Impact of a pharmacist-led adalimumab biosimilar interchange protocol on order processing time

Area of Science:

• Health Systems Pharmacy
• Biosimilar Utilization
• Specialty Pharmacy Management

Background:

• The increasing adoption of biosimilars presents challenges for health systems, including managing diverse product options and insurance-specific formularies.
• Adalimumab biosimilars require efficient processing to ensure timely patient access and manage workflow gaps in specialty clinics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a pharmacist-driven adalimumab interchange protocol on specialty prescription order processing times.
• To assess the efficiency of a pharmacist-led protocol in managing adalimumab biosimilar transitions across different specialties and payor types.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective, multicenter cohort study analyzed data from May 20, 2024, involving patients prescribed adalimumab for inflammatory conditions.
• Order processing time was measured from notification to switch to order release, comparing protocol utilization versus non-utilization.
• Biosimilar discontinuation rates and reasons were also assessed.

Main Results:

• The pharmacist-led interchange protocol reduced mean order processing time from 4.60 days to 2.08 days (P = 0.000106).
• Twenty-eight percent of adalimumab switch orders utilized the protocol, with Medicare orders showing the longest processing times (8.22 days).
• Loss of efficacy was the primary reason for biosimilar discontinuation (67% of discontinued orders).

Conclusions:

• A pharmacist-led interchange protocol can significantly improve adalimumab biosimilar order processing efficiency.
• Further research should focus on comparing discontinuation rates among different adalimumab products to optimize patient outcomes.