Minding the generational gap in Pharma’s workforce
Paul Petrelli gives insights into workplace values of Generations X, Y, and Z, post-Covid work culture, and corporate responsibility (900 words, 4.5 minutes)
Good morning, and welcome to the final issue of 2023 for the NPC Healthbiz Weekly e-newsletter from the National Pharmaceutical Congress and Chronicle Companies.
From everyone at Chronicle, we wish you and your families an enjoyable holiday break, and a fantastic 2024. This e-newsletter will return on Jan. 9th
Each generation has its own distinct set of values in the workplace, according to Paul Petrelli, General Manager of Jazz Pharmaceuticals. He observes it’s important to consider these different values in your efforts to engage and retain your employees. “When I started my career, there was one generation,” he said during a recent episode of the NPC Podcast. “But now, if you look at it as a leader, you’ve got four generational groups that you’ve got to think about.”
Petrelli [pictured below] noted that the hiring process has also changed over the generations. He said that 20 years ago, most hires were based almost entirely on skill, whereas now organizations also focus on attitude and competency. “Motivators are different,” he said, “So, we have to be mindful of [that.]”
According to Petrelli, the changes in work culture accelerated significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic. He said Jazz has fully embraced a virtual and flexible working environment, which he regards as an asset. “I think folks love it, and it might be generational,” he said. “Certain groups love the idea of flexibility and being able to work from home.”
He mentioned that this transition also created great opportunities to have a more consistent dialogue with regulatory and paying partners. “I think it is because rather than having to ride out to Ottawa and sit with them face to face,” he said, “we can get on the phone with them more often and chat regularly, which allows us to input more and get more feedback from them as we advance files.”
In Petrelli’s opinion, it’s important to balance financial growth with corporate responsibility. He noted Jazz has initiatives that allow the company to give back to the community. For instance, he said the company works with regulatory agencies to find ways to expedite new therapies for patients. He also said the company creates financial assistance programs and works with patient groups. “When we connect with these folks, we think about our people,” he said. “We do a lot of work in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion within that group.”
Petrelli noted that Jazz also has a strong base in volunteerism. He said they spend a lot of time working with the community. “We have Global Volunteer Day, for example,” he said. “And we spend a lot of time mentoring. We invest heavily in universities and colleges through internship programs and help students who are thinking about a career in healthcare find their way.” Additionally, the company works toward reducing its carbon footprint by advocating for renewable electricity and day-to-day actions such as recycling, only travelling when necessary, and opting for the use of sustainable transportation.
THIS WEEK 12/12/23
Novartis Canada announced Mark Vineis has been appointed to the role of Country President, effective Jan. 1, 2024. Vineis will take overall leadership of the Novartis strategy within Canada.
Health Canada authorized the label expansion of Eli Lilly’s abemaciclib (Verzenio). Verzenio is now indicated in combination with endocrine therapy for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative, and node-positive, early breast cancer.
The U.S. FDA approved Novartis’ iptacopan (Fabhalta) for treating paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria in adult patients.
The European Commission granted conditional marketing authorization for Pfizer’s elranatamab (Elrexfio) for treating adult patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior therapies, including a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory agent, and an anti-CD38 antibody, and have demonstrated disease progression on the last therapy.
LISTEN UP
In season 11 of the NPC Podcast, Dimitris Polygenis, President of Biopharma and Payer Solutions at McKesson Canada, gives insights using technology and AI to decrease prescribing and distribution times, virtual and real-time care, and targeted gene therapies. Hear him in conversation with podcast hosts Mitch Shannon, Jim Shea and Mark McElwain.
HEALTHBIZ REWIND
This feature of NPC Healthbiz Weekly looks back at some of the most insightful moments from previous NPC Podcast episodes. In Healthbiz Rewind, you’ll read bold life sci predictions made during the renowned “Prognostication Korner” segment of the NPC Podcast.
Dr. Len Walt
VP of Medical
SSI Strategy
Toronto
Season 04, episode 07
Listen to this episode here
The [Covid-19] pandemic has changed a lot of interactions, we’ve gone from in-person to remote zoom meetings and calls. Has anything else fundamentally changed? What does the future of medical look like? (This episode was recorded in June of 2021)
I’m hoping that we return to normalcy and people get back to engaging face-to-face. I think it’s really important. I’m hopeful that will happen soon. Beyond that, I believe what we’re seeing is a technical revolution in the pharma and biotech worlds. We’re seeing very sophisticated technologies coming in. We’re seeing it in some of the bigger diseases, and we’ve seen a lot of it in the rare diseases. We’re also seeing exciting things like gene therapies, and digital therapeutics. These are all exciting areas, but they’re technologically quite sophisticated. I think there will always be a role for sales, but I think the role of medical is going to become even more important as we move along this area of more sophistication around products. It will require companies with medical personnel who really understand the science to understand the technology so they can translate that into value for customers who need to understand this information.
SEE YOU ON JAN. 9, 2024
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