Originally published as a guest post on Pharmaceutical Commerce magazine
A prescription is not as simple as a piece of paper. For patients navigating their prescription journeys, the road remains as rocky as ever. Opaque administrative burdens for patients and providers often create unnecessary and frustrating hurdles — a scenario that’s all but guaranteed when specialty medications are involved.
Prescribing and approval processes drain time and resources for both providers and patients. Creating a seamless, streamlined infrastructure is imperative to provide the kind of critical patient support that results in speed to first fill and adherence, but how do we do that?
"...it’s a big win to connect the patient with expert help that doesn’t drain provider resources."
A 2021 survey of providers engaged through the PDR (Prescriber’s Digital Reference) found that 7.4 out of 10 users of patient support or hub services report high overall satisfaction with them. In fact, a majority feel they play an important role in helping patients get on therapy. At the same time, hub tools that offer ease of use and convenience mean that office workflow is significantly improved.
The survey found that key services perceived as helping patients the most include managing benefit verifications and prior authorization (PA) hurdles. We know that delaying medication approval by even a few hours impedes patient access to treatment and increases the risk of abandonment. It’s also imperative to give patients direct access to support and information outside the provider’s office—it’s a big win to connect the patient with expert help that doesn’t drain provider resources. Combining hub services with a program like Copay ePA is a powerful way to get medication into the hands of patients quickly while the complicated PA process is handled behind the scenes.
Copay ePA is triggered by rejected claims from our copay adjudication network. The first fill is automatically bought down by the brand so the prescription can be filled. The patient receives their first dose, allowing the provider’s office to complete the PA without concern that the patient is delaying the start of therapy. Meanwhile, the hub pulls together information required to complete the PA. The provider’s staff submits the necessary information and then the patient services team will continue to follow up with the payor until a PA decision is made.
The bottom line? To speed a patient’s time to therapy you must meet them, and overburdened providers, right where they are. Partner with a solutions provider that architects powerful hub programs with smart solutions, has proven results and is known for delivering the kind of valuable data-based business insights that help pharmaceutical manufacturers plot their path forward with a drug brand.
To learn how you can partner with ConnectiveRx, just reach out.