Defining DEI: using terminology and metrics to lead by example
Carol Stiff explains how pharma companies can learn the "patient stories" of DEI in their own workplaces (400 words, 2 min)
NPC Healthbiz Weekly is presented to you in cooperation with Peak Pharma Solutions
“As an industry, we have a huge opportunity to lead the way with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and set examples for other industries,” said Carol Stiff. “There are more eyes on healthcare and pharma now than ever,” she said, “so the opportunity is right for Pharma to step up and lead the way.” She is head of Santen Canada Inc.
During last week’s virtual 15th National Pharma Congress, Stiff (photo below) set the stage for discussing DEI in the workplace. “It’s important for a company to clearly define DEI terms that are used within the organization so that everyone has the same understanding,” she said. “This is very similar to how we clearly define our mission, vision, and values.”
“Diversity is the differences that make individuals unique,” said Stiff. “Inherent diversity is the characteristics you are born with, like your age, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. And acquired diversity is your mindset, your education, languages, and cultural fluency.”
Equity is about ensuring processes and practices are fair and that everyone has access to the same opportunities, explained Stiff. Equity is the act of paying attention to different individual needs.
“Inclusion is the extent to which each person in the organization feels welcomed, respected, supported, valued, and fairly treated as a team member,” continued Stiff. “Inclusion outcomes are only realized when the workplace is inviting to all parts of its diverse group.”
“As with any business initiative, it is important to know how we’re doing and succeeding with DEI,” said Stiff. “Ultimately, if we don’t keep track of progress with DEI, it sends the message to employees that the initiative doesn’t matter.”
“I think in pharma, we know better than any industry that the story is as important as the data,” she said, explaining that metrics for DEI milestones can be quantitative (transactional) or qualitative (transformational).
“Diversity can be a fairly straightforward measure; it’s typically reported as a number or a snapshot,” said Stiff. “But we need that transformational or qualitative measure to show inclusion.”
Stiff said these measures could be as simple as surveying employees and asking what makes them feel included or excluded and how the company contributes in either direction. And equally important is listening to those responses.
“The final note on metrics is accountability from the top down in the organization,” said Stiff. “We need involvement and commitment from all levels of the organization and metrics for management on diversity in recruitment and development.”
Further reading: Read more on the difference between choosing the right words to say and achieving accurate, measurable results further down the line.
THIS WEEK 11/02/21
Pfizer Canada announced that its next-generation long-acting growth hormone injection, somatropin (NGENLA), has been approved by Health Canada. NGENLA is a once-weekly long-acting recombinant human growth hormone used to treat pediatric patients with growth failure caused by a growth hormone deficiency.
Bausch Health Canada announced that tazarotene (Arazlo), a topical prescription treatment for acne vulgaris, is now available in Canada for patients 10 years of age and older. Arazlo is the first tazarotene 0.045% w/w lotion treatment formulated with Prismatrex technology (a formulation with known hydrating and moisturizers, which may alleviate dryness of skin, approved by Health Canada.
Sun Pharma Canada announced that tildrakizumab injection (Ilumya) is now available in Canada. Ilumya is a treatment for adult patients living with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. According to the release, tildrakizumag is the first IL-23p19 inhibitor to complete five years of study based on a pooled analysis of two Phase 3 efficacy and safety extension trials in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.
Sanofi’s cemiplimab (Libtayo) has been approved in Canada for the treatment of adults diagnosed with locally advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC) that were previously treated with a hedgehog pathway inhibitor (HH). This approval follows the European approval in June 2021 and the US approval in February 2021.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Season Five of the NPC Podcast explored Pharma’s purpose, process, and people with a diverse list of guests across eight episodes. Podcast host Peter Brenders spoke with guests on clinical trials, laws and regulations, investments in life sci, manufacturing, working with the Canadian government, and implications of Covid-19. Did you miss an episode? Catch up now!
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.
2016 Inductee
Chris Halyk
Oakville, Ont.
Sometimes when you are asked to steer the ship, it happens to be in rough water. Chris Halyk was appointed president of Janssen Inc. (Janssen) in Canada in 2006, right when the company was facing a significant challenge. “At that stage, our organization was experiencing the patent cliff most other pharmaceutical companies experienced three or four years later,” said Halyk. “We lost about 60 percent of our sales almost overnight. Somehow we had to be able to figure out how we were going to keep the company financially viable and shift it back into growth.”
The necessary restructuring was complex, with the company forced to let go of roughly half of its staff over three years. It was vital to ensure the outgoing staff were treated with dignity and respect while keeping the remaining team motivated at the same time. “A former boss once told me that you are never going to learn more about running a business than in times of adversity. This was probably the most adversity I’d experienced in my career,” said Halyk. “While I learned a lot during that time, I have enjoyed the last six years of unprecedented growth a lot more.”
Janssen has become the number one pharma business in its market in Canada, a feat no other Janssen operating company in the world has accomplished.
Halyk began his career with Janssen as an over-the-counter product manager. A series of sales and marketing roles followed, leading to his appointment in 1997 as vice-president, sales and marketing and a member of the management board at Janssen Pharmaceutica Inc. In 2001 Halyk was appointed managing director of Ortho Biotech and oversaw its merger into Janssen. In addition to his current duties as president, Halyk has also served as the chair of the board of directors of Rx&D (now renamed Innovative Medicines Canada) for 2012-2013.
Looking forward, Halyk said he still believes the pharma industry in Canada has great potential, despite the challenges it faces, such as the focus by payers on cost-containment rather than the value of innovative medicines and increases in regulatory oversight. “But I continue to be extremely confident in what I believe our industry can accomplish. I think today’s environment has made all of us focus much more on innovation in terms of the medicines and services we bring to the patients that need them.”
NEXT WEEK
In the 11/09 edition of the NPC Healthbiz Weekly, more from this year’s DEI panel as Brian Heath describes how to make full use of employee resource groups. It’s 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. We’ll see you again next week.