There are so many inspirational people working to improve our health care system. From advancing health equity through improved clinical trial diversity to innovative ways to recognize the role of caregivers to using new technologies to prevent disease and find treatments, incredible work is happening across the health spectrum.
I was reminded of this at TIME100’s Health Leadership Forum, where I spoke about how we can improve patient access to the medicines they need.
I shared the stage with Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, director of the Clinical Epidemiology Center and chief of the Research and Education Service at the VA St. Louis Healthcare System and Dr. Raj Panjabi, senior partner at Flagship Pioneering and former White House senior director and special assistant to President Joe Biden, as we explored policy changes that could improve medicine development, lower medicine costs and increase patient access.
Here are 3 takeaways from the discussion:
- Groundbreaking innovation requires a supportive policy framework. Biopharmaceutical innovation is more promising than ever, but legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act’s price-setting policies undermine, rather than support, the innovation ecosystem. Policymakers must prioritize reforms that allow patients to access new and lifesaving treatments.
- We need to prevent disease to lower health care costs. As an industry, we are dedicated to developing new treatments and cures, including one-time treatments and preventative vaccines. Through early treatment and prevention, we can lower the financial burden that patients face.
- We must address systemic barriers that prevent patients from accessing medicines. Improving clinical trial diversity and increasing accountability of PBMs to ensure discounts from manufacturers are passed on to patients are a few ways we can achieve just that.
Learn more about our conversation here.
Photo by Alex Aronson, TIME
Lori M. Reilly, Esq.
Lori M. Reilly is chief operating officer at PhRMA, providing executive level management, leadership and strategic direction for the organization. In this role, Reilly oversees PhRMA’s advocacy activities, including its federal, state and international government affairs and alliance development work. Reilly provides strategic leadership and works across PhRMA to develop and advocate for practical policy solutions that will lower costs for patients.
Reilly, named by the Washingtonian as one of the 250 most influential people in D.C., has a long record of working with members of Congress on a bipartisan basis and collaborating with stakeholders across the health care industry. Reilly is a frequent presenter on industry-related issues, including testifying before Congress on multiple occasions.
Reilly has over two decades of experience at PhRMA; prior to her current role, Reilly was the executive vice president of policy, research and membership at PhRMA, leading the development and implementation of legislative, regulatory and political strategies to advance policies that encourage patient access and medical innovation. She has also served as counsel at the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Commerce and was Counsel to a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Reilly received a B.A. in political science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she graduated with honors, and a J.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Law. She currently resides in Alexandria, Virginia with her husband and their four children.
Lori Reilly
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorireillyphrma/
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Reimagining patient access through meaningful policy reform
Reimagining patient access through meaningful policy reform