Noble International is working with Pharma and Specialty Pharmacy to fix the problem.
The report, “The Current Paradigm for Biologic Initiation: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Practices, Unmet Needs, and Innovation Opportunities in Self-Injection Training,” chronicles a study meant to examine the current injection initiation experiences of patients. Here, significant gaps in training and support were found.
The results of this study showed that healthcare providers receive minimal biologic-specific instructions, and often lack a proper understanding of nuanced device differences. Similar studies have also shown that one-third of patients receive no training at all and when they do… it lasts a mere 15-20 minutes. As a result, the burdens and anxieties related to the therapeutic treatment continue to fall onto the patients, and the majority become non-adherent to their treatment program.
This is why Noble has formed a new strategy to tackle the problem: by working in partnership with pharmaceutical manufacturers and specialty pharmacies.
Flipping the script through a new, patient-centered model of care.
“Recent studies have shown that patient training is broken, and everyone is paying for it. By partnering with both specialty pharmacies and pharmaceutical manufacturers we will be able to reach a broader segment of the patient population and ensure that they are receiving the proper training and support so they can stay adherent to their therapeutic treatment,” explained Tim McLeroy, Executive Director of Marketing and Patients Services for Noble. “An enhanced patient-centered model of care will not only empower patients by providing them with the training resources that they need – it will also support our specialty pharmacy and pharmaceutical partners by enhancing their model of care and helping patients to stay adherent to their therapeutic treatment.”
New and improved methods for increasing patient engagement are needed.
Noble is adopting new methods for collaborating with pharmaceutical manufacturers and specialty pharmacies to improve patient engagement and outcomes in a more cost-efficient and effective manner. For starters, Noble is partnering with pharma brand market access teams to identify key, contracted specialty pharmacies to implement an enhanced patient engagement model. They are working with these targeted specialty pharmacies to optimize workflow integration of patient materials with current patient engagement protocols. Finally, Noble is coordinating communications between pharma fulfillment houses and specialty pharmacies to ensure proper patient information exchange and delivery expectations.
Why can Specialty Pharmacy be part of the solution? Increased patient engagement.
100% of patients must go through Specialty Pharmacies in order to receive their prescriptions. A medical assessment is given to each new patient at the beginning of service. Injection training is offered over the phone or a link is emailed out to the patient. However, no training devices are offered. This is where Noble can help by equipping the Specialty Pharmacy with the right tools that help patients in using their medications properly. In essence, this gives patients the right information at the right time about how to inject.
Patient Kits help ease anxiety, improve confidence and preparedness.
The rise in telemedicine and the decrease in nurse staffing are also negatively impacting the scope for more proper patient training opportunities.
In response, Noble has partnered with a Specialty Pharmacy to measure the effects of an improved patient engagement model by introducing a pilot program where patients receive patient training kits directly. The contents of the kit include a letter explaining the program, a QR code to access a training video and simple instructions for using a training device. The patients participate in three surveys before, during and after using the kit to help measure performance and a six-month follow up is conducted to determine adherence and experience. Initial acceptance of the kit has been incredibly positive, with a 100% usage among pilot participants. More importantly, those who receive the kit have taken their first injection almost two times faster than those who did not.
Together we can improve patient care.
Prescription abandonment and product adherence are major marketplace challenges that continue to affect multiple stakeholders. 20 to 30% of prescriptions are never filled— and approximately 50% of medications for chronic disease are not being taken as prescribed. In addition, only 3% of potentially eligible patients are currently using pharma sponsored support programs.
However, by properly equipping the pharmacist to help the patient in their therapeutic journey, we can improve patient adherence. By building alignment across multiple stakeholders around the needs of the patient we can improve engagement and ultimately, fix what— up until now, has been a broken patient training process.
Noble Speaks Patient®
Noble has traditionally combined its knowledge and understanding of the patient’s needs and anxieties around self-injecting along with its design and engineering expertise to develop and commercialize training devices that mimic the exact feel, force and function of the real drug delivery device in order to help increase patient confidence and adherence to self-administering drug therapies. Noble also assists brands with training utilization, training device Instructions for Use (IFUs), training videos for patients, Human Factors support, product launch strategy programs, and more. Noble works with pharma companies in the development of patient training videos to help patients more easily learn how to properly self-administer their medication.
To learn more about how Noble’s training solutions and digital health solutions are increasing positive outcomes for HCPs and their patients, visit gonoble.com.
Sponsored content by Noble
Filed Under: Sponsored Content
