Context:
As the NHS transitions into a more integrated and financially constrained model, the ability of pharmaceutical companies to communicate value has never been more important — or more challenging. Sarah, a senior commissioning pharmacist and experienced medicines optimisation leader, delivered a clear and honest view of what NHS partners need from industry today. The message was direct: we need tailored, timely, and realistic engagement — not noise.

1. The Value Proposition Must Evolve

Pharma companies must move beyond traditional narratives of efficacy and price. Sarah emphasised that value is now judged through multiple lenses:

• Service impact: Does the therapy free up outpatient or inpatient capacity?

• Operational practicality: Can it be delivered within existing workforce and service models?

• Patient relevance: Does it improve quality of life or reduce hospital dependency?

• Affordability and prioritisation: Is it truly worth the effort compared to other demands?

Better tolerability, service efficiencies, or clear benefit in defined subpopulations may all constitute strong value — but only if clearly articulated.

“It’s not just the drug — it’s where it fits in the pathway, and what it does for the system.”

2. Timing and Local Context Are Critical

Sarah underscored how important it is for industry to engage at the right time in the commissioning cycle, especially around:

• Horizon scanning (Sept–Jan): When budgets and service planning are set

• NICE implementation: Before the 90-day clock starts ticking

• Pathway updates: Well in advance of guideline reviews or formulary meetings

Engaging too early wastes resources; engaging too late risks being shut out. Understanding what’s happening locally — not just nationally — is essential.

3. Support the NHS Where It’s Struggling Most

The NHS is operating with less staff, tighter budgets, and immense pressure to balance quality with affordability. With over 50% staff reductions in some ICBs, Sarah warned that knowledge and implementation capacity is at risk.

Pharma companies can support by:

• Bringing clear, concise summaries that save time

• Sharing best practice from other regions

• Offering digestible data to inform audit, planning, or variation analysis

• Helping redesign or cost entire pathways — not just position a product within them

4. Be Honest, Specific, and Solution-Oriented

Sarah was candid about how engagement sometimes falls short:

• Asking NHS staff to “help understand the system” wastes their time

• Pretending not to sell a product damages trust

• Repeating national messaging without local relevance adds no value

What works?

• Honest conversations backed by real local insight

• Offering to co-create realistic prjects or pilots

• Understanding what services need to stop or be deprioritised to afford something new

• Providing tools to identify patients, deliver education, or bridge service gaps

5. Real-World Data and Pathway Integration Are the Future

Commissioners increasingly rely on real-world insight, particularly to:

• Compare across drug classes

• Understand whether value is delivered as expected

• Identify inefficiencies in care models

Pathway design, Sarah noted, must be clinically led, not imposed. But industry can play a role by:

• Sharing costed pathway models

• Offering tools to monitor and audit outcomes

• Helping build services around specific patient groups or drug profiles

Conclusion: What NHS Stakeholders Want from Pharma Right Now

Sarah’s message was clear. In a system under pressure, the pharmaceutical industry can play a vital role — but only if it brings:

• Local intelligence

• A clear, differentiated value story

• Help with practical implementation

• Real understanding of NHS priorities and constraints

Pharma teams must now function as true key account managers — fluent in regional structures, familiar with the local health economy, and focused on shared outcomes.

At NeoNavitas, we help pharmaceutical companies develop engagement strategies that resonate, build trust, and drive action — even in the most complex environments.

If your teams need help crafting locally grounded value stories or navigating NHS decision-makers, get in touch.