News 2024

Pharmaceutical industry as a partner in the digital transformation of healthcare

The Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers has brought up the question of the sector's part in the digital healthcare strategy.

The Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers hosted a special session titled “Digitalization of healthcare — current issues and potential solutions through collaboration” as part of the 31st Russian Pharmaceutical Forum named after N.A. Semashko. The session was facilitated by Almira Galeeva, Director of Clinical Research, Ethical & Medical Affairs at the Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (AIPM), and Valeria Lemeshko, Head of the Association's Digital Healthcare working group.

To initiate the conversation, they emphasized that AIPM, as a trusted partner of the government in the field of pharmaceuticals, has taken on the task of integrating the best international practices and expertise of pharmaceutical companies interested in advancing digital healthcare in Russia.

Within the AIPM working group, experts from relevant federal centers and institutions, including the Central Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, CCCEMP, the Almazov National Research Medical Center, the Petrov National Research Medical Center of Oncology, and the Association of Developers and Users of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine “National Medical Knowledge Base” (NBMZ), are discussing the introduction of new technologies into the healthcare system and the role and potential areas of focus for the pharmaceutical industry in implementing digital technologies in healthcare.

The meeting showcased the outcomes of analytical projects conducted by esteemed expert organizations, which were initiated and supported by the Association. These projects included:

1) “An examination of the implementation of AI-driven services in the healthcare sector in Russia” (conducted by the Central Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences)

2) “An exploration of the application of telemedicine technologies and monitoring in healthcare in Russia” (conducted by TSNIIOIZ)

3) “An examination of international practices in the utilization of digital medical programs and services (CMPS), and an assessment of these technologies” (conducted by CCCEMP)

To conclude the presentations, the moderators of the discussion highlighted five key areas where pharmaceutical companies can focus their efforts in the context of healthcare digitalization:

1. Widespread adoption of digital solutions in practical healthcare

2. Ensuring the collection of comprehensive and high-quality data

3. Facilitating data reuse

4. Ensuring the continuity and scalability of regional digital projects

5. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach to the development of digital healthcare initiatives

The pharmaceutical industry can now contribute to the development of the big data ecosystem and the implementation of digital solutions to support healthcare delivery. Following the discussion, the participants of the session proposed a resolution with recommendations for further work, which they intend to submit to the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.