining, others. In a short time, COVID-19 has increased our dependency on technology. Companies are actively investigating the role of digital transformation. In developing digital strategies, the focus must be on increasing efficiency while minimising risk. When adopting new technologies, it is important to have a clear strategy in place. This process will require more efforts in terms of change of management skills because, at its core, digital transformation is all about people. It requires the system composed of people and technology to be well organised and aligned for the future. Consequently, COVID-19 has been a catalyst for innovation and digital transformation. To understand the challenges that the pharmaceutical industry faces during COVID-19, open-ended interviews were conducted with top pharmaceutical companies around Europe. The methodology followed during the interviews was semirestrictive, using a general outline of questions that led to other topics based on the spontaneous response of the interviewees, but always in relation to the general topic: COVID-19 and digital transformation. Some of the companies interviewed were Roche, AstraZeneca, Cinfa, Neuraxpharm, Amryt Pharma, Almirall, Alcala Pharma, and Dompé, amongst several other pharmaceutical companies. As a result of the interviews, meaningful qualitative data was collected. This paper summarises the main highlights, together with the future vision. Digital Tools and Data Analytics Digitalisation is causing upheaval. Since COVID-19 hit, companies have been forced to upgrade their systems and learn how to facilitate employees working from home. This change, which was projected to occur 70 INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
in the next 5-10 years, has happened over a matter of months. During this pandemic, the use of digital health has become more popular amongst physicians as many patients do not feel as safe going to doctor appointments in person as they did before COVID-19. In addition, virtual medicine has been crucial in reducing the spread of the virus and the pressure on emergency rooms. Before COVID-19, the percentage of patients using remote consultation was very low (only 6%). However, digital health has gained momentum, and at least 19% of consultations are expected to continue remotely after the pandemic subsides (Source: Statista). Pharmaceutical companies have also considered digitalisation as an opportunity to improve their business models. It provides a new potential stakeholder journey that enables them to communicate directly with clients. During the pandemic, many pharmaceutical companies have strengthened their efforts by offering patients and physicians information via digital communications, remote clinical monitoring, and video consultations. As an example, one of the pharmaceutical companies interviewed created a digital package for physicians and patients including a Q&A with relevant information about how to manage the new COVID-19 situation. This new way of engaging with the different stakeholders requires constant marketing efforts to differentiate from competitors. Digital analytics is another key component of digitalisation. Artificial intelligence and data analytics are crucial to defending against future public health crises. Data analytics could help companies more accurately predict supply chain disruptions and forecast demand to avoid potential drug shortages. Surprisingly, of the pharmaceutical companies interviewed, none experienced any critical disruption in their supply chain, thanks to accurate forecasting. Using big data in healthcare can provide a 360-degree view of physician, patient, and consumer trends, which will help improve personalisation and efficiency of treatments within organisations. COVID-19 has emphasised the importance of trans-
lating data into a digital format for the creation of global databases. These databases store large amounts of data to help scientists and physicians increase understanding of both medications and patients in order to promote innovation. This infrastructure will facilitate open collaborations within the industry that lead to better outcomes. An essential piece of the puzzle for many of the pharmaceutical companies interviewed is the implementation of a digital tracking system to follow up treatments and create the history of each patient to predict future treatment trends. These trends could, for example, help predict recurrence of symptoms. The use of data can help track high-risk patients, show trends and patterns of the disease, or even track the hospital capacity in a specific territory. Big data facilitates the restructuring of the healthcare industry. Various electronic tools are being used in companies to identify and inform physicians about patients who need specific therapies. These cases are discovered through the analysis of trends. Along with patient information, global databases can function as product registries. With access to digital information, doctors would be able to access patients’ medical records from anywhere in the world to provide the right prescriptions and care. Digital health and big data solutions raise some ethical issues, mainly related to the confidentiality of personal information. As mentioned in one of the interviews, there are some significant aspects that should be taken into consideration, such as the fear stakeholders might feel towards the technological side of things. A key point to consider when using these tracking systems and data is the need for patients to grant approval for the use of their personal information. Moreover, patients and physicians are still concerned about the quality of medical services provided electronically. In routine care, digital health is most useful for patients who have chronic conditions or who utilise psychotherapy as a part of behavioural healthcare. Both areas have been important during the pandemic. The classification of Spring 2021 Volume 13 Issue 1
