Digital Therapeutics Alliance to research current obstacles or barriers to health plan coverage of digital therapeutic (DTx) therapies and develop standardized pharmacy and medical benefit workflows to show how DTx products can be integrated into benefit designs.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Aug. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The NCPDP Foundation Board of Trustees has awarded a $79,000 grant to Digital Therapeutics Alliance to research health plans' criteria for determining coverage pathways of DTx products and develop pharmacy and medical benefit workflows to illustrate how clinically validated digital therapeutic products can be integrated into benefit designs. The grant supports the NCPDP Foundation's strategic initiative to Expand Patient Access to Care in alignment with NCPDP's strategic goal to explore how standards can support a pharmacist's role in digital therapeutics. Findings from the research project will also include recommendations for enhancements to existing NCPDP standards or a new NCPDP standard to support DTx products.
"We are excited to fund this research which can help improve patient access to clinically validated digital therapeutics and advance interoperability of data that supports prescription digital therapeutics," explained J.W. Hill, MBAHCM, CNED, Executive Director, NCPDP Foundation. "This is an opportunity to unleash the power of innovation and help close gaps in care."
Jessica Hauflaire, Chief Operating Officer, Digital Therapeutics Alliance said, "We thank the NCPDP Foundation for their remarkable support in breaking down this significant barrier to patient access. By harnessing the structure and standards established by NCPDP, we aim to enable health plans to embrace and confidently adopt digital therapeutics. The ultimate goal is to promote equitable access to these innovative therapies across various health plans."
Digital Therapeutics Alliance will partner with Point-of-Care Partners, LLC (POCP), a leading management consulting firm, to conduct the health plan research and create the workflow and templates.
"We're really excited to be part of this important work on digital therapeutics," said Pooja Babbrah, Pharmacy and PBM Practice Lead, Point-of-Care Partners. "This area is progressing rapidly, with a growing variety of digital therapeutic products available. This project is important because it could make it easier for patients to access these new kinds of treatments. We believe that studying how health plans currently decide on coverage and finding ways to streamline the process for both PBMs and health plans, will be helpful for the industry. Especially for those considering covering these new therapies, this could show them a good way forward."
The research grant was funded in part by GoodRx's Founder's Gift for Patient Access to Care.
About NCPDP Foundation
The NCPDP Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona and is affiliated with the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP). The NCPDP Foundation was established in December 2012 to support research, education, and charitable involvement within the healthcare industry. For more information, visit http://ncpdpfoundation.org.
About Digital Therapeutics Alliance
As the leading global authority on the evolution of digital health technology, Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association of industry leaders and stakeholders dedicated to the understanding, adoption, and integration of digital therapeutics into healthcare. DTA works to enable expanded access to high quality, evidence-based digital therapeutics for patients, clinicians, and payors to improve clinical and health economic outcomes. As the leading international organization on digital therapeutic thought leadership and education, DTA provides the digital health ecosystem with the necessary tools to define, evaluate, and utilize DTx products.
Media Contact
Janet Cabibbo, NCPDP Foundation, 480-477-1000 x 104, [email protected], www.NCPDPFoundation.org
Maggie Bruce, NCPDP Foundation, 480-477-1000 x 144, [email protected], www.NCPDPFoundation.org
SOURCE NCPDP Foundation
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