Cases - Business

It would be nice to think that the companies on the leading edge of work/life balance programs are simply being good citizens and doing the right thing! But, the fact is that these programs make good business sense.

In addition to increased productivity and employ

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

ee satisfaction, companies can retain valuable employees in a competitive environment, and attract new employees with these programs.

Every generation in the workforce today reports that work and life balance is one of the top issues for them and that they want to

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

work in a company that supports their desire to have more balance in their life.

Whatever the reason for the movement, we should be glad it is upon us.

Who are the companies with programs, what do the programs look like and what results have they achieved?

You mi

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

ght be surprised to know that these companies cut across all industries in the private and the public sector. Here are some examples of program components:

Elder care programs consisting of resources directories, counseling, elder care services and educationa

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

l services

Expanded telecommuting and ‘telework’ programs that allow employees to work from home or other locations

Part-time and job sharing positions for employees come off disability or recovering from health problems, or for parents who wish to spend

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

time at home with their children or with aging parents

Fully accredited child care centers in or near the workplace

Babies in the Workplace programs that allow a child to remain with a parent in the workplace until the age of six months or whenever the c

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

hild starts to crawl

Alternative work schedules and FlexTime work schedules that allow employees to work hours other than 9:00 to 5:00 in order to better meet their personal needs

Family Advocacy Programs held at lunch-time on managing personal finances,

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

parenting, stress management, anger management and elder care issues

Outdoor recreation, walking paths and fitness equipment for employee use during and after work. Some companies even provide grills, row boats and other equipment for employee family use.

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nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically

li> Support groups for elder care, new fathers, holistic health, spousal abuse, single parents, adoptive parents, parents of teenagers parents of blended or merged families, caregivers, and grandparents raising grandchildren alone.

Nursing Mother Rooms for br

and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ

eastfeeding moms

Enforced scheduling and use of vacation and personal days to ensure that the employees takes time off from work

Cross-training in positions to ensure coverage so that employees can take time off without the company suffering

These are j

ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

st some of the examples of programs in government agencies, hotels, banks, corporations and union environments around the country. Human Resource Management companies and universities study the effects of these programs and publish reports to support and encourag

ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a

e their growth. And the really dedicated companies keep finding new ways to encourage balance.

In many cases, this effort still has to trickle down into the company. Older managers or those supervisors who feel they are being shortchanged on work may frown upon t

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

hese initiatives and studies find that programs put in place without adequate manager and employee training rarely have the same impact as a program that includes communication via seminars, training, written manuals and frequent follow-up.

If your company wants to

cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin

start a work/life balance program, you can contact a consulting company that provides analysis and planning services to get you started, or you can look to some of the publications out there online or in written form for self-paced program implementation.

Here are

tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen

some links to get you started:

http://www.simpleliving.net/timeday/links.asp
http://wfnetwork.bc.edu/business.php
http://www.workfamily.com/Open/ElevenStepsPage.asp
http://www.workfamily.com/Vendors/WorkLifeVendors.asp

A simple internet search will

t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel

give you more options. Whether you are an employee, frustrated with overwork, a manager who wants to create a more supportive environment, or a company trying to get more information on these programs, the search is worthwhile.

Work/Life Programs benefit the compa

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

ny by increasing productivity and focus on the job, reducing job turnover and increasing employee satisfaction. Employees will miss less time from work, because they will not be sick as often.

Families will be more supportive of the employee’s job and company choi

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

ce because they know the company supports the employee’s personal needs, and their efforts to sustain good health and to manage stress.

If your company does not have a Work/Life Program in place, ask your manager about starting one. See if you can get a grass root

.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de

s movement going!

If you are in a position to influence the company’s decision or you have the power to decide on a Work/Life Program, don’t wait. Contrary to what you may think you won’t lose money or time on this program. Instead, your company will run better a

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

nd you will find it easier to attract and retain good employees. You will get a lot of support and good press from your employees and your managers, alike - and your company may even end up in one of those University Case Studies. A role model for others to follow

tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

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