Building resilient healthcare systems in a post-crisis world
Brian Heath calls for proactive healthcare policies that will resist future upheavals (620 words, 3 min)
NPC Healthbiz Weekly is presented to you in cooperation with Peak Pharma Solutions
The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of technologies in many aspects of our lives. It has underscored the fragility of existing structures and served as a catalyst for vital policy discussionsÂ, especially about strengthening our health systems.
Brian Heath, Vice President and General Manager of Amgen Canada, is a keen advocate of building proactive and preventative healthcare systems that can weather the next crisis âwithout the unintentional collateral damage.â Now, heâs calling for industry leaders to add their voices to the call for healthcare policy innovation.
During the National Pharmaceutical Congress Spring Webinar, Heath (photo below) made his case for a new post-pandemic policy approach to health innovation, which he said will help build a more resilient healthcare system.
âThereâs a window of opportunity for us as healthcare sector leaders to engage in policy discussions with the government and offer expertise in strengthening the health system, even through significant economic challenges to come,â Heath said.
The impact of Covid-19 on the Canadian healthcare system cannot be overstated. Public health leaders have had to manage âmultiple and interconnected challenges,â Heath said, âfrom protecting the vulnerable, to reconfiguring existing systems and institutions to treat the disease, to designing and implementing new public health protocols that are shaping the lives of millions.â
Heath envisions a healthcare system âbuilt around patient outcomes and enhanced use of health technologies, enabled by collaborative, data-driven models.â In the future, he said, such a system would not only meet new challenges but would also have the capacity to resist the unintended consequences of overloading.
System overload from Covid-19 worsened pre-existing challenges, Heath said. The pandemic has led to more hallway healthcare, serious treatment disruptions for cancer patients, and a backlog of surgeries that will take years to clear.
âClearing this backlog not only requires increased resources, but also innovative approaches and new ways to manage patients,â he said. âAs a result of delayed treatment, we can expect an increase in the need for more advanced cancer therapy. Timely access to the best therapies will be critical.â
Covid-19 highlighted the importance of prevention and treatment for mitigating morbidity and mortality from non-communicable disease during future system shocks, Heath said.
Canadaâs policymakers must shift their focus from âsustainableâ healthcare systems to âresilientâ ones. Heath explains that sustainability in healthcare âhas become synonymous with cost containment, the idea that we must do more with less.â
âIn recent months, weâve witnessed how the focus on cost containment has left us with very little ability to respond to the surges in demand arising from the pandemic.â
Resilience, on the other hand, entails a capacity to âprepare for and effectively respond to crises, maintain core functions when a crisis hits, and reorganize if conditions require it.â
âHealth systems need to more toward a âpredict-and-preventâ model of managing diseases,â Heath said. âThe current âbreak-and-fixâ focus of our health system places the majority of our resources on treating health events, as opposed to preventing these events from happening in the first place.â
âAs Canadaâs population ages and more are living with chronic diseases that require costly long-term care, we need to address preventative care that keeps patients out of hospitals, predicts disease progression, and saves costs down the road,â Heath said. âAdoption of innovative health technologies can reduce the burden of disease and build the populationâs resilience to shocks.â
âCovid-19 uncovered longstanding and pervasive systemic problems within the Canadian healthcare system,â Heath said. âA policy window for governmental actions has opened for broad conversations on redefining the value of healthcare to build a resilient system.â
The predict-and-prevent model can guide new investments in healthcare; Heath says that governments should work with the private sector to identify the most pressing care gaps and develop solutions.
âAs healthcare sector leaders, we need to talk about building resilience into healthcare systems.â
WEEK 07/06/21
Eli Lillyâs tirzepatide, a medication for treating type 2 diabetes, showed promising results in its latest 40-week, randomized, open-label trial. Results were simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the American Diabetes Associationâs 81st Scientific Sessions. Tirzepatide is a novel once-weekly injectable drug that has thus far demonstrated superior A1C and body weight reductions compared to semaglutide.
The Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA) has appointed Dr. Catherine C. McCuaig as its new President for a one-year term beginning June 28, 2021. Dr. McCuaig has emphasized dermatology specialty education as a primary focus during her tenure.
CANADIAN HEALTHCARE MARKETING HALL OF FAME
The Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame awards were established in 2002 to honour healthcare marketers who have contributed to our vocation and inspire others.
More than 100 honourees have been selected during the past 18 years. In the selection committee's view, they stand for a representative cross-section of the qualities that make our business unique and fulfilling. Each week, NPC Healthbiz Weekly will acknowledge one past Hall of Fame Honouree.
2011 Inductee
Lorne Markowitz
OakvilleÂ
Editorâs note: Lorne left Valeant Pharmaceuticals in September 2013. He currently provides consulting and support services for the pharmaceutical, biotech, and healthcare industries.
Lorne Markowitz, Vice-President of the Dermatology Unit for Valeant Canada Limited, began his career in the pharmaceutical industry as a sales representative for Dow Chemical in the late 1970s. Markowitz, who was the Master of Ceremonies of the Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame for last four years, was born and raised in Montreal and graduated from McGill University.
He left the industry briefly in the early 1980s, but returned to work at LEO Pharma, which he describes as a small start-up at that time. There, he worked as a sales representative, sales manager, and training manager.
Markowitzâs next move was to Glaxo Wellcome, where he stayed for five years and worked in sales force automation and business process re-engineering. He was recruited back to LEO Pharma in the mid-1990s and remained there for a decade, taking on a variety of roles and being promoted to Vice-President of Sales and Marketing. Markowitz, who held the role of chairman of the Canadian Dermatology Industry Association for five years, is proud of the participation in the Canadian Dermatology Foundation by the companies with which he has been associated.
He also ran his own consulting firm for a few years focusing on providing strategic development services to the pharma and biotech industries.
In his role at Valeant, Markowitz splits his time between Montreal and Toronto. He oversees three distinct divisions in dermatology: one that is focused on prescription dermatology products, one that is focused on over-the-counter products, and one that is focused on innovative cosmeceutical products. He has been responsible for launching six different brands in dermatology and will be launching three more in 2011.
Markowitz expresses tremendous respect for the Canadian Healthcare Marketing Hall of Fame and the inductees to the Hall of Fame. âIt is something that people take very seriously, and we try to protect the integrity of it,â he says.
The choice of inductees into the Hall of Fame do not always come directly from the pharma industry, stresses Markowitz. âThere are recipients who are physicians, and there are recipients from the world of CHE [continuing healthcare education],â explains Markowitz.
âWhen you visit the [National] Baseball Hall of Fame [and Museum] in Cooperstown or the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, you see that everyone who contributed to the game is included,â says Markowitz. âThere are not just players who are included, but coaches, referees, and others.â
Markowitz cites Dr. Stuart Maddin as one of the examples of someone being inducted into the Hall of Fame this year who does not come from industry.
âHe has played an active role in promoting positive relations between industry and healthcare professionals, and he continues to play such a role,â says Markowitz.
The Phil Diamond Award for Community Service, awarded this year to Morris Goodman, recognizes humanitarian efforts and demonstrates the commitment members of industry have in improving the welfare of others across the globe.
âWe acknowledge humanitarian efforts within the promotion of healthcare,â explains Markowitz. âIt is a very important award for the Hall of Fame.â
CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS!
âNPC Podcast Presents: Next in Pharmaâ is available now. The first episode, âAI-Powered Analytics,â is hosted by Michael Cloutier. Mikeâs guests are Martin Booth, Director of Analytics and Data Excellence at AstraZeneca; Omer Ariburnu, Affiliate Head of Customer Excellence and Operations at Biogen; and Shawna Boynton, Omnichannel Marketing Manager at Novo Nordisk. âNPC Podcast Presents: Next in Pharmaâ is presented in co-operation with our friends at ODAIA.ai
And donât forget to listen to the latest episode of the NPC Podcast and the final episode of Season Four! NPC Podcast host Peter Brenders interviews Ronnie Miller of Roche Pharmaceuticals for his take on what the industry will look like post-pandemic. The NPC Podcast is made possible in co-operation with Impres Pharma and features a series of conversations with pharma industry leaders for their takes on current events.
NEXT WEEK
The 07/13 edition of NPC Healthbiz Weekly will feature Marissa Poole, Country Lead, Sanofi Canada and General Manager, Sanofi Genzyme Canada, on communication trends with external audiences. Itâs easy to get your no-charge subscription and have the issue sent to your phone or inbox each Tuesday at 6:00 a.m. sharp.
Stay safe, stay sure, and stay on your game. Weâll see you again next week!