Impact of Online Prescription Management Systems on Biologic Treatment Initiation

Abstract

IntroductionPharmaceutical firms have begun offering online prescription management systems to facilitate prescription processing. This study evaluated the impact of the HUMIRA Complete Pro (HCPro) online prescription management system on the rate of abandonment and the time to first fill for patients prescribed adalimumab (ADA). A retrospective cohort analysis of patients initiating ADA treatment with or without use of the HCPro online prescription processing system was used to evaluate the impact of HCPro on treatment initiation outcomes.MethodsPatient-level data for patients with an ADA prescription processed through HCPro were mapped to Symphony Health claims for patients initiating ADA between January 2012 and January 2015. The sample included patients aged ≥ 18 years with a diagnosis of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis who had data available 3 months before and after their first ADA claim (index date). Baseline characteristics, prescription abandonment rate, and time-to-first-prescription fill were compared between patients with a prescription processed through HCPro (HCPro cohort) and those without (non-HCPro cohort). The odds of abandonment were evaluated in the 3 months following the index date using a multivariate logistic regression model.ResultsThe study included 24,767 patients (535 HCPro; 24,232 non-HCPro). HCPro patients had a greater frequency of initiation at a specialty pharmacy (66% vs. 56%; P < 0.001) and enrollment in AbbVie’s patient support program (71% vs. 51%; P < 0.001) as well as a lower copay for ADA ($206 vs. $265; P = 0.011). HCPro patients had a lower abandonment rate (6.4% vs. 13.9%; P < 0.001) and reduced days to prescription fill (7.0 vs. 14.4; P < 0.001). After controlling for baseline characteristics, abandonment odds were 43% lower for patients using HCPro (odds ratio = 0.57; P = 0.004).ConclusionInitiating ADA treatment with an online prescription management system (HCPro) significantly reduces the odds of abandonment and time to first prescription fill.FundingAbbVie Inc., Chicago, USA.

Continuity of Care Within a Single Patient Support Program for Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Prescribed Second or Later Line Advanced Therapy

“…Comprehensive PSPs can help patients navigate insurance coverage requirements and assist with appealing denied coverage. Prior research has shown that participation in a PSP reduces both the abandonment rate and the time to initiation of ADA for patients with RA [27,31]. The PSP studied here has previously been shown in TIM-naı ¨ve populations to improve access to care, reduce abandonment, and increase adherence and persistence; the last of which in particular is associated with a reduced risk of hospitalizations [27,31,34,48].…”

“…When a patient and provider make the shared decision that a change in treatment is appropriate, the transition can be complicated for patients, including navigating access to coverage, understanding financial implications, and logistics of initiating the new therapy, which can lead to treatment disruptions [26][27][28][29][30]. Evidence suggests utilization of support services can help patients initiate a new TIM faster and more successfully [27,31]. AbbVie (North Chicago, IL, USA) offers both a TNFi [adalimumab (ADA)] and JAKi [upadacitinib (UPA)] in the treatment of RA, and provides support services across products, including benefit verification resources, education materials on both treatment and financial assistance options, and nurse ambassadors to provide individualized support in achieving treatment goals [32,33].…”

Sustained long-term benefits of patient support program participation in immune-mediated diseases: improved medication-taking behavior and lower risk of a hospital visit

“…[6][7][8][9][10][11] Though PSP use has been consistently associated with improved outcomes for patients initiating treatment, there is a paucity of evidence on (a) whether medication-taking behavior benefits are sustained throughout treatment due to the novelty of multifaceted PSPs and (b) the relationship between PSP participation and hospital visits due to rarity. [1][2][3][12][13][14] As immune-mediated diseases continue to rapidly increase in prevalence and economic burden, understanding the potential sustained value of PSP participation in helping patients adhere to their long-term treatment plan and avoid hospital visits should be of great interest to patients, providers, and payers. [15][16][17] Nonadherence to treatments for chronic therapies has long been recognized as a major contributor to excess hospitalizations and wasteful health care spending.…”

“…Prior studies demonstrated the impact of this PSP in improving access to treatment, medication-taking behavior, and costs, but studies were limited to the first 12 months of adalimumab treatment and did not examine hospital visits. 1,2,13,14 Sufficient data are now available to provide more complete evidence on the benefits of PSPs throughout the duration of treatment by examining the impact of PSP use on sustained medication-taking behavior and risk of hospital visits.…”

Patient Portal Functionalities and Uptake: Systematic Review Protocol

“…Other functionalities of patient portals such as e-messaging or secure messaging and patient education can improve patients’ involvement in their care [ 15 ] and their knowledge about their disease [ 19 ], respectively. Patients’ ability to refill medication through the portal allows them to efficiently refill medication, reducing the time they spend without medication, and as a consequence may improve their adherence and compliance with medication regime [ 17 , 20 ].…”