Whilst preparing the new issue of our latest careers guide, Evidence generation and communication: a guide to getting started in HEOR/market access medical writing (published June 2021)  we invited people working in HEOR/market access to tell us why they are doing so….

“I work in HEOR/market access as it provides the opportunity to combine my scientific knowledge and passion for healthcare, medical advancements, business development and health economics whilst enabling me to build on my regulatory knowledge. Market access is a highly rewarding and intellectually stimulating career path. It provides the opportunity to make a positive impact towards patient access to novel medical therapies and technologies, by supporting pharmaceutical and biotechnology organisations to navigate complex global market access landscapes through the development of effective market access strategies and tools.”

Chris Bradshaw, Associate Market Access Writer at Prime Access (a Prime Global Consultancy)

“I work in HEOR/market access because it constantly allows creative thinking and requires close working across all key functions of pharma – HEOR, medical, strategic marketing, PR and communications. The marriage of access and commercial – getting other teams to understand the importance of, and align their activities with, the access strategy – is a constant challenge and requires people skills, patience and collaboration!”

Philip Drew, Global Business Development Director at OPEN Health, Evidence & Access

“I work in HEOR/market access because I enjoy communicating scientific and clinical concepts; HEOR allows me to do this with a relatively rapid positive impact on society at large. It also offers an attractive career path with lots of scope for creativity and professional development.”

Obaro Evuarherhe, Principal Consultant, Value Demonstration Practice at Oxford PharmaGenesis

“I work in HEOR/market access because it allows me to combine my passions for scientific research and creative thinking and apply them in a way that may significantly impact patient care. As an associate medical writer in HEOR, I work on a variety of projects and disease indications, so every day is different and full of interesting topics! The role offers a continuous flow of learning and the ability to gain a diverse range of new skills.”

Jen Ferris, Associate Medical Writer at Source Health Economics

“I work in HEOR/market access as it’s a career that allows me to keep updated with the latest research in the fields I’m interested in. Alongside this, I’m also exposed to novel areas, serving to expand my scientific understanding throughout my whole career. Having a range of therapy areas to work in means my day-to-day job is ever changing – a huge benefit as it satisfies my own personal curiosity for science.”

Max Harris at AMICULUM Access

“I work in HEOR/market access because I really enjoy the huge variety of work and range of therapy areas. Every project is different and challenging, providing the opportunity to continuously develop my knowledge, creativity and skills Communicating science, and making it accessible and effective, is key to demonstrating the value of new, innovative medicines and the benefits they bring to patients.”

Rebecca Hornby, Communications Team Leader, Value Demonstration Practice at Oxford PharmaGenesis

“I work in HEOR/market access because I enjoy learning something new every day and being involved in projects that are interesting and varied. I particularly love the challenge of very quickly becoming immersed in a new therapy area and using my scientific knowledge and creative skills to generate content with immediate real-world use, which ultimately benefits patients.”

Rachael Kershaw, Market Access Consultant at Prime Access (a Prime Global Consultancy)

“I work in HEOR/market access because I enjoyed writing my thesis more than the lab work. In conducting literature reviews, I am exposed to a wide variety of disease areas that allow me to continually grow my knowledge base and to develop in-depth analytical skills. I really enjoy feeling that I am making a valuable contribution to delivering novel therapies to patients.”

Victoria Last, Associate Market Access Director at OPEN Health, Evidence & Access

“I work in HEOR/market access because of the opportunity to continually expand my scientific knowledge, working on a range of deliverables across different disease areas. I enjoy collaborating with clients and colleagues in the systematic review and health economics teams to effectively communicate the value of healthcare innovations that will improve the lives of patients.”

Emma Lones, Associate Medical Writer at Source Health Economics

“I work in HEOR/market access because it gives me the opportunity to work on such a wide range of projects across diverse therapy areas. The treatment landscape is always changing and evolving, allowing for exciting novel opportunities to collaborate with clients to ultimately improve patients’ lives.”

Rebecca Newman, Value Analyst at Adelphi Values | PROVE

“I work in HEOR/market access and have been doing so for over 20 years now, and I’ve never stopped learning!”

Sue O’Leary, Senior Vice President at Prime Access Prime Access (a Prime Global Consultancy)

“I work in HEOR/market access because I like helping people access novel treatments. As a medical writer within market access, it is exciting to be challenged on a variety of projects across many therapy areas. Market access allows me to keep up to date in a rapidly changing industry, and learn about several aspects of a product, from clinical data to marketing and strategy.”

Andria Pelava, Market Access Writer at redthread market access

“I work in HEOR/market access because it allows me to combine science, creative thinking and strategic knowledge to drive real change for patients worldwide. Working across several disciplines, disease areas and countries to bring new therapy to market is a unique and rewarding experience that combines a varied and fast-paced scientific environment with tangible results and benefits for patients.”

Manca Povsic at AMICULUM Access

“I work in HEOR/market access because it enables me to contribute to the evidence base that helps provide patient access to important treatments.”

Karen Smoyer, (VP) Portfolio Director & Team Lead, HEOR & Value at Envision Pharma Group

“I work in HEOR/market access because it gives me the opportunity to use and expand upon my scientific knowledge and academic skills in a variety of therapeutic areas, with the contentment that the projects that I work on will ultimately benefit patients.”

Joanne Welton, Medical Writer at HEOR

“I work in HEOR/market access because contributing to getting drugs reimbursed makes a difference to patients.”

Jo Whelan, Principal Medical Writer at HEOR

“I work in HEOR/market access because I enjoy the broad scope of projects and having the opportunity to apply knowledge from my scientific PhD to understand new disease areas. HEOR medical writing requires a collaborative approach, and it is extremely gratifying to pull together and be part of the journey that ultimately results in a patient receiving novel therapy.”

Pip White, Senior Medical Writer at Source Health Economics

“I work in HEOR/market access because it allows me to work across multiple workstreams, gaining experience in a range of disease and therapeutic areas. Working in this field has allowed me to apply the scientific knowledge and critical thinking I gained in my Master’s and develop increased commercial awareness. The complex interplay between drug costs and healthcare budgets has made market access a challenging and interesting area. I particularly enjoy how my work is able to resolve these often-juxtaposed viewpoints, supporting clients’ needs and ensuring patient access to novel medicines.”

Katriona Withers, Senior Value Analyst at Adelphi Values | PROVE