Friday, September 08, 2023

What Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Value Most from a Hub

Today’s guest post comes from Nasir Ali, Chief Product Officer at CareMetx.

Nasir discusses how hubs help patients initiate and adhere to drug therapies. Based on CareMetx research, he outlines the key factors that drug manufacturers value in their hub partners.

Learn more by downloading CareMetx’s full report: The Evolving Landscape of Digital Healthcare Hubs.

Read on for Nasir’s insights.

What Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Value Most from a Hub
By Nasir Ali, Chief Product Officer, CareMetx

Hubs play an indispensable role for drug manufacturers, delivering product support throughout a brand’s entire lifecycle. An effective hub should speed time to therapy initiation and drive adherence—both of which are metrics indicative of hub’s core purpose: to deliver a better patient experience. So, if a manufacturer is looking to leverage the right hub to make a material impact, what should that manufacturer be looking for most in a vendor?

To gain insights on this critical question, CareMetx conducted in-depth interviews and surveys with senior leadership at top manufacturers. The results reveal the trends driving the evolution of hubs to support drug programs.

Click here to download the full report.

A VOLATILE MARKET DEMANDS FLEXIBILITY AND AGILITY

In a fast-changing industry, where digital technology is among many factors driving transformation, manufacturers expect their hubs to stay nimble.

Flexibility can take many forms, including configuring the hub to address unique goals of both the brand and the organization. That’s especially true for manufacturers that insource some aspects of a drug program. One manufacturer’s Field Director described it like this: “It’s the ability of a hub provider to plug and play into different models, where they may be doing everything- or part of it- or working directly with a manufacturer or a specialty pharmacy or third party.”

As a brand progresses through its lifecycle, what manufacturers need to support the product inevitably changes. Effective hubs are flexible to respond to those evolving conditions, always with the goal of improving patient experience.

CUSTOM IS THE NEW STANDARD

While manufacturers expect a hub provider to apply experience serving diverse clients, they also prefer to customize hub services to suit their brand’s requirements. The need for customization spans the relationship—from the RFP response through implementation and support.

Complex products like biologics or cell therapies often require especially customized hub programs. As one Oncology National Accounts Director noted, “Can you have an off-the-shelf hub in a box? Probably, but that’s going to require a really low-complexity product, and it’s also going to inhibit your ability after launch.”

Manufacturers also expect to personalize the hub’s engagement with patients based on individual needs and preferences. One market access executive pointed to customized adherence support at various stages of the patient’s journey as a prime example of the value of tailored solutions.

EASE DEMANDS INTEGRATION

Every stakeholder involved in the care journey relies on the hub to complete vital tasks easily and efficiently. This research underscored the important role integration plays in delivering the ease of use that providers and patients expect.

In particular, manufacturers believe improved integration between the hub and prescribing providers can help those providers better understand and eliminate barriers that threaten drug access. For instance, robust portals can simplify and speed benefit verification and prior authorization, helping patients initiate therapy faster. It's unsurprising that manufacturers pointed to integration as one of the hub services they anticipate will "grow in importance over the next several years."

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

As a leading technology-enabled hub services company, CareMetx provides high-touch support to accelerate patient initiation and adherence. For more insights on the trends we’ve uncovered impacting patient services programs, be sure to download The Evolving Landscape of Digital Healthcare Hubs report.


Sponsored guest posts are bylined articles that are screened by Drug Channels to ensure a topical relevance to our exclusive audience. These posts do not necessarily reflect our opinions and should not be considered endorsements. To find out how you can publish a guest post on Drug Channels, please contact Paula Fein (paula@DrugChannels.net).

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