What is a patient support programme?

A structured approach to reaching a patient on long-term therapy, in which an authorised professional receives and collects information about the use of a medicinal product. It goes by several names depending on who is describing it — Patient Assistance Program, Patient Services, Patient Solutions.

Why have they become essential for pharmaceutical companies?

Because they improve patient outcomes and strengthen the relationship between the patient and the healthcare professional at the same time. A therapy only works if it is taken, and most of the reasons it is not taken are addressable outside the consultation.

What do these programmes usually contain?

Most fall into three categories. Information collection surveys, which gather data on patients diagnosed with chronic and long-term diseases and study it. Disease education and lifestyle management, which helps a patient understand their condition and manage it. And medication adherence, which keeps them on the therapy prescribed.

How is patient data handled?

Data is collected under proper authorisation, by a professional permitted to hold it, and about the use of the medicinal product rather than about the patient at large. That boundary is what separates a support programme from a marketing list, and it is a matter of regulation rather than policy.

Who benefits besides the patient?

The prescriber, who gains a patient who stays on therapy, and the manufacturer, who gains real information about how a product is used. The patient outcome is what makes both of those legitimate, which is why the programme is designed around it rather than around either.

Patient Support Program

Keeping chronic patients on therapy — financial, educational and clinical support in one programme

What is Patient Support Program?

A patient support program is a categorized approach to reaching out to your patient/customer, where a marketing professional possessing authorization to data, receives and collects information relating to the use of its medicinal products.
There are multiple names for this program based on who you’re referring talking to, like the Patient Assistance Program, Patient Services, or Patient Solutions. The Patient Support Program (PSP) have now become an essential part of the programs for pharmaceutical companies. This is going to be a groundbreaking and highly successful program with its increased ability to deliver top-notch patient outcomes, besides playing a prominent role in strengthening the relationship between a patient & the healthcare professional.

Most of the Patient-level Support Programs Fall Under One of the Following Categories:

Information Collection Survey :

To collate information on patients diagnosed with chronic and other long-term diseases through a survey program and conduct a study on the obtained data.

Disease Education & Lifestyle Management :

To help patients understand their medical condition and impart knowledge by inculcating a sense of understanding on how to manage his/her chronic disease, either by a change in lifestyle through (regular workouts or a change in diet plan).

Medication Adherence :

To provide timely support and help patients take their medications & use medical devices as prescribed by the doctor

Financial Assistance :

To provide assistance with financial aid subsidy and cater readymade reimbursement settlement plans as a support service for patients

What is the need for the Patient Support Programs?

Before we dig in deeper to know how “Patient Support Programs” are classified, created, and implemented on the ground, it’s very important for us to know “the need for their existence”.
The rehabilitation time or the post-patient care is a key element of the care continuance which has progressed over time, more importantly for chronic disease patients where the biggest task begins once they are diagnosed with a chronic condition.
The main objective of the patient support program is to make sure that compliance and adherence to the prescribed care protocol are ever followed, which is very critical to the chronic disease patient’s quality of life.

The Major Reasons for Weak Compliance and Non-adherence to Lifestyle Post-diagnosis of Chronic Disease :

Patients' forgetfulness to take the prescribed medicines on time
Complicated rules and formalities of care that are not easy for a patient to follow
Aged patients can find it very difficult to self-administer and keep to a regular self-care regime
Medical rules, regulations and policies vary from country to country, and can drive up a patient's cost of care where insurance is complex
A patient's own belief that adhering to the medication makes no difference

Types of Patient Support Programs That Pharmaceutical Companies Looking for :

The Patient Support Program was commonly known as a patient assistance program. However, as the needs of chronic patients developed and increased each day, Patient Support Programs have also grown from strength to strength. From transaction-based assistance to a holistic program, that now covers counseling and educating the patient, to providing financial aid assistance, clinical interventions, and much more.

Below are a few examples of Patient Support Programs befitting all the needs of
Pharmaceutical companies.

Financial Assistance Program:

Co-Payment Management

Claims Support

Loan Management

Prior Authorization

Education & Counseling Program:

Home Nurse Visits

Outbound Calls/Reminders

Inbound Support Line

SMS Reminders

Technology-Enabled Engagement Program:

Remote Patient Monitoring

Artificial Intelligence

Patient Info Apps

Clinical Support & Intervention Program:

Drug Administration

Home-based clinical support

Medical Tests

A “Patient Support Programmes” can make all the difference that we need for a chronic patient. It’s not just about how a patient feels after taking the drug, but their entire experience when receiving treatment continuum. That’s why building relationships and understanding people is the core principle of our work ethics.

Products in the suite that work alongside this one.

NANO TELEMEDNANO Telehealth & Telemedicine NANO Rx InsightNano Rx Insights NANO EMRNano Electronic Medical Records

How this works with the rest of the suite

NANO PBM
Adherence and benefit design pull on the same lever — a therapy a patient cannot afford is a therapy they will stop taking.
NANO PTTS
A support programme assumes the medicine reaches the patient, which is the last link traceability covers.
NANO Rx Insight
Prescription analytics is where a programme finds out whether behaviour actually changed, rather than whether it was delivered.
NANO PHR
A programme the patient can see in their own record is a programme they can participate in rather than receive.

Frequently asked questions

What is a patient support programme?: A structured approach to reaching a patient on long-term therapy, in which an authorised professional receives and collects information about the use of a medicinal product. It goes by several names depending on who is describing it — Patient Assistance Program, Patient Services, Patient Solutions.
Why have they become essential for pharmaceutical companies?: Because they improve patient outcomes and strengthen the relationship between the patient and the healthcare professional at the same time. A therapy only works if it is taken, and most of the reasons it is not taken are addressable outside the consultation.
What do these programmes usually contain?: Most fall into three categories. Information collection surveys, which gather data on patients diagnosed with chronic and long-term diseases and study it. Disease education and lifestyle management, which helps a patient understand their condition and manage it. And medication adherence, which keeps them on the therapy prescribed.
How is patient data handled?: Data is collected under proper authorisation, by a professional permitted to hold it, and about the use of the medicinal product rather than about the patient at large. That boundary is what separates a support programme from a marketing list, and it is a matter of regulation rather than policy.
Who benefits besides the patient?: The prescriber, who gains a patient who stays on therapy, and the manufacturer, who gains real information about how a product is used. The patient outcome is what makes both of those legitimate, which is why the programme is designed around it rather than around either.