PUTTING PATIENTS AT THE FOREFRONT
At Piramal Pharma Solutions, we recognize that patients are the ultimate beneficiaries of the work that we do. Understanding patients’ needs and building an organization that is dedicated to addressing those needs is the foundation of Patient Centricity. It drives us to analyze every element of our operations to ensure that they align with the needs of our customers and their patients.
HOW WE GOT HERE
Patient Centricity represents the natural evolution of our organization. For years, we strived to be a customer-centric CDMO, doing everything we could to make our customers the focal point of our efforts. But to really make a difference for customers, we have to keep their customers – the patients – top of mind. Today, while we are still customer centric in that we place customer needs ahead of sales goals, we are also considering how patients are affected by the decisions we make and the work we do.
It’s a change in mindset and culture that can be described as a move from a manufacturing company to a service company, and from delivering products to helping patients. Simply stated, when one has an emotional connection to someone or something, it becomes second nature to do what’s best for them. That’s the ethos we are instilling across the company.
Stuart Needleman
Chief Commercial Officer &
Chief Patient Centricity Officer
To instill this new ethos across the global organization, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer, Stuart Needleman, was given the additional role of Chief Patient Centricity Officer. According to him, education and empathy are key. Program rollouts were conducted at all PPS sites around the world, with detailed training on what Patient Centricity means, how it fits within the overall corporate culture, and how the individual employee can embrace patient-centric behavior. At the start, this effort focused on understanding what Patient Centricity is, what it means to the organization and the individual, and how it can be applied to their personal roles and responsibilities. Much of this was done through awareness programs, such as educating the staff on the indications for the solutions and products being developed at our sites. Over time, the training has evolved to include operational initiatives that improve timelines and quality, which has obvious and immediate benefits for the patient community.
Patient Awareness Council
To further reinforce the Patient Centricity initiative, the company established a Patient Centricity Council at all PPS locations. Each Council consists of eight to 12 employee volunteers in varying roles and levels of responsibility within the organization. Council members are selected for their leadership among peers, sharp critical thinking and communication skills, and strong display and enthusiasm for the patient-centric mentality. These team leaders are tasked with implementing initiatives and promoting momentum towards change at their site. Monthly Council meetings are held to create awareness for new projects. In their daily roles, stewards of the program help to emphasize the core principles of the campaign.
Key goals of the Council include:
- Creating awareness for the patient perspective of each project
- Ensuring operational systems and processes recognize and impact patient well-being, and adjusting when existing protocols do not meet the new standard
- Promoting intended results for improving and saving lives
- Stressing the importance of meeting customer expectations for project delivery
- Displaying a commitment to making a difference in patient’s lives
THE ONGOING CHALLENGE
For Piramal Pharma Solutions, Patient Centricity is not a marketing slogan or advertising campaign, it’s a fundamental element of our corporate structure and mindset. To become a high-functioning, patient-centric organization and remain that way requires dedication, focus, and esprit de corps. We are bringing patients to our sites, virtually and in person, to listen to their stories; talking to customers about how we can become better partners; and analyzing our systems and processes to find new and improved ways to help reduce the burden of disease on patients.
If you’d like to know more about the ways Patient Centricity at PPS can support your next project, contact our Chief Patient Centricity Officer at stuart.needleman@piramal.com.
By aligning our mission with that of our customers, we become a better partner, working towards the same common goal.
- Peter DeYoung, CEO
“Our Patient Awareness Council is designed to influence change, improve processes, and enhance operations, all with the goal of increasing our ability to deliver for patients.”