Social Analytics for Pharmaceutical Industry-Led Access Programs
Boston University is building a robust research and practice portfolio in the area of Social Analytics for Pharmaceutical Industry-Led Access Programs
Background
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognize that the private sector has a responsibility to contribute to achieving a better future for all of society. Part of this responsibility involves documenting private sector contributions to social goals in a methodologically sound and transparent manner. The pharmaceutical industry has a special role to play in contributing to the SDGs because their products have a direct impact on the health and well-being of populations. As such, the industry has an increased responsibility to produce robust evidence of their contributions to global health goals.
Role of Academia
Academia has an important role to play in developing measurement standards and public reporting platforms for pharmaceutical industry-led access programs. Measurement standards create a common language that can form the basis for a shared understanding of program activities and achievements and allow for comparison and synthesis across programs. A standardized approach to measurement creates opportunities for learning about effective strategies and best practices in designing and implementing programs. Formulating program goals and commitments using the shared language of standardized indicators also helps in establishing clear expectations between industry and external stakeholders, strengthening the acceptability of accountability mechanisms.
What are Social Analytics?
Social Analytics are a set of tools and methods for understanding and measuring social aspects of private industry-led programs. Social Analytics are related to traditional program monitoring and evaluation approaches but also account for the industry environment in which programs operate. The industry-led access programs that we are interested in have an explicit social aim that distinguishes them from pure commercial activities that may contribute to social welfare but principally aim to generate profits. Many industry-led access programs are philanthropic in nature and pursue only social aims. However, recent industry programs are increasingly adopting a “hybrid” or “shared value” approach that uses market-based strategies to jointly pursue profits and social benefits in parallel. Social Analytics account for this complexity and identify relevant types of information appropriate for public reporting and other types of information appropriate for internal management uses.
Our Work
We are building a robust research and practice portfolio in the area of Social Analytics for Pharmaceutical Industry-Led Access Programs. Our work is focused in four key areas:
- Establishing measurement standards: We developed a measurement framework for industry-led access programs (published here) and continue to work to build consensus on standards between industry and stakeholders.
- Facilitating public reporting: We created and operate the Access Observatory, a public reporting platform for industry-led access programs.
- Conducting rigorous impact evaluations: We recently evaluated the impact of Novartis Access in Kenya, the first experimental evaluation of an industry-led access program (published here)
- Strengthening company capacity: We work with pharmaceutical companies (including Roche and Amgen) to train staff and build internal systems to generate Social Analytics for their access programs.