title: What do pharmaceutical industry professionals in Europe believe about involving patients and the public in research and development of medicines? A qualitative interview study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore European-based pharmaceutical industry professionals' beliefs about patient and public involvement (PPI) in medicines research and development (R&D).
  
  
  METHODS
  Pharmaceutical companies in the UK, Poland and Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  21 pharmaceutical industry professionals, four based in the UK, five with pan-European roles, four based in Spain and eight based in Poland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative interview study (telephone and face-to-face, semistructured interviews). All interviews were audio taped, translated (where appropriate) and transcribed for analysis using the Framework approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  21 pharmaceutical industry professionals participated. Key themes were: beliefs about (1) whether patients and the public should be involved in medicines R&D; (2) the barriers and facilitators to PPI in medicines R&D and (3) how the current relationships between the pharmaceutical industry, patient organisations and patients influence PPI in medicines R&D.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although interviewees appeared positive about PPI, many were uncertain about when, how and which patients to involve. Patients and the public's lack of knowledge and interest in medicines R&D, and the pharmaceutical industry's lack of knowledge, interest and receptivity to PPI were believed to be key challenges to increasing PPI. Interviewees also believed that relationships between the pharmaceutical industry, patient organisations, patients and the public needed to change to facilitate PPI in medicines R&D. Existing pharmaceutical industry codes of practice and negative media reporting of the pharmaceutical industry were also seen as negative influences on these relationships.
authors.affiliation: Public Programmes Team, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parsons
authors.affiliation: Public Programmes Team, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Bella
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Starling
authors.affiliation: Fresheyes Research, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mullan-Jensen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Su-Gwan
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2526-817X
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Tham
authors.affiliation: Focus on the patient, Medical Platforms UK, RD Chief Medical Office, GlaxoSmithKline, London, UK.
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Warner
authors.affiliation: Research and International Affairs, Dutch Genetic Alliance (VSOP), Soest, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wever
mesh_terms: D003256:Community Participation; D055808:Drug Discovery; D004345:Drug Industry; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D010358:Patient Participation; D011044:Poland; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013030:Spain; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: PUBLIC HEALTH; QUALITATIVE RESEARCH; SOCIAL MEDICINE