Kimberly Cremers, PharmD

#1 rule of new technology in medicine for the US = What’s the payment model? = Most traditional and reliable payment model is still fee for service codes. It appears we’ll get new codes from the American Medical Association that could mean more #RemotePatientMonitoring reimbursement by 2025 - If the American Medical Association approves new changes and Medicare and private payers follow suit, providers that expand their remote patient monitoring programs to fit the new codes will gain the most benefits for their patients and clinics https://lnkd.in/eCcCnG8S #DigitalHealth #TransformingCare

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Regeneron is facing a critical strategic decision: Should they persist with the failed #strategy of cannibalizing Eylea 2mg sales with Eylea HD, or should they focus on protecting their $4.5B market share in Eylea 2mg from the onslaught of biosimilars by deploying aggressive incentive programs? In their recent conference call, Regeneron highlighted “stickiness” as a defense for retaining the Eylea 2mg market share—referring to the combination of brand loyalty and switching costs. However, as Ben Franklin wisely said, “To persuade, appeal to incentives, not reason.” For Regeneron, “stickiness” alone is unlikely to outweigh the power of incentives. So, will Regeneron choose to defend Eylea 2mg with incentives, or will they continue with their current strategy, risking significant market share loss? I’m not optimistic. As Charlie Munger aptly put it, “The inconsistency avoidance bias is a strong driver of human decision-making.” #retina #pharmaceuticals #ophthalmology

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How Difficult Is It to Move Up in Medical Affairs? Let’s talk about something that’s on the minds of many people working in medical affairs: How do you move up? Honestly? It’s not as straightforward as it seems. ------- Why Moving Up Can Feel Slow in Medical Affairs 🔵 Medical affairs is becoming increasingly saturated, with more professionals entering this field due to its rewarding mix of science, strategy, and business. 🔵 Promotions can be slower because leadership roles—like MSL Leads, Medical Directors, or VPs—are limited. That doesn’t mean growth is impossible. But often, the journey isn’t a straight line—it’s more of a zigzag, with lateral moves offering just as much value as upward promotions. Think of Lateral Moves as Opportunities, Not Setbacks In medical affairs, lateral movements aren’t just “sideways steps.” They’re key to building the experience and network needed for leadership roles. Moving across therapeutic areas, product types (like from biologics to rare diseases), departments (like regulatory affairs or clinical research) or even between companies helps broaden your expertise and makes you more competitive for future leadership positions. So, if a promotion isn’t on the table right now, don’t feel stuck. A lateral move could actually set you up for a bigger leap later. So, the bottom line is moving up is possible, but it takes strategy, patience, and a bit of creativity. -------- What has been your experience? Would love to hear your thoughts. Do comment below 👇

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In a new five-part video series, ABMS Portfolio Program Manager Teena Nelson, MHA, answers the “Top 5 Questions” she hears from organizations interested in becoming a Sponsor so that they can offer continuing certification credit to their physicians. Quick Question 1: What is the ABMS Portfolio Program? #HigherStandardsBetterCare #QI

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A drug used to treat cancer can be deadly to patients who are deficient in an enzyme that metabolizes it, but with a test, this toxicity can be avoided. Currently, the FDA does not require doctors to run this test before administering the drug to patients. Daniel Hertz, PharmD, PhD, Associate Professor in the College of Pharmacy, is pushing to change that. Read about his advocacy work in this article: https://bit.ly/45pcvLV #clinicalpharmacy #umichpharmacy

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Has Regeneron been successful with EYLEA HD® (aflibercept) Injection HCP as the patent for regular Eylea expires in June 2027? There will be 5 biosimilars, including 2 labeled as interchangeable, available next year. Regeneron reported their earnings yesterday and below 👇 you see their quarterly sales of both regular Eylea and HD. Sales of Eylea HD grew 30% Q over Q from $304M to $392M ($40M of Q3 is due to increased distributor inventories). But is that enough? The problem is over $1.1 B or 2/3 of Eylea sales remain in regular Eylea. With loss of its patent, Eylea will lose its pricing power, its moat, entirely. It will become one of 6 equivalent commodities. Basic economics dictates that without a moat, competition will drive prices to marginal costs and the profits to zero. The stock market seems to agree with my analysis as $REGN stock is down 10% overnight and 30% in 2 months. In the end, patients will be the winners. #retina #ophthalmology #optometry

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Calling all #biocoordinators #accesscoordinators #patientadvocates #reimbursementmanagers #arm #frm #fas #fras : What is everyone doing for their #PriorityHealth patients that were enrolled in #SaveOnSP who are now being discontinued as of June 1, 2024?!?! Those patients copay card funds have already been #EXHAUSTED as they had a #maximizer plan so will need to submit for #patientassistance and many may not qualify due to exceeding income requirements. What about offices that don’t have a dedicated point of contact? This is outrageous, should be illegal as they’ve taken all the copay card money up front (correct me if I am wrong) and is going to affect patients #access to therapy and putting patients at risk of #lapse in therapy and #discontinuation. My thought process as I was #brainstorming this issue is: -Contact reps to get #samples -Update VM asking pts affected by this to leave their name, DOB, name of drug and when they’re due for their next dose to triage who needs a sample first -Direct patients to manufacturer patient assistance foundations website to initiate the #PAP application ASAP -Create a checklist of what patients need to provide for their patient assistance application, especially if they want to do a paper application and have office submit -Say a prayer and hope for the best Any other suggestions?! #navigatingaccessissues #howisthislegal #michigan #thisisNOTok

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#HRSA Punts on the “Patient Definition”—Again The Final #340b #ADR Rule punts on the patient definition, even though #drug makers pressed for clarity. Where manufacturers hoped that HRSA would leverage the Rule to fix the damage done by the Genesis case, the agency categorically refused. Having failed to appeal the Genesis case, HRSA has now missed a ready made opportunity to limit the resulting damage. #Drug Makers Press: As HRSA acknowledged in summarizing the comments, “[m]any manufacturers …objected to the lack of an explicit definition in the proposal for the terms ‘patient’ or ‘diversion’”. In offering that summary, however, OPA carefully avoided any reference to the Genesis case or the court’s decision, which held that Genesis need not have been responsible for the prescription of a drug to claim a discount on it. Without referencing the source of drug maker concerns, HRSA did state that manufacturers specifically asked the agency to “revise and clarify its current [1996 patient definition] guidance”. Drug makers tied the “patient definition” issue to the need “to strengthen administration of the 340B Program, including the 340B ADR process and the parties' ability to work together to resolve disputes in good faith”—all items clearly at the core of the proposed rule Having None of It: Despite the Genesis problem, HRSA slapped the drug maker request for clarification to the side. “Revision of the 1996 patient definition guidance,” HRSA flatly declared, “is outside the scope of this rule.” That answer is incredibly unsatisfying, reflecting an utter failure to use an available regulatory power to address a core threat to the program. What Did HRSA Say?: Not much. Instead of giving guidance on what the material connection must be between a patient, a CE, and a discounted drug, HRSA fell back on a description of its intended procedure: “When a #diversion claim is presented before a 340B ADR Panel, the Panel will follow the 340B statute and all applicable regulations, and consider 340B policies and guidance documents”. Interestingly, that statement doesn’t include any reference to case law, such as the Genesis case. Drug makers hope that omission is telling. But, putting that to the side, HRSA merely offered “[e]xamples of a diversion claim that may be submitted” to ADR. Specifically, HRSA referenced “(1) transferring of covered outpatient drugs to a patient where there was no record of the individual's health care or no provider relationship or (2) transferring covered outpatient drugs to an individual who is an inpatient”. In other words, by offering these “examples”, HRSA stuck to obvious scenarios, steering clear of any of the Genesis issues, whether a CE must be responsible for the prescription or at least for the treatment of the underlying condition. Bottom Line: The Rule could have plugged the gaping hole in the current “patient definition”, but HRSA took a pass, abdicating its regulatory responsibility.

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Prolonged hospital stays for patients cost hospitals billions annually. MedPage Today reports that Scripps Mercy Hospital recently discharged its longest-stay patient after 1,193 days and that California hospitals spend $3.25 billion yearly on these extended stays. One solution to this complex issue is leveraging #AI and analytics to streamline workflows and easily transition into #PostAcuteCare. Integrated care models connecting hospitals, mental health facilities, and social services can ensure seamless #PatientCare. 🤖📈 Let's improve patient outcomes and reduce strain on our #Healthcare system. 💪 READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: https://bit.ly/3VfMxWw #HealthIT #HIT #HealthTech #HospitalManagement

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Clear Communication with Patients: How to Manage Expectations and Provide Clarity Learn essential strategies for clear and concise communication with patients, ensuring they understand the next steps and have their questions answered. Discover the importance of managing expectations and how it leads to better patient satisfaction. Enhance your patient advocacy skills and build strong patient relationships. 🎤 Jennifer Noonan, MSN, RN , Accessia Health #PatientCommunication #ManagingExpectations #ClearCommunication #PatientAdvocacy #PatientSatisfaction #HealthcareCommunication #EffectiveCommunication #PatientRelationships #MedicalCommunication #PatientEducation

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While GLP-1 use for Obesity is growing much faster than it is for T2D, these patients are even more likely to stop using the drugs early. One study published in JAMA Network Open showed that by 12 months, it was a coin-flip as to whether someone who started taking a GLP-1 for Obesity would still be taking it. This data is from 2021. I'd hypothesize that those who were adopting GLP-1s for weight loss that early were the ones who were most aggressively seeking help. This data may actually look worse over time. Is it because the drug is failing these patients, or because the patients aren't taking the drugs with the appropriate support? If we are going to invest this much money in a medication to address a serious disease (obesity), we need to solve this.

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Dr. Jeff Patton, MD and Dr. Debra Patt, MD PhD MBA recently sat down with OncLive to discuss some of the lesser known elements of the Inflation Reduction Act's second cycle of Medicare Drug Pricing Negotiations. The Community Oncology Alliance has recently raised these issues to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' draft guidance. Dr. Patton: “Like most government programs, it’s complicated, way too complicated. Anything that’s complicated creates a burden on clinics to implement, so there’s going to be an execution burden on practices." "Implementing the policy and tracking whether the community clinic has received the MFP-based reimbursement now will be necessary with the prospective model," Dr. Patton noted. “The IRA implementation policies are complicated, burdensome, and financially unattractive for community practices." Click below to read the entire story. https://lnkd.in/eBddAF7a

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➡ Today on 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞, Principal Recruiter Rochelle Aguilera, CPC answers a question we often hear about what trends we're noticing lately in Medical Affairs.   The MSL role, and the Medical Affairs job market as a whole, has seen a lot of change over recent years. Many MSLs come to us with questions about how these changes are affecting the market today, and what we're seeing as the new "normal."   ⏳ Got a minute? We've got an answer! Check out the video below. ⬇ #TheRecruiterMinute #AsktheRecruiter #RecruiterInsights #MedicalAffairs #MSL

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📊 There's an interesting single-center study published in JAMA Oncology looking at disparities in colorectal cancer survival. This study of nearly 50,000 patients reports key factors contributing to racial and ethnic disparities in CRC outcomes. 🔸Black patients had worse overall survival (OS) compared to White patients (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.09-1.24; P <.001). 🔸Socioeconomic status was the largest contributor to OS disparity (29%), followed by molecular characteristics (10%) and tumor sidedness (9%). It's interesting to see the importance that socioeconomic status plays in OS. More research, including a broader spectrum for generalizability, is needed. What do you think? You can find the article at: https://buff.ly/4dj1wWt? #ColorectalCancer #HealthDisparities #Oncology #CancerResearch #ClinicalInsights

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It’s a wrap, non-clinical crowd (who attended #SoMeDocsNonClin24)! We’re so grateful for those of you that joined us. Below is a snippet compilation video Dana Corriel, MD pieced together after the end of the conference. All of the lectures + panel discussion are now available in the Teachable space, if you purchased a VIP ticket. For those who haven’t purchased a ticket, but wish to, you can still use the coupon to receive $100 off, for pre-conference pricing. The coupon expires tonight, Nov 18th, at midnight. Let us know, below, if you need that code. If you registered for this event for free, we ask that you provide (via email is great) either: 1. a review in writing or video (if you loved it) and/or 2. feedback, on how we could have made it better (if you didn’t love it) Regarding our interactive Facebook group, we’re still deciding whether to keep it open for continued conversations, and in case we run this conference again, featuring different topics, in the future. Take note we have other FB groups at play, focusing on the topics of their conferences! Our next conference is the Leadership for Women in Healthcare, in January 2025 and Building Resilience – Strategies for Residents in February 2025. Please note that we’re still allowing anyone in public to register - as long as they follow our sharing directions - but that this will likely soon be changing - you will need a profile on our site to be able to share to get in free while live, or be a network member. So please register early, so you’re locked in and don’t miss out as early adopters of this perk. THANK YOU for being loyal followers. Let’s continue building cool things, to promote autonomy for healthcare professionals everywhere! Enjoy the week, The SoMeDocs Team https://lnkd.in/eZwMFf2F #nonclinical #conference #healthcare #doctors #speakers #medicine #professionals #learn #event #physician #somedocs

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