The three Ps from Parfrement - passion, pride and proactivity

Emma Parfrement stirred up the conference delegates with a galvanizing call-to-action that means taking a soul-searching look at how interactions between industry and physicians have been conducted and how they must change.

In a rousing (but compelling) imploration to delegates, Parfrement started out with a big confession - yes she had been a junkie to marketing ploys when she worked in the industry and yes she had become disillusioned with the sense of 'being the big bad wolf, hiding behind closed doors, whispering in corners, feeling uncomfortable admitting that she worked in the pharmaceutical industry and reaching to doctors to secure their product and brand loyalty was a part of that.'

Shunning such surreptitiousness and re-training as a therapist brought her back to her senses however. Emma explained that it became obvious that this is not, infact, a fair reflection of how hard industry works to provide healthcare solutions and to collaborate commendably with the medical community - but a 'mediated perception' that is constantly reinforced because we want a good guy/bad guy battle. This is the classic 'drama triangle' with the pre-set roles of persecutor, victim and rescuer. Stepping out of this game playing is key and that means restoring passion and pride in the contributions of all parties and the essential ingredient - proactivity - where all can find and use their 'adult voice' to behave better, be a positive presence, and 'dare to talk medicine not marketing in a new era of engagement.'

Emma went on to volunteer myPHID.com as both mediator and challenger in this new environment. Making no apologies that the intent is to 'provoke, push, produce' new alignments and thinking, Emma outlined the ambition of myPHID to dynamically promote the quest to accomplish best relationship practice in the healthcare arena. MyPHID will seek to understand, encourage discussion and be the facilitator of best practice agreements with the ultimate aim of educating and asserting new and better methods of interactions where all healthcare stakeholders have an equal voice.

Announcing the first dedicated studies commencing in 2009 and the series of monthly investigative 'Expert Sessions; Parfrement predicted a paradigm shift in how relationships are conducted and perceived but iterated that it must start now and that people must commit. Concluding that 'we cannot do this alone' Emma urged delegates to "care enough to commit to forming commendable relationships, align your goals and realise your ambitions - which are a shared belief in wanting to find answers for patients". Time to pop that proactivity pill.