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The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 The global pandemic has impacted nearly every facet of life for all of us and has dramatically changed healthcare systems. In the past 12 months, patients and providers have struggled to adapt to the modifications in how we produce, deliver, and provide access to treatment. Today, more than a year after the first cases of COVID-19 surfaced in the United States, those challenges are still present, and as a result, we have seen a rapid increase [...]

The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 2020 was a year in which the world as we know it stopped. Or I think it's fair to say that for many, it at least slowed down. That is especially true for those in the pharmaceutical industry, as many field representatives stopped traveling and visiting physician offices. However, for TrialCard’s Virtual Engagement team working in rare diseases, not a single thing changed. We were in a unique situation in which our workdays continued as usual [...]

The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, my first thought was, “The health and safety of thousands, maybe millions will be impacted. This will affect EVERYONE.” My second thought was, “How will this impact our rare disease patients?” In the last year, we have been inundated by the news surrounding the coronavirus and how the healthcare industry is being impacted. Through it all, it has been inspiring to see healthcare workers continue to pay attention to rare disease [...]

The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 As the pharmaceutical industry turns the calendar to 2021, co-pay assistance faces a handful of significant considerations that will define how successful manufacturer programs are in the year ahead. From legislative and regulatory issues to the shift toward integrated offerings and interoperable technologies, co-pay has become a complex facet of any brand’s patient access strategy. Understanding these themes and developing a detailed strategy around them will be key to positioning a program for success both in [...]

The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule on December 21, 2020, requiring pharmaceutical manufacturers to ensure the benefit of co-pay assistance programs goes only to patients in order to maintain the exclusion from best price reporting. This rule directly impacts co-pay accumulator scenarios, where PBMs do not count the value of manufacturer coupons toward patients’ cost-sharing obligation. The portion of the rule impacting co-pay programs and best price has an effective [...]

The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 In early October 2020, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) announced it will require network providers to report patient use of manufacturer copay assistance offers for products covered under the major medical benefit beginning in 2021. There is also speculation that other payers will follow suit and introduce similar policies. The result of these changes is that co-pay accumulators, which to date have been predominantly a pharmacy benefit issue, will now become a critical consideration for products covered under the medical [...]

The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 The pharmaceutical supply chain has never experienced a year like 2020. Each day seems to present a new set of challenges. During January and February, the concern was seemingly simple, and in retrospect, a bit naïve. Back then, our only concern was how to handle supply chain slowdowns from major manufacturing centers located in Asia, Western Europe, and the Middle East. Today, our challenges are much more complex, and it looks like the future is still [...]

The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 When a pharmaceutical sponsor adds a new study to its pipeline, there are many things to consider. However, study architects must ask—and get solid answers to—two very important questions in particular: 1) What is the projected total study cost? 2) Do we have enough people to support it? Clinical trials carry significant financial risks for pharmaceutical sponsors and study managers. Assumed inventory, carrying costs, overages, drug expiry management, temperature excursions, drug recalls, and losses due to [...]

The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 TrialCard has submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed rule, CMS-2482-P—Medicaid Program; Establishing Minimum Standards in Medicaid State Drug Utilization Review (DUR) and Supporting Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) for Drugs Covered in Medicaid, Revising Medicaid Drug Rebate and Third Party Liability (TPL) Requirements.   A provision of this proposed rule requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to include the value of vouchers and coupons they offer as patient cost-sharing assistance in their calculation of [...]

The New Sales Model: Virtual Engagement in the Time of COVID-19 August 10th, 2020 On July 6, 2020, the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission released its study examining the use and impact of prescription drug coupons in Massachusetts. This study was required as part of the extension to the Massachusetts law permitting manufacturer drug coupons (co-pay assistance offers) or vouchers to reduce patients’ cost-sharing obligation that was previously due to expire at the end of 2019. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of drug coupons and product [...]