Highlights
Formed a new Global Access Strategy group to explore innovative approaches to increase access to medicines in the developing world.
Expanded Global Health Fellows program to work with underserved communities in Europe and the United States to improve the efficiency and impact of small- to mid-sized health care organizations and access to health care.
Launched MAINTAIN™ program in the United States to help eligible unemployed individuals and their families maintain access to their Pfizer medications.
Providing adequate access to medicines and health care is one of the most challenging issues facing society today. While scientific knowledge and health care products and services have advanced exponentially over the last generation, millions of people around the world still die from preventable and curable diseases because they lack access to basic medicines and medical services. Disparities in health and health care remain pervasive and problematic. The World Health Organization estimates that one-third of the world's population is unable to get even the cheapest essential drugs for common diseases. And this issue is not limited to the developing worldýýýin the current economic environment, individuals in developed nations increasingly face serious challenges in obtaining good-quality medical care.
The implications of existing disparities are dramatic. Poor health impedes individuals' ability to seek educational opportunities, to attain regular employment and to reach full lifespans. Disparities in health and health care are not only a burden on communities and individuals, but are also a considerable cost to our society.
The barriers to access are significant and entrenched throughout health care systems. In developing countries, health care infrastructures are often inadequate to provide care and distribute medicines, and in the developed world, these systems are often beyond the reach of the uninsured. Additionally, pharmaceutical companies have not traditionally focused on diseases of the developing world due to the limited potential for return on investment, especially considering the extent of investment required for novel drug development.
Pfizer's Approach
We believe that improving access to medicines around the world is one of our most pressing responsibilities. We recognize that we have yet to meet our full potential, as reflected in pharmaceutical company rankings such as the Access to Medicines Index ranking, and value the feedback and insights provided by the many stakeholders we engage and partner with on access to medicine issues. This year, we launched a two-pronged approach to help people get the medicines and services they need:
- A Global Access Strategy within the Emerging Markets Business Unit, dedicated to exploring and developing new business models that will improve access to quality medicines in a commercially viable, socially responsible manner to patients facing cost as a barrier to basic health care.
- A robust portfolio of global health programs to improve access for patients and build health care capacity globally.
We believe that by integrating our new commercial access strategy into the business, and supplementing it with strong global health programs, Pfizer will be best positioned to meet public health needs in a sustainable manner, now and in the future.
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