US Bioservices Working with MedImpact to Offer Select Services to Members with Hemophilia

US Bioservices, a specialty pharmacy, announced that it is working with the pharmacy benefit management company MedImpact to dispense prescriptions and select services through the MedImpact Direct Specialty Program for the hemophilia community.

Under the collaboration, US Bioservices will offer hemophilia patients who are MedImpact members the opportunity to use myCubixx temperature-controlled product storage devices, a product of AmerisourceBergen. US Bioservices is part of AmerisourceBergen.

myCubixx products help patients store their temperature-sensitive medications at home in a convenient, secure and monitored way. The units offer an alternative to storing therapies in a home refrigerator, which can have varying temperatures.

The myCubixx units record bleed information and dosage when opened, helping maintain optimal inventory levels and provide real-time data to the patients and their care team, aiming at ultimately lowering overall costs for treatment, according to a press release.

US Bioservices will also offer MedImpact members a range of services at its Hemophilia Centers of Excellence. These centers are designed to assist patients with managing their treatment adherence, to provide resource education and training for caregivers, and to provide patients with a 24/7 access to infusion nurses and information on medication dosages, allowing patients to avoid unnecessary emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

“While there is no cure for hemophilia, patients can lead long, healthy lives with proper treatment, education and support,” Kevin James, vice president of payer strategy for U.S. Bioservices, said in the release.

“By collaborating with US Bioservices, we are better able to help support our members’ adherence to therapy, which leads to improved condition management and quality of life,” said Greg Watanabe, president and chief operations officer for MedImpact.

Refrigerating clotting factor therapies can be a challenge for some patients.  A report released in April found that hemophilia A patients who do not refrigerate their bleeding prevention therapy are more satisfied with it and report fewer restrictions on their daily activities.

The report, “Patient preferences in the treatment of hemophilia A: impact of storage conditions on product choice,” was published in the journal Patient Preference and Adherence. It drew on interviews with about 200 patients in six countries.

Two-thirds of the participants said they were using recombinant factor VIII products. Only 17 percent reported being dissatisfied with them, but more than 40 percent said they were unhappy with having to take factor products repeatedly and with having to refrigerate them while traveling.