ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the Patient and treatment flow, promise Options, Direct competition, Unmet needs and Money flow (PODiUM) approach to evaluate some key situational context elements that are important in the assessment of pricing and market access opportunities for a new drug. It shows how each of the elements is of high importance in considering opportunities to create value in the eyes of payers, physicians and patients. The PODiUM approach is somewhat different between global regions and countries. To avoid an unnecessary level of complexity for global analyses, it is recommended to first focus on the big picture through one or a few important countries. Money or payment flows are important for drug treatment in hospitals and physician offices. Medical guidelines tend to favor proven therapies for which efficacy and safety is well documented. Payers tend to favor them even more, since they tend to be less expensive, particularly when patents have expired and generic versions are available.
