Are drug companies making good on their access promises?

The article gives an overview of the findings of the Access to Medicine Foundation's latest report, which assesses how pharmaceutical companies measure patient reach for their products in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It also cites from the report: that 19 of the 20 leading companies have some methods to track patient reach, but these methods vary and are often limited, primarily relying on sales volume as an indicator. Moreover, across these 19 reporting companies, there are both product and geographic gaps in measuring patient reach, leaving the number of patients reached in some areas and for some diseases unknown. 

“Patient reach approaches must be embedded in any business in order for them to be serious about addressing the health equity gap.” The article quotes Jayasree K. Iyer, CEO of the Foundation, who urges companies to collaborate with governments and NGOs to better understand access beyond sales figures, encourages them to invest more in reporting and setting ambitious targets for improving patient access.