Implementation Science

Implementation science is the scientific study of methods to promote the adoption of research findings and other evidence-based practices into routine practice. By addressing barriers and facilitators that may exist in the real world, implementation science can provide actionable insights to optimize uptake of products. It may also be referred to as knowledge translation.

Product approval and market access are usually considered the keys to product success. However, a critical but often overlooked component of the drug development lifecycle is product uptake.

Real-world settings can pose obstacles not seen in tightly controlled clinical trials, which can result in highly effective products not being used in practice or products being found to be less effective in real-world usage. Obstacles can include, but are not limited to:

Clinical systems or infrastructure – limited resources, training or skillsets, clinician awareness and perceptions
Policy or regulatory considerations
Patient adherence or persistence – due to side effects, dosing frequency, route of administration, issues with access
Patient awareness – either lack of knowledge a therapy exists or potential perceptions of the therapy

Implementation science can help optimize uptake by identifying and developing strategies to overcome obstacles to the use of a product.

With increased competition and pressure for product success, it is important to get not only your launch strategy right, but also your implementation strategy, to give your product the best chance for long-term success. Gathering insights throughout the product lifecycle, from preliminary feasibility insights early in the drug development process to implementation strategies tailored to be responsive and effective to a given context, helps to facilitate that long-term success.