Natalie discusses how non-commercial pharmacies boost patient access and adherence to specialty therapies. They also help physicians deliver better care.
On May 24 at 1:00 pm ET, ConnectiveRx will host an online panel discussion on non-commercial pharmacy services with experts from ConnectiveRx and AstraZeneca. Click here to register here for this free event. Email inquiries@ConnectiveRx.com with any questions.
Read on for Natalie’s insights.
How Non-Commercial Pharmacies Accelerate Patients Into Prescription Programs
By Natalie Tyler, RPh., Director of Pharmacy Operations & Strategy, ConnectiveRx
For these physicians and their patients, a non-commercial pharmacy (NCP) can transform how patients start and stay on their medication. While their purpose has primarily been supporting “free good” pharmaceutical programs, NCPs offer much more value. They serve as a virtual holding area for a prescription that is sent to a dispensing pharmacy once benefit verifications, prior authorizations, copay programs and other fulfillment needs are completed.
Today, nearly all doctors are e-prescribing medication, but when they want to order a specialty medication, they typically have to go to a website, download a form, fill it out, and fax it to a hub. Even though the hub is designed to help alleviate the burden of paperwork, information is often missing or handwriting is illegible, becoming an administrative nightmare. The truth is, doctors simply can’t keep up with all the products, websites and forms, and even the different hub systems are becoming overwhelming.
The NCP is a pharmacy that can accept e-prescriptions, so the provider simply needs to prescribe the medication to the NCP. ConnectiveRx routinely works with pharmaceutical manufacturers to set up patient support programs using the NCP as the intake channel for enrollment into hub services. The NCP makes the starting process simple, automated and seamless so the remainder of the patient support services can be put to work.
For example, primary care physicians (PCPs) treating asthma patients who have found little relief from inhalers and other therapies are able to prescribe a biologic directly to Careform Pharmacy, the manufacturer’s partner pharmacy. Rather than exiting the patient’s EHR and manually filling out a patient enrollment form, the physician selects Careform to receive the prescription for the drug, just like they would any retail or specialty pharmacy at the point of prescribing.
Similarly, specialists prescribing other specialty medications, such as a self-injector product to treat osteoporosis, are able to do so via the NCP, never having to leave their existing workflow.
Providers don’t need to enter the patient data because it is already in the EHR, and the relevant information is automatically transferred to the prescription. In-workflow EHR prescribing can give patients access to the medication days or even weeks faster. The time providers would normally have spent dealing with authorizations can now be used where it belongs: with their patients.
Ultimately, making the enrollment channel faster and easier for patients to get access to these potentially life-saving therapies is just one of many successful strategies for increasing the likelihood patients receive their first dose and improving adherence. Client feedback is overwhelmingly positive, and many are evaluating other products to move over to the NCP intake platform because of the value it provides in simplifying the patient’s entire medication journey.
To learn more about non-commercial pharmacies and ConnectiveRx’s services, register for a panel discussion with Natalie Tyler, RPh., Director of Pharmacy Operations & Strategy, ConnectiveRx, Dave Guiga, Head of Respiratory & Immunology Portfolio Acceleration, AstraZeneca, and other experts on May 24, at 1:00 pm EDT. You can also email us at inquiries@ConnectiveRx.com with any questions.
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