Is Your Hub Implementation Setting the Stage for Patient Support Program Success?

When a manufacturer launches a patient support program, choosing the right Hub provider to partner with is only part of the equation. From there, getting the Hub implementation right is just as important. A smooth start sets the stage for the entire patient experience—bolstering a manufacturer’s ability to support drug initiation, adherence, and positive health outcomes.  

However, as revealed in our recent research, it’s evident that implementing a Hub is often fraught with frustration for today’s leading manufacturers. 

At CareMetx, we understand that if a Hub doesn’t meet manufacturer expectations for an effective implementation, the ripple effects will abound—for providers, patients, and the manufacturer itself. In contrast, a well-implemented Hub ensures a streamlined experience for patients and providers, enables better engagement with the patient throughout their care journey, and delivers the data analytics that manufacturers need for informed decision making.    

 What a Smooth Implementation Demands  

In CareMetx’s experience, a successful implementation that meets the manufacturer’s goals and timeline comes down to three key components.   

1. A consultative approach. If manufacturers are in the midst of obtaining drug approval, they may be knee-deep in a complex, ever-changing process. With much to focus on, they rely on the Hub provider to offer practical recommendations on how to best structure the program, leveraging their experience across many similar projects. If the implementation involves migrating an existing drug program from one provider to another, a consultative approach means taking a deep dive into how the current program works and recommending opportunities to streamline and improve. In either case, the Hub provider should draw on what’s proven to work well, time and again, while still configuring the program to meet each manufacturer’s unique way of working. 
2. A proven process. Specialty manufacturers expect a Hub provider to follow a well-developed and rigorous implementation process that leverages best practices. They look to the manufacturer for a clearly defined roadmap that avoids the inefficiencies of reinventing the wheel each time yet maintains the flexibility to support any changes during drug approval.  
   
3. Strong governance. Since the stakes are high, manufacturers need to know that the Hub provider will keep the right people fully informed about where the implementation project stands at any given time. A strong governance model that’s grounded in full transparency reduces the risk of rework and helps keep the project on schedule. 

 How CareMetx Delivers Implementation Success  

CareMetx is deeply committed to ensuring our implementation process gets patient support programs off to a strong start. Across countless implementations for leading pharmaceutical manufacturers, we’ve honed that process to provide the best foundation for success.  

 One of the most critical success factors is the strength of the customer success team that manages the project. A Hub implementation requires a great deal of “blocking and tackling” to avoid delays and meet timelines. The more focused the team, the better the outcome. For this reason, CareMetx dedicates a separate group of professionals who specialize in leading complex technology implementations that get drug programs live in sync with their launch dates. This unique approach frees the operations staff to focus on the equally important, but entirely different task of running the Hub program once live.   

Throughout this complex process, our implementation team maintains an unwavering focus on dates—because when it comes to supporting a drug program, we understand that dates matter tremendously. Given all the changes that can happen from the time the manufacturer files a NDA or BLA to the time the FDA issues a final approval, staying nimble is paramount. So while the CareMetx team always follows a proven, diligent process, they also stay agile to respond quickly to evolving expectations and unanticipated regulatory challenges.   

 CareMetx also serves as the manufacturer’s implementation partner, consulting on the best approach to achieve the desired objectives. Rather than start each project from the ground up, we leverage our experience to help get new drugs to launch faster. Often, that means recommending patient support workflows based on what we’ve seen work well in other scenarios, getting the implementation off to a quicker, more effective start.   

 When the implementation process is well-defined, based on best practices, agile, and grounded in strong governance, it shows in the results.  CareMetx understands that the implementation process should never prove a barrier to bringing a life-altering therapy to patients, delivering the support they need to start and stay on treatment, or giving providers the confidence to prescribe a drug. Contact us today to learn how our digital Hub platform and implementation process can help you support a new or existing drug successfully.