Practice Based Commissioning (PBC) - Opportunities for marketers and sales teams

Practice Based Commissioning (PBC) - Opportunities for marketers and sales teams
(Published May 2006)

Chris Bartley, Health Direction Sales and Marketing Manager identifies the opportunities for marketers and sales teams from Practice Based Commissioning (PBC).

NHS policy is changing the way pharmaceutical companies need to think about GPs and Practices. One indicator of this change is that the nGMS contract is with the practice rather than with each GP. PBC should see the practice or PBC locality group taking the lead in influencing prescribing by its GPs. After all improving the consistency and quality of care has always been at the front of every GPs mind, however they now have a strong incentive to do that at the lowest cost to the practice. Peer pressure from the PBC group may well come to bear on any GPs who are not seen to be utilising the most cost effective treatment option.

Sales and marketing teams need to answer the following initial questions to formulate a successful strategy for targeting and engagement around a given therapeutic area:

• What are the PBC arrangements for this practice/locality?
• What progress has been made with implementation of PBC?
• Is there a PBC Implementation Plan?
• What is the scope of services to be provided under PBC?
• Is the practice/locality part of the National Primary Care Development Team PBC pilot?
• This information will make a real difference to the effectiveness of pharmaceutical engagement and should be followed by drilling down to find out more about the practice/locality needs in terms of service redesign around the given therapeutic area as well as key influencers:
  
  
• Is there a steering group managing specific specialties?
• What are the Medicines Management arrangements?
• Are there any Practitioners with Specialist Interest?
• Are there any Independent Prescribers?
• How well did the practice score in the Quality Outcomes Framework?
• What clinics and services does the practice provide?
• What type of population does the practice/locality serve?

For example, if a practice has scored poorly on QOF in one therapy area and the practice does not currently run a clinic in this area, this presents a great point of engagement for the pharmaceutical company that can identify ways to help the practice improve health outcomes for its population. There may be an opportunity to change prescribing, fund training for a nurse or GP or to set up a clinic. The end result of this informed approach is much more likely to be win / win than just talking about treatment benefits without any kind of context. The pharmaceutical company will see increasing sales, improved engagement and ease of access. The NHS will see practices delivering a better and more responsive service to their community