The pharmaceutical industry’s development and commercialization of innovative new therapies exceeds expectations year after year. It’s truly remarkable to watch these products enter the market and effect real change on patients. As the President of Channel Management at EVERSANA, I’ve had the privilege of working with global manufacturers to strategize and build unique supply chain solutions for products across the various segments — brands, generics, specialty and rare. From developing unprecedented temperature-controlled logistics solutions and boosting inventory levels ahead of Brexit to launching the first FDA-approved digital diagnostic and therapeutic device, every manufacturer has the same goal: deliver therapy to patients in the most expeditious and compliant manner.
Unfortunately, many manufacturers involuntarily commit to convoluted, underperforming distribution models that often lack the flexibility needed to increase efficiency and minimize risk on a product by product basis. As the industry evolves with new regulatory guidelines and product-specific handling requirements, manufacturers now require an agile business model with integrated distribution services.
If manufacturers want to break this cycle of complexity in an effort to better connect patients to therapy, leverage distribution operations to their advantage, and create value across the entire product life cycle, they should consider incorporating three key aspects into their supply chain:
1. Expeditious and Cost-Effective Distribution
Heightened pressures to get therapies to patients faster shouldn’t equate to timely and expensive distribution plans. When optimized properly, a lean supply chain solution effectively:
Utilizes a single, independent supply chain partner with carrier neutrality
Provides visibility into all stages of product movement, inventory and transportation
Delivers therapies wherever patients need it — residences, pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, etc.
Maintains proper temperature-controlled environments in both storage and transportation solutions
Ensures on-time, accurate delivery with transparent, real-time tracking
Safeguards its operations to minimize risk and ensure product authenticity and integrity
EVERSANA recently aided a pharma manufacturer in landing a large government contract. The contract required the manufacturer to deliver a high volume of their antibiotic within a very narrow window across multiple geographies. EVERSANA provided coordinated logistic services leveraging their carrier network to meet the contract requirements and deliver the product within 24 hours of the first order. By relying on EVERSANA’s expertise in strategic planning and supply chain management, the client saw a 40% increase in sales of that product due to their ability to meet the government execution requirements.
2. Direct-to-Patient Distribution
According to a recent study from Health Strategies Insights by EVERSANA, 35%-45% of pipeline drugs are infusions and injectables that will require nursing services, patient education, cold-chain solutions and site of care administration. Many of these emerging biopharmaceutical companies are looking for the flexibility of direct-to-patient distribution to support their therapy model. New strategies and solutions will become imperative to ensuring all patients, providers and manufacturers are seamlessly connected to deliver a safe and effective product in an accurate and timely manner.
EVERSANA previously helped a global biopharmaceutical company deliver a new injectable therapy indicated to treat a devastating, ultra-rare disease. EVERSANA’s experienced supply chain team developed and deployed an Urgent Access Program comprised of a configurable system of storage facilities with cold-chain capabilities. Patients anywhere in the contiguous United States now receive their life-saving therapy in less than 8 hours, 24/7, 365 days a year. This solution has resulted in over 1,000 patient lives saved to date.
3. Operational Excellence
Establishing an integrated supply chain operation ensures a secure, responsive and streamlined pathway for product distribution. Enabled by technology and focused on transparent communication, the day-to-day consistency this model provides allows manufacturers the ability to monitor each product while gaining clarity into their product portfolio holistically. Elevated visibility into inventory management, payer relationships, chargebacks and forecasting lends itself to a true value-driven supply chain operation. When the ultimate goal is to deliver therapies to patients in the most expeditious and compliant manner, using a lean supply chain solution through a single partner unencumbered by competing interest means that goal is the center of the bullseye for the provider and manufacturer alike.
Supply chain solutions don’t always require an interwoven network of partners to execute. In fact, a fragmented process likely lessens a manufacturer’s ability to deliver to patients and hurts its bottom line. To create an agile business model with integrated distribution services, team up with a single, independent partner dedicated to investing in the facilities, technologies, and processes to meet the growing, complex distribution needs for novel, branded and generic therapies. Not only will this model ensure your products are stored and distributed to the highest level of industry standards, but a fully integrated commercial services platform will be equipped to meet any patient support, field force, compliance, and marketing challenge.(PV)
EVERSANA is the leading independent provider of global services to the life science industry. We’ve developed an integrated and independent commercial services platform designed to solve pricing, access, reimbursement, adherence and product delivery challenges across the life cycle. EVERSANA’s integrated solutions are rooted in the patient experience and span all stages of the product life cycle to deliver long-term, sustainable value for patients, prescribers, channel partners and payers. The company serves more than 500 organizations, including innovative start-ups and established pharmaceutical companies, to advance life science solutions for a healthier world.
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