Help Wanted: PHRMA ISO New CEO
February 13th, 2010
Immediately after the snow stopped falling in Washington DC this week, another news story took DC by storm–the resignation of Billy Tauzin, effective June 30th.
Mr. Tauzin’s departure comes at a critical time for those involved with health reform efforts, not to mention PHRMA’s own thick portfolio of issues that include patents and trade, the economy, taxes (think offshore), and shrivelling pipelines, just to name a few.
The job pays well, but the applicant will surely inherit a daunting to-do list.
Job Qualifications
It’s a given that she would have impeccable bipartisan connections at the highest levels of government (both here and abroad); a robust rolodex full of private sector titans and Wall Street mavericks; a keen understanding of marketplace complexities (both here and abroad); superior people skills (it can be a b*tch managing those board room egos); not to mention a thorough grasp of and respect for the unique political and policy complexities that define health, health care, and innovation.
But that won’t be enough. I would love to see the next CEO take some bold action and harness the power of e-patients: increasingly, patients (e-patients and their e-caregivers) are hungry to engage in participatory, user-generated health care, often referred to as Health 2.0. Kaiser’s Dr. Ted Eytan explains it this way, “enabled by information, software and community that we collect or create, we the patients can be effective partners in our own health care and we the people can participate in reshaping the health system itself.”[1]
While the Inside the Beltway crowd is still focused on figuring out meaningful use and how to get paid for it–within the confines of the existing, antiquated reimbursement infrastructure, the Silicon Valley guys and gals are engaging with consumers (patients, caregivers) through apps, through mobile devices (what we used to call telephones), and through technologies that encourage Hosptial to Home transitions and Aging in Place.
There is a seismic shift taking place in how, what, and who is providing health care. The possibilities could be thrilling should the next PHRMA CEO be willing to look beyond the usual models of care and blaze a trail that integrates diverse health teams and technologies to foster better health outcomes, improved drug adherence, diminshed chronic disease, and fewer out of control health costs.
There are regulatory and other hurdles to be sure, but rather than waiting for Washington, the next PHRMA CEO should be blogging and tweeting about those next steps as she blazes that trail. One can communicate a lot in 140 characters or less.
- If you were writing the job description, what would you include?
- Who do you think are the likely (or unlinkely) candidates?
[1] http://www.tedeytan.com/2008/06/13/1089
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February 14th, 2010 at 3:34 am
You are assuming that “what is good for patients is good for pharma”. Nice thought but naive.
Pharma “needs” to sell more drugs at higher prices with less regulation of those pesky “side effects” and free reign to advertise only the good parts of their drugs.
Empowering e-patients and their e-caregivers through social media, etc. will most likely lead to fewer, cheaper drugs being consumed and to heightened awareness of side effects… not good for pharma.
Patients would be best served if pharma were to be completely dismantled. Most drug research for truly useful drugs already takes place on the public dime (pharma researches primarily vanity drugs or me-too drugs). Drug development can be done much more efficiently by public funding that doesn’t have marketing distractions and that also is genuinely interested in uncovering nasty side effects.
February 14th, 2010 at 7:56 am
I’d add: ability to tolerate conflict (it’s in the water!) and failure (since regardless of what PhRMA or its exec does, one side or the other will judge it a failure).
February 14th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
I would do it for half the price!
February 14th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
Part of their interview should be: you are a 70 year semi-retired lower middle class husband with heart disease, and your task is to manage the finances of both yourself and your wife, who has just had a stroke and needs extended stay in a rehab facility. Here is your budget, and here is her medication list. And here is your medication list. You have 1 hour to come back with a spread sheet. Go!
February 14th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
Don’t know you Laurie but great description! Another thing to add: you also have to set up a management system for all the ensuing paperwork from CMS; med-sup policy companies,hospitals, pharmacies and physicians so when there is a screw-up in someone’s billing department you will be able to prove your case.
February 14th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
job description? Candidates should work as nurses aides in a nursing home for at least 1 year to even be considered
March 4th, 2010 at 11:27 am
The new candidate should have a proven record of “change capability”. “Change” – sound familiar? Robin, you are on target. There IS a seismic change going on in healthcare. As long as we fill key leadership positions with individuals who are incented to keep the status quo, we will not develop the new models that address three key goals we seek: patient health and improved outcomes, meaningful innovation and financial vitality. And I agree with the previous comments – they should have had a “hands on” job in healthcare!