Why “market access” really means “patient access”: Tom’s story

With a unique background bringing together scientific expertise (Ph.D, biochemistry), MBA business training and a commitment to putting patients first, Market Access leader Tom Kamenski knows that his field is a tapestry woven of many different threads. Check out his insights and reflections—and be sure to explore all of the different ways to join him on our team.

Another name for market access

While “Market Access” suggests different things to different people, professionals in the field will tell you that it refers to how pharmaceutical companies:

• Demonstrate the clinical and economic value of their products
• Negotiate with healthcare-access stakeholders
• Ensure that patients are able to access their products in an affordable and timely manner

If you ask Tom, however, the field shouldn’t be called “Market Access” in the first place, but “Patient Access” instead.

“That’s fundamentally what we’re doing—focusing on the patients for whom our drugs and treatments have so much potential value: eliminating or alleviating symptoms, extending lives and improving quality of life,” he explained. “That’s what Market Access means to me and why it inspires and motivates me every day.”

To that end, Tom explained how his work translates to real-world impact.
“Many things that go on to determine the commercial success of a drug are actually determined relatively early, which is part of where Market Access comes in: You’re connecting and combining all of these different ingredients for success—analyzing the trial design, shaping the regulatory and access strategy, evaluating clinical trial outcomes and developing an understanding of the benefits for patients. And since so many of the elements of, say, Health Technology Assessments or pricing and reimbursement submissions can have an impact on access outcomes, it makes sense for professionals like me to try to shape these things early on.”

It also means that hands-on, cross-functional collaboration is a central component of Tom’s work with Johnson & Johnson.

“The Market Access team is constantly interacting with every other function in order to drive outcomes: commercial, regulatory, medical affairs, R&D, business intelligence, supply, finance, you name it,” he said, adding, “I honestly can’t think of a function we aren’t working with in one way or another.”

“New ideas, smart ideas, great ideas”

Johnson & Johnson is the largest and most diversified healthcare products company in the world, which means that when you join our Market Access team, you’ll find unmatched opportunities to make an impact.

“New ideas, smart ideas, great ideas—we always welcome them, no matter who they come from,” Tom said. “We’re always excited about ideas that have the potential to change how we work, or that might allow more people to access our drugs and treatments.”
In this respect, Tom sees a clear connection between his work on the Market Access team and the values in Our Credo guiding everything we do at Johnson & Johnson.

“I feel like every inch of Our Credo is directly applicable to a career in Market Access. In paragraph three, for example, it specifically states, ‘We must help people be healthier by supporting better access and care in more places around the world.’ I view my work as a direct translation of that.”

What else stands out to Tom about the field?

“This is such an intellectually rewarding place to be, with so many different topics to think about and challenges to take on. When you’re constantly making an impact in people’s lives, it’s tough to get bored.”