At Patients Come First, our mission is to ensure patients receive the care and support they need driven by science without misleading barriers or delays to innovation. We are dedicated to removing obstacles that stand in the way of patient well-being. Through advocacy, science, education, and collaboration, we strive to put patients at the forefront of healthcare.
What We Fight For
340B:
The 340B program was meant to help the most vulnerable get access to medicines and care, large players in the healthcare system like hospitals take advantage of weak transparency at the expense of patients most in need.
Pre-Approval Access:
Patients should expect that medicines are thoroughly investigated to the extent that they can include robust, diverse trials. We believe there should be clear, accessible processes for patients who have exhausted all other treatment options to explore, gaining pre-approval access to investigational medicines that could be of potential help.
ICER–Value Assessments:
Too often bureaucratic entities like ICER effectively put a value on patients’ lives using arbitrary cost-effectiveness measures like QALYs, making it easier for insurers to determine and even deny coverage of treatments for patients in need.
Rebates and Discounts:
Drug manufacturers provide deep discounts and rebates but far too often these savings don’t get shared with the patients for whom they are intended.
Copay Assistance:
Cost-sharing assistance is meant to help patients most in need get access to treatments, but far too often large healthcare actors take advantage of these patient resources through copay accumulator programs, deductible copay adjusters, and other methods that divert resources meant to help patients.
Government Price Setting:
Government price-setting measures like those in the newly passed Inflation Reduction Act not only stifle innovation and hope for rare diseases innovation and patients with chronic illnesses waiting for a cure, but price controls also threaten patient access to the best treatment in favor of alternatives that mean more money for the government and other big healthcare players like insurers.
Litigation As a Barrier to Care:
Meritless litigation diverts time and resources from medical research to legal battles, delaying the development of novel treatments and therapies. The diversion of limited resources to meritless claims can make innovators more risk-averse and disincentivize the creation of novel medicines that benefit patients suffering from rare and chronic diseases.
Legal Medical Advertising:
TV and online ads warning about prescription drugs and medical devices have become alarmingly common—often framed as urgent medical alerts. These ads can mislead viewers, causing fear and confusion about products that are still widely prescribed. Too often, patients stop taking essential medications based solely on what they see in these commercials, without speaking to their doctor. Misleading legal advertising undermines trust in medical care, may confuse patients into getting unnecessary surgeries or medical care out of fear, and puts patients at risk when they need clarity and confidence the most.