Graham Reynolds, West Pharmaceutical Services, looks at embracing the connected health movement and wearables in the management of chronic diseases
Make the connection: Wearable drug delivery technology includes West Pharmaceutical Services’ SmartDose electronic wearable injector system
For patients with many chronic conditions, such as diabetes, haemophilia and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, the use of injectable biologic therapies is on the rise. These drugs present several challenges for both drug manufacturers and patients. In particular, many biologics require a high concentration, so an effective dose may be highly viscous, or require large doses to be injected slowly over time. This can make it difficult to deliver a consistent dose every time, potentially impacting patient adherence to a given therapy.
According to estimates from the World Health Organization, patient adherence with chronic medication therapies is remarkably low – about 50% internationally.[i] This is a major health issue, as non-compliance can lead to a number of complications, including poor clinical outcomes, increased costs for many healthcare stakeholders (including the patients themselves) and lost revenue for pharmaceutical companies.
Treatment options are not the only evolving element in the care of chronic diseases. The delivery of healthcare for chronic conditions is shifting from doctors’ offices and hospitals into the patient’s home in an effort to provide patients with more independence and control over their treatment while helping to stem growing healthcare costs. This, coupled with increased use of biologics, is making it increasingly important to provide patients with novel approaches to drug delivery.
One of the most promising options is wearable drug delivery technology. For example, West Pharmaceutical Services’ SmartDose electronic wearable injector system is a single-use, electronic wearable injector that adheres to the patient’s body, usually on the abdomen and is pre-programmed to deliver high volumes of viscous or complex drug products. The system incorporates a polymer-based drug container system with a drug delivery device that controls the delivery of large doses over time, making it easier for patients to self-administer medication outside of the clinical setting.
The industry is now taking the wearable technology concept one step further by connecting injectable drug delivery systems with tools that can improve the user experience and drive adherence. The connected health movement has helped the pharmaceutical industry realise the potential of using consumer technology and electronic devices to further engage patients in their care and address the issue of non-compliance.
As one example, West has joined with HealthPrize to develop apps in conjunction with self-injection drug delivery to enhance the patient experience and help those managing chronic diseases stick to their medication regimens. In the first offering from the West/HealthPrize collaboration, patients will manually scan barcodes or otherwise enter data about their medication compliance into the smartphone/tablet app (or on an Internet browser from a computer if they don’t have a wireless device). Connected health offerings such as this provide numerous benefits for all parties within the health ecosystem. For patients, this provides a better experience around tracking self-treatment schedules, including education, gamification and rewards for adherent behavior. The ultimate goal is to boost adherence and improve outcomes. For the healthcare system – burdened by approximately $25 billion in preventable readmissions annually[ii] – there is significant opportunity for the use of outcomes and adherence data to help generate potential savings in avoidable hospital stays and subsequent interventions triggered by non-adherence to prescribed medications. Lastly, pharmaceutical companies can recapture the revenue lost annually due to non-compliance, which has been estimated to be over $564 billion (insert reference).
Looking ahead to the future of chronic disease management it’s imperative that the pharmaceutical industry remains focused on collaboratively improving medication adherence and improving patient outcomes, as this will have a positive impact on some of the most significant and costly issues in healthcare delivery. As patients and healthcare providers are increasingly looking to technology in pursuit of improved wellness – especially to manage chronic diseases – providing new, innovative approaches, such as connected health applications will be critical to truly impacting the way patients receive their care and the effective treatment of chronic conditions.
[i] World Health Organization. (2003). Adherence to long-term therapies: evidence for action. Retrieved August 5, 2015 from http://www.who.int/chp/knowledge/publications/adherence_full_report.pdf
[ii] PriceWaterhouse Coopers’ Health Research Institute. (2008). The Price of Excess: Identifying Waste in Healthcare. Retrieved August 6, 2015 from http://www.pwc.com/us/en/healthcare/publications/the-price-of-excess.jhtml
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Make the connection: Wearable drug delivery technology includes West Pharmaceutical Services’ SmartDose electronic wearable injector system