Tech presents CSHP webinar re Drug Access Navigators

Alan Birch recently presented a webinar to members of the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists (CSHP) on opportunities for pharmacy technicians as Drug Access Navigators (DANs).Birch, who is a pharmacy technician, was a DAN at the North York General cancer centre; he now works at Sentrex Health Solutions and operates an Oncology Patient Support program called Haven. He explained that most DANs work in oncology clinics, where drugs are often high cost and needed urgently. The DAN meets with patients to see what they need and helps them enrol with programs to access their medication, whether it be through drug manufacturer patient support programs, private insurance authorization forms, or even Special Access products via Health Canada that are not approved for use in Canada. The DAN meets with patients to see what they need and helps them enrol with programs to access their medication, whether it be through drug manufacturer patient support programs, private insurance authorization forms, or even Special Access products via Health Canada that are not approved for use in Canada. Read: Give your pharmacy staff a checklist of steps for administering vaccines“DANs are also popping up in other areas of need with high-cost, urgent medications – for example, Multiple Sclerosis clinics as well as Immunology and Nephrology,” he said.Birch noted that the majority of DANs across Canada are pharmacy technicians, especially with their understanding of drugs and billing. Working as a DAN can provide technicians with opportunities for advancement and chances for direct patient interactions. DANs and pharmacists work in tandem to best support patient care, he explained. The first step in setting up a DAN is to consider: Do you have a high volume of patients needing Patient Support Program enrollments?Do you have a lot of patients needing government program applications? Prior authorization forms from private insurers?Who is doing the forms and applications with patients now? A physician? Pharmacist? Nurse? Clerk?Read: OCP to launch corporate pressure hotline“By moving reimbursement work to a DAN, clinical colleagues can save time and deploy resources more appropriately,” said Birch. He cited studies showing that a pharmacy technician serving as a navigator significantly improved efficiency, and required an average of 59.5 minutes to complete certain steps, compared with 114 minutes before implementation of a navigator. “Your hospital’s inpatient pharmacy may already have pharmacy technicians interested in a more clinical, patient-facing role to advance their career,” he said. “They may be doing BPMHs, for example. One approach is for new patients to your unit to see a technician for a BPMH who will collect the list of drugs and supplements the patient is on and then discuss drug affordability.”There are currently 3 regional DAN associations, noted Birch, all in Oncology.The Oncology Drug Access Navigators of Ontario (ODANO)The Association Québécoise des coordonnateurs d’accès aux médicaments d’oncologie (AQCAMO)The Atlantic Canada Oncology Drug Access Navigators of Atlantic Canada (ACODANA)

Tech presents CSHP webinar re Drug Access Navigators

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