Retention and Adherence

New approaches to improve patient retention and adherence.

Just can’t seem to hold on to the patient? How about helping to improve adherence?

Lack of persistence is a big problem for the pharmaceutical industry. There are many theories on the rationale of why patients stop taking their medications, and many options to address the challenge. Marketers need to understand and do the research in their market to find out why their patients are not compliant or stop taking their medication.  And only sometimes, the answers will give you the approach to address adherence and compliance barriers.  If your brand is a specialty drug, this is even more important, for the patient and for you.

If adherence = fulfillment + compliance + persistence where fulfillment refers to the filling of the very first script for a medication, compliance means taking the medication as prescribed by the physician, and persistence refers to the length of time you take the medication … it may be that poor persistence is the main culprit. In one therapeutic area, studies have shown that the typical patient drop-off for each refill of a prescription is approximately 50%, resulting in patient adherence dropping for 98% to 13% in under 10 months.

At STI, when we think “loyalty”, we think about patient behavior and rewarding proper behaviors and the impact of timely reminders.We also believe in including pharmacists and health care providers in the business of adherence.  STI has proven and innovative pharmacy value and adherence and compliance solutions that can help.

If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it …

Related Solutions from STI

Patient Assistance

The ability to offer individualized compassionate support and assistance for your brand can be an important part of your market success. Studies have repeatedly shown that prescription abandonment grows as a direct function of the amount of out-of-pocket co-pay expense a patient incurs. Finding that threshold on an individual basis is key to maximizing profitability. With the phenomenal growth in specialty drugs, an effective patient assistance solution becomes even more important. We have tailored our STI SmartTechnology platform to suit the specific needs of patient assistance – from electronic enrolment to immediate reimbursement to detailed transactional history that can be used in patient dialogues and to reinforce adherence. Whether you are considering using the services of a patient support services provider or providing the services yourself directly, talk to STI about the tools and measures that we can provide to assist with Patient Assistance, info@smartsti.com.

Alternative Sampling

Traditional sampling has evolved.  STI’s smart card solution backed supported by our SmartTechnology platform allows a company to implement an alternative sampling program that benefits patients, providers and payers.  STI’s numerous alternative sampling formats and sample marketing approaches can turn a cost into a revenue benefit and can allow you to measure the ongoing effectiveness of your sampling programs.  We invented alternative sampling and our approach is now universally accepted across Canada. Talk to STI about the tools and measures that we can provide to assist with Alternative Sampling, info@smartsti.com.

Sales Force Enhancement

Achieving more with less is the reality of today’s pharmaceutical world.  STI has a broad set of capabilities and resources to increase the reach and frequency for your brand as a compliment to your existing field force and marketing efforts.  These capabilities range from direct mail with automatic replenishment to performance-based contract sales force engagement.  STI’s SmartTechnology platform puts information and tools in the hands of your sales force to allow them to optimize and measure their own performance. Talk to STI about the tools and measures that we can provide to assist with Sales Force Enhancement, info@smartsti.com.

Pharmacy Value

Retail pharmacy provides valuable services that can enhance the performance of your brand.  STI has numerous approaches that have led to successful partnerships with pharmacy that result in a win-win for both parties.  We have reach to every retail pharmacy in Canada and strategic relationships with the majority of the major chains and banners.  We’re happy to consult with you on how we help can bring pharmacy value to your company and brand. Talk to STI about the tools and measures that we can provide to assist with Pharmacy Value, info@smartsti.com.

Adherence and Compliance

Improving the adherence and compliance to your brand provides tremendous value to your brand’s potential. As your brand matures in its life cycle, adherence and compliance become even more important. STI has programs that provide education, reminders and incentives for improving a patient’s adherence and compliance to your brand. Our SmartTechnology platform can provide powerful real-time and actionable data to allow you to measure and improve your adherence and compliance, ultimately improving market share. Talk to STI about the tools and measures that we can provide to assist with Adherence and Compliance, info@smartsti.com.

Loss of Exclusivity

When a brand loses its patent coverage, there is a significant drop in the market share of that brand due to genericization.  How much revenue would be saved if you had the ability to slow or modify the erosion curve of your brand?  STI has created and delivered a sophisticated behavioral and loyalty co-pay approach that allows you to challenge the status quo and significantly extend the life of your brand.  Talk to STI about the tools and measures that we can provide to assist with Loss of Exclusivity, info@smartsti.com.