Under the traditional model for drug delivery and commercialization, there are many opportunities for patients to slip through the cracks. In the rare disease sector specifically, therapies typically flow through a half-dozen disjointed, uncoordinated middlemen, including wholesalers, distributors, hubs, specialty pharmacies, and healthcare providers before they get to a patient. It’s no wonder then that Global Genes reports that adherence in the rare space can vary from 58% to 65%, a troubling statistic for our industry and most importantly, the patients we serve.
Outsourcing strategies are now evolving to better address manufacturer, healthcare provider, caregiver, and patient needs, spanning the development pathway to commercialization cycle. “Many life science companies, from start-ups to established brands, recognize that building their own complex commercialization structure or working with multiple vendors is an unnecessary redundancy that adds cost to healthcare delivery and diffuses their attention," says Penny Bemus, Senior VP, Business Development, Dohmen Life Science Services (DLSS). A simplified, yet comprehensive and measurable, outsourcing model creates direct alignment with the manufacturer while strengthening and simplifying the relationships with their patients. Taking a deeper look, the evolved outsourcing model addresses critical areas of concern.
Inflated Cost of Care
In many cases, the price of the therapy is marked up at each level, which lacks transparency and inflates the cost of care with no additional benefit to the patient. And as we are all aware, pricing concerns are impacting the reputation of many manufacturers and drawing criticism to the industry as a whole. According to Milliman research, commissioned by DLSS, payer cost is 17% higher than manufacturer cost. It’s estimated that payers are covering $19.4 billion in markups in the rare disease market alone. A comprehensive business process outsourcing solution can reduce hand-offs and eliminate mark-ups while providing reputational control to the manufacturer.
Quality of Care
Fragmented hub and delivery operations create service gaps and an inconsistent experience for patients and caregivers. Poor cooperation across a standard multiple third-party vendor network leads to the absence of standardized patient support protocols, inconsistent patient education efforts and an increased potential for service failure, all contributing to an inefficient, ineffective and frustrating patient experience.
A portable service model that wraps around the therapy regardless of a patient’s geography or his or her insurer empowers healthcare providers, caregivers, and patients to manage outcomes with care protocols and technologies tailored to the unique requirements of a specific disease and patient community on a consistent basis.
Improvement of Care
Managing the multiple vendors required across the typical hub and pharmacy operation also creates a challenge for continuous improvement. Gathering insightful data from disparate service providers in order to analyze and act upon patient feedback and program enhancements can be cumbersome. The DLSS wrap-around patient service model focuses on reducing the burden of disease and increasing therapy adherence through coordinated care, patient education and comprehensive support.
“We advise clients to consider a more holistic, direct-to-patient service model in which the outsource partner acts as an agent of the manufacturer," Bemus adds. “The model helps connect manufacturers more closely with their patients and at the same time, streamlines care delivery and support."
The consumerism of the healthcare industry has empowered patients who are calling for a paradigm shift that delivers simplicity and value. “Our patient care outsourcing model is designed to deliver the best outcomes possible to patients while meeting the strategic and operational goals of the manufacturer. That balance is critical as the industry converts from a volume-based business to the much-needed value-based model," shares Danny Williams, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, DLSS. As consumerism drives change throughout the system, a more direct-to-patient model will create a more effective, efficient and easy to use health experience to benefit manufacturers, providers, payers, and patients. (PV)
Dohmen Life Science Services, a member of the Dohmen family of companies, provides intelligent outsourcing to biopharma and rare disease companies. With the broadest suite of services in the industry, DLSS has helped more than 600 companies simplify and strengthen their patient relationships while growing their business and realizing their vision. Whether it’s navigating regulatory requirements during development, commercializing products, managing daily operations or providing patient-centric care for the rare disease community, DLSS helps our clients advance with speed, scale and certainty.
For more information, visit www.dlss.com.
