#ePharma16: A Patient Reflects

Upon arriving in New York for the ePharma Summit 2016, I was extremely excited. Other patients I knew were attending and this was an opportunity to give me the ability to see what happens behind the scenes in the pharmaceutical world.As a patient, the only time I get to see that is when I'm chosen for a focus group from a pharmaceutical company.I knew that there would be some upsetting things, that many there may not be used to or excited about the patient engagement style that many patient leaders have adopted. The same goes for interacting with patients.I still was taken aback and upset when I saw these things happen.Not everyone had the experience at ePharma this year as myself and a few others. It seemed to be that many of the patients who stuck together throughout the sessions really enjoyed their experience.Not all of my experiences were icky. The first day of ePharma made the entire trip worth it.As a patient, here are some of my critiques from the summit as well as some suggestions for the future.I have mobility issues. Being in New York where walking and moving fast is the norm seemed to highlight those. The breakout sessions were often so close together or running late that it made it difficult to maneuver three floors of rooms.I also have food allergies and nutritional issues. One of the days, I ended up having to run out for lunch because all I could eat was white rice and salad sans dressing.Obviously, the biggest concern that I had was with the lack of inclusion...
Source: ePharma Summit - Category: Pharmaceuticals Tags: #ePharma16 chronic illness Educated Patient empowered patients ePatient Pharma-patient relationship Source Type: blogs