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Background
In recent years Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) have become an integral customer touch point that shapes and influences a physician's experience with a pharmaceutical provider in helping to ensure patients in need receive their required medications Carlin said.

"These patient access touch points along with call centers, clinical trial studies, reimbursement support and sales rep interactions all influence a customer's experience with a company," Carlin said.

Market Strategies' 2008 MSImage Oncology Patient Assistance Program survey results indicate that oncologists are most interested in whether a company is committed to oncology, its practice. Most physicians don't get involved in the day-to-day operational aspects of a PAP but want to be reassured that a company's patient assistance program allows them to maintain their quality of care, and continue to prescribe a product that is in the best interests of their patients he added.

Our guests will share some results of Market Strategies International's Oncology Patient Assistance Program (PAP) rankings. This syndicated study identifies those companies which oncologists and practice managers perceive have the best PAP image in this marketplace.

Some Questions/Topics to be Discussed

1. Please give us a little background on Patient Assistance Programs, how they work, and why you believe they can be an important factor in improving customer relations.
2. Tell us why Market Strategies International focused on Oncology for its Patient Assistance Program (PAP) rankings.
3. Explain the methodology.
4. OK, so which drug companies are ranked at the top? What can companies do to improve their rankings?

Peter Carlin, Peter Carlin is the senior vice president of Market Strategies International's Healthcare division and brings more than 25 years of experience within healthcare and life sciences to the company. Peter specializes in oncology, nephrology and hematology strategic market research, along with positioning and messaging studies. He also is responsible for creating Market Strategies International's Medicare Strategy Vertical.

Prior to joining Market Strategies International in 2003, Peter’s career included tenures at several companies, the most recent being Jstreet, an online market research company, of which he was founder and partner. Peter has also held senior-level positions with several distinguished pharmaceutical companies including Novartis, Ciba and Pfizer. He has been honored with numerous sales and marketing awards and is called upon frequently to speak at pharmaceutical conferences and medical meetings.

Peter earned an Executive MBA from the Wharton School, a master’s degree in labor relations from Binghamton and Cornell universities, and a bachelor’s degree in economics and history from The State University of New York at Cortland.

Dr. Ellen Gordon is a research director in Market Strategies International’s Global Healthcare Division with over 10 years of survey research experience in the healthcare industry. She has spent the last 5 years at Market Strategies working primarily in the area of Oncology.

Ellen is the Research Director for Market Strategies’ MSImage Franchise which includes the 2008 MSImage™ U.S. and European Union Oncology/Hematology Stakeholder Studies as well as the 2008 MSImage™ Post ASCO Syndicated Study. She is also responsible for Market Strategies’ Call Center Service Evaluation Program.

Prior to joining Market Strategies, Dr. Gordon directed the Survey Research Program at the Center for Health Studies (CHS) in Seattle, Wash. where she was responsible for all program operations, data quality, and human subject compliance. She earned a doctorate in political science from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in Russian area studies from Georgetown University, and a bachelor’s degree in politics from Brandeis University.