Democratizing Clinical Research Access, A Walmart Commitment

Leading with New Vision

According to Walmart‘s chief medical officer (CMO) John Wigneswaran, M.D., the retail behemoth is stepping up its efforts to be a destination for affordable healthcare with the inauguration of Walmart Healthcare Research Institute (WHRI) just this October 11, 2022. The objective is to make clinical research “equitable for everybody,” including those who reside in rural areas who have less access to clinical trials than those who reside in cities with adjacent academic centers.

Wigneswaran details that Walmart intends to make use of its connections with more than 150 million weekly consumers in order to, first and foremost, “find individuals for studies that have a health equality impact,” such as clinical trials for diabetes, HIV, obesity, and asthma. Following that, the Walmart Health division is probably going to participate in decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) as a pickup point for study pharmaceuticals, which might also involve patient counseling by its pharmacists.

Always the Numbers Game

Clinical trial participants have historically not been drawn from the general population but rather from those who chance to live close to a research facility and have the time and resources to take part. Patients with household yearly incomes below $50,000 were also discovered to be 27% less likely to take part in clinical trials in a prospective JAMA Oncology survey research entitled Patient Income Level and Cancer Clinical Trial Participation done in 2016 by Unger et al. Along with their income, the likelihood of them doing so decreased.

Walmart maintains a database to locate potential trial participants based on the prescriptions they consume, similar to other retail pharmacies looking to participate in clinical research. Wigneswaran points out that Walmart has a very big number of patients who have previously registered into clinical programs, and medicines bought at the pharmacy often include the diagnosis code. He notes that 3,991 of Walmart’s 4,735 shops are located in areas that are considered to be medically underserved, and 90% of Americans reside within 10 miles of a Walmart. These comprise areas with a particularly high concentration of elderly people, people living in rural areas, women, and people of color.

Unlocking Full Potential

Walmart might be a force to be reckoned with in the recruitment department alone. According to Wigneswaran, when millions of its patients were surveyed earlier this year, around three-quarters of them claimed to be familiar with the term “clinical research” and more than half indicated an interest in taking part in studies. The wording chosen to highlight the benefits of participation, including the chance to learn about pharmaceuticals and possibly better their daily lives, is credited by the author with sparking such a high level of interest. According to Wigneswaran, Walmart is careful not to oversaturate people with offers that are irrelevant to them.

He claims that customers can actively look for upcoming trials as well as keep track of their healthcare activities using Walmart’s recently launched My Health Journey digital platform. An additional feature of the app, according to Wigneswaran, is the ability to communicate patients directly about enrolling in trials. The app will contain patients’ medical records, insurance information, and reminders for preventive care services.

Employment Blitz

Wigneswaran, who was previously the CMO at Express Scripts and has held positions at DaVita Kidney Care and Fresenius Medical Care North America, was hired by Walmart last summer, although the company had an interest in clinical research before that. However, as soon as he was hired, additional new executives joined the leadership team quickly, according to an announcement made on LinkedIn by Cheryl Pegus, executive vice president of health and wellness.

According to Wigneswaran, the company had already collaborated with pharmaceutical corporations on a number of research and white papers. The WHRI was founded as part of continuous initiatives to better include and inform patients, many of whom are unable to take part in clinical studies. He claims that WHRI is an extension of long-standing Walmart procedures to speak with patients not just about studies but also about care gaps and to raise their level of health literacy regarding medications. It is also an opportunity to thrust the pharmaceutical industry regarding the development of protocols and their effects on health equity.

Walmart claims that the WHRI has already shown great results with a referral rate that is three times the industry average in the news release announcing the initiative’s start. Wigneswaran notes that the number for studies on rare diseases may fluctuate because industry partnerships got underway in earnest back in April. According to him, the procedure starts with a query to the internal database to acquire a sense of what’s out there. The list of qualified patient referrals is then generated using an inclusion/exclusion method that uses a number of different data types.

Ready for Takeoff

Walmart’s extensive patient-facing ecosystem, called My Health Journey, was introduced earlier this year with the goal of including patients before, during, and after their involvement in a study. According to Wigneswaran, this may comprise a discussion about whether they received a flu shot on time or whether they require additional disease knowledge. It may also entail reporting study findings to participants and surrounding communities while also gauging their effects.

According to him, WHRI collaborates with a wide spectrum of study partners, including pharmaceutical corporations, contract research organizations (CROs), and prestigious academic medical institutes. Laina Enterprises, a DCTs platform, and CTI Clinical Trial & Consulting Services, a full-service CRO.

WHRI will first focus on operating domestically, despite the fact that Walmart is a multinational corporation that has operations in 24 different nations. The first objective is to develop relationships with patients in the US. And since Walmart’s omnichannel strategy—which includes pharmacies, clinics, optical and dental services—provides all the required infrastructure, WHRI’s goals shouldn’t require a significant financial investment or store redesign.

More on Walmart Healthcare Research Institute

Walmart has a long history of supporting efforts to increase access for patients and underrepresented groups, and the Walmart Healthcare Research Institute is a continuation of that commitment. This has been proven by the retailer through low-cost medications like the $4 generic medication program and private label ReliOn® insulin, high-quality healthcare at Walmart Health Centers and Vision Centers, partnerships and programs to address Social Determinants of Health, and now the chance to participate in healthcare research.

At walmarthealthcareresearchinstitute.com, patients can find out more about healthcare research and opportunities that might be perfect for them.

About Walmart

In retail outlets, online, and via mobile devices, Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) enables customers anywhere in the globe to save money and live better. In 24 countries, under 46 banners, more than 230 million customers and members visit more than 10,500 businesses and various eCommerce websites every week. Walmart employs over 2.3 million associates globally and expects fiscal year 2022 revenue of $573 billion. Walmart is still a pioneer in corporate charity, sustainability, and employment opportunities.

Visit corporate.walmart.com, Facebook at facebook.com/walmart, and Twitter at twitter.com/walmart for more information about Walmart.

Engr. Dex Marco Tiu Guibelondo, BS Pharm, RPh, BS CpE

Editor-in-Chief, PharmaFEATURES