ADVI Expert Irina Yermilov Shares Study from AMCP Nexus

ADVI expert and senior director, Irina Yermilov, MD, MPH, MS, and her team recently conducted a study that examined access to specialty medications through alternative funding programs (AFPs). The study was among one of the top four abstracts to be submitted at this year’s AMCP Nexus, and it received the Platinum Award.

In the study, the team surveyed patients to assess their awareness of AFPs, their experiences with the PAP application process, and the timeliness of medication access. Over 7,000 participated in the survey, 227 of those actually being included in the sample. The study found that 61 percent of patients learned about the AFP as part of their health plan benefits while trying to obtain specialty medication rather than directly from their employer. 54 percent reported feeling uncomfortable with the AFP vendor representative, often feeling hesitant to share sensitive information. 88 percent reported stress or anxiety due to medication coverage denial and uncertainty about accessing their medication.

Hear Irina and the team’s key takeaways from the study below.

At AMCP Nexus Irina and her team shared shared a study that her and her team conducted examining access to specialty medications through alternative funding programs (AFPs). The study was among one of the top four abstracts to be submitted at this year’s AMCP Nexus, and it received the Platinum Award.

Panelists

Irina Yermilov, MD, MPH MS

Senior Director

Irina is a senior director who works to design and conduct primary data collection studies, including medical record reviews, patient registries, patient surveys, systematic literature reviews, and expert panels, to provide ADVI’s clients real-world insights about their products.

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Full Transcript

Irina Yermilov: Hi, my name is Irina Yermilov. I’m a Senior Director at ADVI, and I’ll be discussing a study we conducted that examined access to specialty medications through alternative funding programs (AFPs). This study was selected as one of the top four abstracts submitted to AMCP Nexus and received the Platinum Award. The findings were presented this month as both a poster and oral presentation at the conference.

AFPs aim to reduce plan sponsor costs by excluding expensive specialty medications and instead directing patients to patient assistance programs (PAPs), which are designed for uninsured patients. Patient experiences with AFPs were not well understood, so we developed a survey to assess patients’ awareness of AFPs, their experiences with the PAP application process, and the timeliness of medication access. Patients were recruited through Rare Patient Voice and Hope Charities; over 7,000 respondents completed the screener portion of the survey, and 227 were included in the sample.

We found that 61 percent of patients first learned about the AFP as part of their health plan benefits while trying to obtain specialty medication rather than directly from their employer. Additionally, 54 percent reported feeling uncomfortable with the AFP vendor representative and often hesitant to share sensitive information. Notably, 88 percent reported stress or anxiety due to medication coverage denial and uncertainty about accessing their medication. On average, patients waited over two months to receive their medication. Among employed patients, those who reported worsened health conditions or stress due to the wait time were three to five times more likely to consider leaving or actually leave their jobs compared to those who did not experience these issues.

In summary, most patients obtaining specialty medications through AFPs reported discomfort with the process and delays in receiving them. Employers considering AFPs in their health plans should carefully weigh the potential for delayed medication access and its impact on employee retention and the employer-employee relationship. A manuscript detailing the full results, including stratifications by disease and income, is currently in press at JMCP and will be published soon. Thank you.

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