5 questions to ask a potential patient support partner when launching one of your first products
By AmerisourceBergen
A pre-launch checklist for patient services
Launching new, innovative therapies can be overwhelming for an emerging company due to the myriad of decisions involved with commercializing these therapies and helping patients get access to them. This is complicated by a patient services industry that is quickly evolving, with advances like artificial intelligence and predictive analytics that promise to deliver greater efficiencies. Keeping up with the latest technology can be difficult, especially when you want to ensure the technology is delivering on its promise and delivering you better value.
But not all patient service partners have the deep healthcare expertise, vetted processes, and extensive experience to successfully integrate these technologies into their clients’ programs. A partner who has both the expertise and a wide range of services — and who can tailor its services and support to your specific needs — is instrumental to your success.
But not all patient service partners have the deep healthcare expertise, vetted processes, and extensive experience to successfully integrate these technologies into their clients’ programs. A partner who has both the expertise and a wide range of services — and who can tailor its services and support to your specific needs — is instrumental to your success.
So, how can you design, execute, and optimize a patient support program successfully? And how do you ensure you’re taking advantage of marketplace developments such as automation and other new technologies? Start by asking potential patient service partners these five key questions.
To see the questions you should ask if you’re an established biopharma company, click here.
- What do you know about the patient population treated by our therapy? Generally, potential partners should have a strong understanding of both your product and the unique, niche needs of your patient population. It’s essential to work with an experienced partner with proven experience in programs similar to yours and in wide variety of therapeutic areas — from those where patient services are more established, like oncology, to newer areas where these services are being offered, like cell and gene therapy and medical devices. A patient support program provider with deep and diverse industry expertise can offer insights into when automation is most effective or when a unique approach can better serve your patient population. A consultative approach — informed by launching and managing many programs — will help you to prioritize only the solutions that you need to meet the needs of your patients and complement your program.
- How do you solve challenges that lie ahead for patients trying to access my product? Challenges will inevitably arise when you’re launching and growing a new program. Patient access, for example, is one of the many hurdles involved with commercialization, and the process of solving this challenge can quickly become overwhelming. It’s not enough for your partner to simply provide the technology to execute the program. Ensure your potential patient support partner keeps up with the latest technology and offers a range of advanced tools that bring value and help you navigate barriers to patient access. Working with a partner who can support you with tools and strategies using the advanced technology across the entire patient journey ensures you are keeping up with how services are being provided and helps to position you to solve new challenges.
- What tools do you offer for managing my patient support program? Understanding your program performance is a critical step in achieving optimal results. By constantly reviewing program metrics and performance, you can make better strategic decisions about improvements. Ensure your partner offers tools that allow you to proactively monitor and report on how well your account is performing, how it’s staffed, and whether the technology being used is providing value. Using benchmarks and insights gained from these tools, you can flag potential issues as well as understand how you may need to adjust your program based on market dynamics.
- How are you using the voice of the customer to enhance your services? Launching and executing your program is a true partnership between your team and your patient support partner. Responsive partners who are committed to the voice of the customer are constantly seeking to align their roadmap to the evolving needs of their clients. Look for a patient support program provider who will not only listen to your feedback but is also responsive to your budget needs. Flexible solutions should be customizable to specific situations. For example, options such as shared programs or hub light offerings are a great fit for a smaller population base or a less established customer base.
- What other services do you offer beyond patient services? Inevitably as your program grows, you will need to adapt to support the needs of your program. Working with multiple vendors, however, can present challenges such as lack of connectivity to optimize program performance, delays in patients receiving therapy, and misalignment on shared goals. A partner that offers a range of services provides a great advantage because it can scale with your needs and enable you to contract multiple offerings in a consolidated way. Additional capabilities you may want to explore include commercialization services, field reimbursement solutions, financial solutions, and workflow integration.
Cencora Patient Services
We offers industry-leading solutions that help biopharma companies accelerate, enhance, and simplify the patient journey to prescribed therapy. We innovate constantly and with purpose, putting the patient at the center of everything we do. And we continue to lead the way in driving access to innovative therapies. Connect with our experts to advance your patient support program for better patient outcomes.
