pLOG

2024-04-17

New Study: One-tenth of prescribed new drugs or orphan drugs have pharmaceutical company-sponsored patient support programs.

A recent study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) analyzed the statistics and analysis of patient support programs (PSPs) provided by pharmaceutical companies in Canada. The study revealed a continual increase in PSPs, aimed at assisting patients in addressing the affordability issues of expensive self-pay medications, particularly in the treatment of biologics and rare diseases. The research found that approximately 10% of prescription drugs in the Canadian market offer PSPs, primarily associated with high-cost medications priced between $10 to $100 CAD per unit. PSPs are most commonly found in expensive medications, with high-cost drugs being more likely to provide PSP services compared to cheaper alternatives at a ratio of approximately eight to one.

According to a study led by Dr. Quinn Grundy from the University of Toronto and collaborators, a statistical analysis of prescription drugs available in the market as of August 2022 was conducted to understand the market situation of patient support programs (PSPs) for prescription drugs. Out of 2,556 prescription drugs available in the Canadian market, 256 drugs offering PSPs were identified, accounting for 10% of the market. Nearly two-thirds of pharmaceutical companies (55 out of 88, 62%) provided PSPs, with over half of biologics offering PSP services.

The researchers noted that their analysis relied on publicly available information, which may underestimate the actual number of PSPs as they may have missed some highly specialized and rare drug PSPs.

PSPs not only provide financial assistance but also encompass a variety of care services such as financial navigation and clinical case management, aiming to increase treatment adherence and enhance patient experience. However, the study also emphasized the need for greater transparency and independent evaluation of these programs based on legal and medication safety considerations. While PSPs aim to support patients, concerns persist about their potential impact on prescribing practices and overall healthcare and medication costs.

Although financial and care management support and counseling are valuable to patients, the researchers found instances of service duplication among companies selling drugs with similar ingredients, along with a lack of transparency in some program operations, making it difficult to assess the impact of these programs. In the United States, PSPs are more widely available for high-priced and biologic drugs, while European pharmaceutical companies have shown increasing involvement in patient support programs in recent years, focusing on improving treatment accessibility and affordability with stronger transparency and regulatory standards compared to North America. In Australia, patient support programs typically involve broader integration of medical and social services, especially in chronic disease management.

Dr. Grundy noted that ongoing research is exploring whether pharmaceutical company-sponsored patient support programs represent the optimal model for delivering specialized medication services, emphasizing the need for PSP care models to be designed around patients' health needs rather than specific products.

The development of patient support programs (PSPs) in Taiwan has been relatively slow, with most high-cost and rare disease medications covered by the National Health Insurance. Additionally, due to strict regulations on prescription drug management in Taiwan, PSP services still operate in a socially innovative market, with limited market innovation investment in the absence of clear policy guidelines. Patiensforce, a management company specializing in PSPs, is currently focusing on managing nearly 60 self-pay new drug or rare disease medication welfare programs in Taiwan, indicating a rapidly growing demand for PSPs in Taiwan.

Reference:https://www.cmaj.ca/content/195/46/E1565

President of PatientsForce, Sean Chang