Biopharmaceutical companies that administer Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) exceptionally well on key service and support parameters can generate a ¡°halo effect¡± that, from the perspective of treating physicians, can lead to more prescriptions for the cancer medications these companies manufacture. These and other findings are included in PAP Utilization in Cancer Care™, a Cogent Reports study from Market Strategies International.
Overall, the study confirmed that the design and implementation of company-sponsored cancer PAPs is very important to key customer stakeholders, including patients and their caregivers, reimbursement specialists and treating oncologists/hematologists. Many of the healthcare providers (HCPs) interviewed said that company-sponsored PAPs that provide more favorable access to their medications allow them to gain additional clinical experience with the drugs and a deeper understanding of where and how the drugs can be used within their treatment practice.
"Over time, this can lead to increased familiarity and additional prescriptions written for such drugs. Conversely, several HCPs indicated that if they experience problems or barriers gaining access to certain medications when utilizing PAP programs, they will shy away from prescribing these medications if other alternatives are available,¡± said Rob Delghiaccio, vice president of the Life Sciences division at Market Strategies International and author of the study.
In addition to access to medications, key customer stakeholders said there is a notable range in the scale and scope of features offered in various company-sponsored cancer PAPs, leading to varying degrees of customer satisfaction. These features, in turn, have a direct impact on company image.
¡°The ease and efficiency of the application process was a remarkable differentiator among the different company-sponsored patient assistance programs,¡± said Delghiaccio. ¡°This issue was top of mind for the majority of participants who faced difficulty or barriers in the PAP enrollment process. These participants were outspoken about their frustration and disappointment with the sponsoring company. On the other hand, participants praised the companies with relatively streamlined enrollment processes and viewed them as caring, compassionate and a valued partner in the battle against cancer.¡±
The study identifies multiple key attributes of overall PAP effectiveness along with the core attributes of best-in-class PAP call center communications. It also allows subscribers to see the perspective of each of the 4 stakeholder groups (patient, caregiver, reimbursement coordinator and doctor) individually about patient assistance programs, not just the overall results, so they can take specific actions to improve their programs for all stakeholders.
