The Pharmaceutical Alliance

The Pharmaceutical Alliance (TPA) is a collaboration of three research-based pharmaceutical companies: Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline and Merck Sharp & Dohme.

TPA was formed in 1995 to provide a platform for collaborative thinking and action; the member companies recognised the need to develop a partnership approach with healthcare stakeholders and to involve themselves in projects and activities to improve health outcomes.

TPA is a committed contributor to health care reform programmes in Australia which incorporate concepts such as evidence based medicine and quality use of medicines to improve health outcomes.
For example, in 2004 TPA identified Type 2 diabetes (diabetes) as being an important area for further study and investigation as:

• Diabetes poses a significant burden to patients and the healthcare system
• Diabetes is a National Health Priortiy Area and as such is a focus for stakeholders
• Each of the member companies has experience and / or interest in diabetes
• An existing TPA project - CARDIAB, highlighted shortcomings and variabiliity in current diabetes management outcomes.

Through extensive investigation with internal and external stakeholders it was discovered that a large proportion of patients were not meeting recommended targets for HbA1c, lipids and BP.

TPA decided to explore this further with the objective of filling the knowledge gap around the barriers for patients not meeting these targets.

Phase 1 and 2 of the project has been to conduct qualitative scoping research with diabetes stakeholders including endocrinologists, general practitioners, diabetes nurse educators and patients. TPA is working with an expert stakeholder steering committee to ensure that this project is meeting the objective of informing the knowledge gap concerning these barriers to improve health outcomes for Type 2 diabetes patients.