HEALTH POLICY Understanding the health policy environment is an essential ingredient of any comprehensive marketing plan for a new drug, biologic, or medical device. In particular, intimate knowledge of policy and politics has become increasingly important for products that are widely prescribed for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. For over 15 years, the PAREXEL health policy team has specialized in assessing the federal and state political environment for industry clients as one of the many steps in a successful product launch and continuing access. Our services include topical policy analyses, briefing papers, corporate strategic assessments, newsletters, and advisory boards that help clients gain direct feedback from public officials about the overall policy environment and how specific products will be reimbursed.  We also organize large-scale meetings focusing on emergent or significant policy issues and challenges. Below we describe our health policy products and services in more detail. _________________________   Policy and Issue Analysis: One of our core competencies is preparation of policy analyses and key issue papers, which provide succinct descriptions of the policy issues most important to the client, along with an analysis of obstacles and proposed solutions. PAREXEL can provide this service on an annual, quarterly, monthly, weekly, or daily basis, as desired. These reports are available as part of a subscription or as a customized research project for an individual client. Recent work has focused on such timely and relevant topics as supplemental Medicaid rebates, prior authorization, formularies, state senior prescription drug assistance programs, Medicaid fraud and abuse, Medicaid expansions at the federal and state levels, bioterrorism, and use of pharmacy benefit managers. We also regularly brief clients on developments in the Medicare program that affect their products. Corporate Strategy and Strategic Assessment: PAREXEL is skilled in developing strategies that help our clients maintain the optimal policy environment for their products. Our services range from risk analyses to market intelligence and issue management. We also connect clients with policy experts, create strategic alliances, and build coalitions. Newsletters: PAREXEL’s health policy team has vast experience in writing and producing newsletters on timely and relevant state and federal policy issues. Most commonly, our newsletters do not address product-specific issues, but instead seek to educate the policy-makers about policy and reimbursement issues. Our clients find that the newsletters serve to inform state and federal policy makers, legislators, healthcare advocates, and others about important topics in an unbiased manner.  They also demonstrate an ongoing commitment to sound public policy and open communication. PAREXEL currently authors and publishes three newsletter programs: Medicaid Pharmacy Bulletin, published quarterly since 1987, sponsored by Pfizer Inc. Mental Health Issues Today, published quarterly since 1997, sponsored by Janssen Pharmaceutica Products, L.P., a Johnson & Johnson Company. The ADAP Report, published quarterly since 1993, sponsored by Gilead Sciences. Advisory Boards: Our newsletters on Medicaid policy, mental health, HIV/AIDS, and our other programs are typically augmented by an advisory board of senior state officials and payer representatives. The advisory boards guide the newsletter publication and also provide a means of informing key policy makers about important issues and creating a forum for discussion among public officials, industry representatives, and leading outside experts who serve as speakers at advisory board meetings.  For the industry sponsors, our advisory board programs maintain strong relationships with state customers and reinforce the perception of leadership in certain therapeutic areas. Ad Hoc Focus Groups: PAREXEL is highly regarded throughout the industry as a broker between public officials and the pharmaceutical industry. Our clients frequently ask us to organize small, highly focused meetings that delve deeply into critical public policy issues that may affect access to a given product or care in a particular therapeutic area. These endeavors continue to be highly successful because of PAREXEL's approach, which centers on our commitment to open discussion and debate about the challenges currently facing public programs and manufacturers trying to operate in an increasingly difficult environment. Large Scale Policy Meetings: PAREXEL is especially proud of the large-scale meetings that we organize at the national level. Our meetings are generally executed with the help of an expert planning committee, composed of PAREXEL Health Policy and Payer Relations staff, client representatives, and subject matter experts.  PAREXEL’s solid relations with public sector officials at all level of goverment and private payer representatives attract major thought leaders, high attendance, and enthusiastic participants. These events also enhance the reputations of our industry clients as true partners in the delivery of healthcare services. © Copyright 2003 PAREXEL International. All rights reserved.