Development of a systematic approach to pharmaceutical industry’s patient assistance programs on accessing unfunded cancer drugs

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Kletas ◽  
Mario de Lemos
Keyword(s):  
Drug Information ◽  
Public Funding ◽  
Pharmaceutical Companies ◽  
Care Organization ◽  
Publicly Funded ◽  
Cancer Drugs ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Patient Assistance ◽  
Set Up

Background New oncology drugs usually become commercially available several months before the funding decisions are made by provincial public payers. Increasingly, patient assistance programs are being set up by pharmaceutical companies in order to facilitate access of their new cancer drugs before public funding decisions are finalized. We discovered that there is a need to keep this information up to date and available in a central repository, thus we have created a centralized patient assistance chart for use by all who require information on accessing unfunded drugs in our province. Methodology The project was carried out at a publicly funded provincial cancer care organization that oversees parenteral and oral chemotherapy treatments across our province. The drug information pharmacist at this organization developed a method of scoping information on upcoming therapies by reviewing a series of recommendations made by various organizations that review oncology treatments. A standard process was developed for including information on the patient assistance chart that is available on the organizations website. Results As of May 2016, the repository contains information on 47 patient assistance programs involving 24 unfunded antineoplastic drugs for various indications. This compared to (7) when it was maintained by a single centre in 2004 and 10 when the process was first centralized in 2009. Conclusion The benefit of patient assistance program availability allows patients to access medications when provincial funding is not available. A standardized approach and methodology to evaluating information was established by our drug information pharmacist; thus allowing for a consistent approach to dissemination of information on assessing unfunded cancer drugs in our province.

scholarly journals Utilization of Pharmaceutical Patient and Prescription Assistance Programs via a Pharmacy Department Patient Assistance Program for Indigent Cancer Patients

2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (7) ◽  
pp. 572-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Limin Gao ◽  
Jivin Joseph ◽  
Marcelle Santoro-Levy ◽  
Alan S. Multz ◽  
Vladimir K. Gotlieb
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Pharmacy Department ◽  
Patient Assistance

scholarly journals Transparency of Industry-Sponsored Oncology Patient Financial Assistance Programs Using a Patient-Centered Approach

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. e240-e248 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Yousuf Zafar ◽  
Jeffrey Peppercorn ◽  
Akwasi Asabere ◽  
Alex Bastian
Keyword(s):  
Web Sites ◽  
Free Drug ◽  
Financial Assistance ◽  
Oncology Patient ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Specific Patient ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Average Maximum ◽  
Patient Assistance ◽  
The Impact

Objective: Pharmaceutical manufacturers sponsor drug-specific patient assistance programs that provide eligible patients with financial assistance, either in the form of providing the drug free of charge or copayment assistance. Describing these programs and determining who receives assistance is an important first step in understanding the impact and role of financial assistance in cancer care. Our objective was to describe eligibility criteria and benefits for cancer-specific, manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs. Methods: We conducted a prospective review of patient assistance program Web sites and called patient assistance program telephone hotlines from the perspective of a patient or caregiver requesting program details. Results: We identified 24 manufacturers with patient assistance programs, covering 87% of Food and Drug Administration–approved oncology drugs. For free drug programs, the average maximum annual income for qualification was $86,279. For copayment assistance programs, the average was $104,790. Thirty-five percent of free drug programs and 53% of copayment assistance programs declined to provide details on how financial need was determined. None of the programs shared details on patient usage statistics. Conclusion: Variation exists in the quality and quantity of data available to patients seeking financial assistance for cancer treatment via manufacturer Web sites and hotlines. Greater transparency among patient assistance programs would enhance utility for patients and help to determine the net impact on costs and adherence.

scholarly journals Patient Assistance Programs and Technology in Medication Adherence

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Carlos Colon ◽  
Raiza Cotto ◽  
Militza Diaz ◽  
Isabel Martinez ◽  
Paulette Salas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Medication Management ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Disease States ◽  
Lower Education Level ◽  
Patient Assistance ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Care Assistance ◽  
The Impact

Background: Patient assistance programs, including medication management and counseling, have the potential to improve care in chronic disease states with complex therapies. Incorporating technology as a tool to foster adherence is becoming more commonplace in practice. Objectives:  The purpose of this report is to identify barriers of medication adherence and review the impact of patient assistance programs and technology on medication adherence. Methods: A literature search was conducted in secondary databases, PubMed/MEDLINE and EBSCOhost of peer-reviewed systematic reviews, experimental, quasi-experimental, and observational reports published in English within the last fifteen years. Terms searched included patient assistance program, pharmacist role, technology, adherence or compliance, income and health. Results: Ten studies met our prespecified criteria. Male sex, several self-reported chronic diseases, negative expectancy of treatment, engagement in polypharmacy, financial hardships and lower education level correlated with lower medication adherence. Patient care assistance programs and utilization of technology (e.g., use of a mobile application) improved medication adherence. Conclusions: Patient assistance programs and technological tools, such as mobile applications, are necessary resources in improving medication adherence.   Article Type: Idea Paper

Identifying Training Needs and Active Information Opportunities in Primary Care Through the Analysis of Drug Information Requests

2021 ◽  
pp. 089719002199697
Author(s):  
Teresa M. Salgado ◽  
Melissa R. Barker ◽  
Jon D. Frerichs ◽  
Kerri T. Musselman ◽  
Dave L. Dixon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Drug Information ◽  
Labor Cost ◽  
Training Needs ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Labor Costs ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Patient Assistance ◽  
Information Requests ◽  
Answering Questions

Introduction: Drug information (DI) services should work toward efficiency by identifying knowledge gaps and actively creating resources to address those needs. The aim was to identify training needs and active information opportunities in primary care by analyzing DI requests and to calculate labor cost associated with DI requests addressable with training or active information. Methods: DI requests received in 2016 and 2017 by ambulatory care pharmacists were independently classified by 2 authors into: training (i.e., delivery of content meant to be retained as knowledge and used when needed); active information (i.e., resources created preemptively and consulted when needed); or passive information (i.e., not addressable with training or active information). Inter-rater reliability was calculated using Cohen’s Kappa. Median time spent by category and across practice settings/professional types was compared using bivariate analysis. Thematic analysis categorized specific training and active DI requests and labor costs were calculated. Results: Of 2,041 DI requests, 330 (16.2%) were classified as training, 454 (22.2%) active information, and 1257 (61.6%) passive information (kappa = 0.769). Median (IQR) time to resolve requests was 5 (2-10) mins for training, 5 (3-11) active information, and 10 (4-15) passive information. Pharmacists spent 132.1 hrs = $8,956.98 answering questions addressable with training or active information. Areas warranting training or active information included: controlled substances, immunizations, patient assistance programs, policy/regulations, medication preparation/administration, storage/stability, disposal, availability/ordering medications, and patient-related resources. Conclusion: Several opportunities for training and active information were identified. Despite the single-institution nature, the method described can serve as an example for other institutions.

Patient Assistance Programs: Information Is Not Our Enemy

2009 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 843-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niteesh K. Choudhry ◽  
Joy L. Lee ◽  
Jessica Agnew-Blais ◽  
Colleen Corcoran ◽  
William H. Shrank
Keyword(s):  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Patient Assistance

PhRMA’s Patient Assistance Programs

2009 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 1227-1227
Author(s):  
Kathryn Saenz Duke
Keyword(s):  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Patient Assistance

scholarly journals Pharmaceutical assistance foundations in the financing of cancer care.

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (8_suppl) ◽  
pp. 8-8
Author(s):  
Aaron Philip Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Drug Manufacturer ◽  
Cancer Drugs ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Patients With Cancer

8 Background: The rising cost of cancer drugs may make treatment unaffordable for some patients. Patients often rely on drug manufacturer-administered Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs (PAPs) to obtain drugs at reduced or no cost. The overall impact of PAPs on cancer care delivery is unknown. Methods: We identified all patients obtaining cancer drugs across an academically affiliated, integrated health system in the state of North Carolina during 2014. The proportion of patients receiving PAP assistance, and the retail value of the assistance, were quantified for each oncology drug. Cancer drugs were analyzed with respect to route of administration. Results: 215 unique patients submitted a total of 478 successful PAP requests for cancer drugs. The majority of the retail value of drugs obtained was for oral cancer drugs, particularly targeted therapies including tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Among all cancer patients who received medical treatment, 5.5% required PAP assistance, whereas 10.6% receiving an oral agent required PAP assistance (Table). The proportion receiving PAP assistance varied substantially by drug, ranging from <1% of patients (e.g., carboplatin, methotrexate) to 50% of patients (e.g., ponatinib, temsirolimus). Patients obtained a total of $1,556,575 of imatinib and $1,449,633 of dasatinib, which were the two drugs with the highest aggregate retail value. 40% of PAP-utilizing patients were uninsured, 26% had Medicaid coverage, 20% had Medicare coverage, and 14% were commercially insured. Conclusions: A substantial proportion of patients with cancer receive private charitable assistance through PAPs in order to obtain standard-of-care treatments. In particular, a disproportionate share of patients treated with orally-available cancer drugs require PAP assistance. This includes patients with federal and private insurance, suggesting an inability of patients to meet cost-sharing requirements. [Table: see text]

Delivering Sport Psychology Services to a Professional Sport Organization

1990 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 378-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick Neff
Keyword(s):  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Psychological Services ◽  
Professional Sport ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Employee Assistance Program ◽  
Employee Assistance ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Assistance Programs ◽  
Sport Organization

This paper discusses a model of providing a specialized employee assistance program, with psychological services that are far-reaching and beyond what traditional employee assistance programs offer. Three main areas in which services are deemed especially critical include working with the athletes to improve their sports performance using various mental skills techniques, providing personal counseling, and impacting the organization at an organizational level. Also discussed is the author’s current role with the team and management, both during the preseason and the official season. Further, the author evaluates his effectiveness as a sport psychology consultant and the problems encountered as well as the importance of developing and maintaining proper boundaries within the organization. In conclusion, issues related to the goodness of fit between the professional sport organization and the sport psychology consultant are addressed.

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