Despite tremendous business opportunity, pharma and biotech manufacturers struggle to optimize positioning in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Our team seeks to help our industry partners understand how to be effective in this market and how it differs from other integrated delivery networks.

Here are 3 considerations unique to the VHA that pharmaceutical manufacturers should consider when planning their market access strategy:

1. The VHA may not formally review newly approved drugs on a required review cycle, but instead conducts reviews based on its own unique patient populations and drug management needs. A manufacturer can help educate the VHA on the importance of establishing a smooth pathway to a new therapy for the appropriate patient.
2. The VHA has established and maintains 10 oncology pathways to date that guide treatment as appropriate for veterans needing a wide range of cancer treatment evidence.
3. The VHA offers incredibly unique and exciting contracting opportunities including “winner takes all” 1:1 national contracts and innovative value-based agreements.

We can help you prepare for your conversations with the VHA. We leverage our deep VHA experience to guide our pharma clients through the regimented process with ease. Click here to contact us and discuss how we can partner with you to craft a strong VHA access strategy.

About the Author
Jannet M. Carmichael, BS, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP, FAPhA, is the head of Amplity’s VA consulting group, providing launch and growth strategies to biopharma and medical device manufacturers. Dr Carmichael leads a team of VA Account Executives who coordinate and facilitate expedited access to VA decision makers in a shared-services capacity. Prior to her leadership role at Amplity, Jann was the Veteran Integrated Service Network (VISN) 21 Pharmacy Executive for the Veterans Health Administration where she cared for 650,000 veterans in Nevada, Northern California, and Hawaii. Dr Carmichael was the Director of the Clinical Data Warehouse in VISN 21. She coordinated pharmacy operations; health analytics; pharmacoeconomics; academic detailing; and pharmacoepidemiology quality, safety, and value programs using the Clinical Data Warehouse and health analytics for VISN 21. Prior to this she was Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator at the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System in Reno, Nevada, and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. Her clinical practice includes primary care, population management, and outcomes studies, programs that received the ASHP’s Best Practices in Health-System Pharmacy Award in 2002 and the ASHP Foundation Medication Safety Award in 2012. Jann served as Pharmacy Residency Program Director for the ASHP PGY2 Pharmacy Outcomes and Healthcare Analytics program.

Dr Carmichael is a Past-President of ASHP and a former member of the Nevada Board of Pharmacy, Past-President Nevada Pharmacists Association, and Nevada Pharmacy Alliance. Jann is a recipient of the ASHP 2013 Harvey A.K. Whitney Lecture Award, was named Federal Pharmacist of the Year by APhA in 2012, and University of Iowa Distinguished Alumni in 2011. She is Past-Chair of the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties and the BCPS Pharmacotherapy Council, and is an ACPE Practitioner Reviewer, member of the ACPE International Commission, and ASHP Residency surveyor. Jann served as a member of the NQF Medication Management Steering Committee and was a member of the CMS Medication Measures Technical Expert Panel. Jann has authored hundreds of professional papers, book chapters, and research projects. She is a frequent speaker on progressive pharmacy practice.