Digital Medicines Information: Q&A with Rich Cooper

Rich Cooper
CEO
Datapharm

Rich Cooper, CEO of Datapharm, speaks with Pharmaceutical Executive about advancements in the ways that information medicine products is delivered and how the shift to digital has impacted this aspect of the industry.

Pharmaceutical Executive: What is pharmaceutical product information, and what are some significant challenges regarding its accuracy and accessibility?
Rich Cooper: Pharmaceutical product information is an umbrella term that covers a wide range of content types and formats. It can include drug safety information, promotional information, and logistical information. The accuracy and accessibility of this wide variety of product information are critical to the safe and effective use, marketing, and supply of medicines globally.

With new products entering the market daily, and continuous updates to product information, finding all the necessary and up-to-date information for a single medicine can be challenging. Numerous platforms and systems often need to be examined.

Pharmaceutical companies face the complex challenge of keeping all parties—from internal personnel to healthcare professionals and patients—up to date with accurate information, ensuring it is presented in the correct format, and delivering access to it promptly. This task is complicated because data often resides in different departments and formats, such as spreadsheets, and updates are typically managed manually.

Patient orientated information is mainly still provided on paper for patients, which raises concerns around version control, the potential of information being out of date and the obvious sustainability implications.

PE: In what ways does digitalization improve the accessibility and management of pharmaceutical product information?
Cooper: Digitalization can enable seamless information sharing, or interoperability, across different settings, whether that be different healthcare providers, complex supply chains or the IT systems that criss-cross both the life science and healthcare industries. Interoperability is achieved by the adoption of shared data standards for passing healthcare data between ecosystems. Datapharm is supporting the industry in the adoption of these standards and has embraced the conversion of our medicines information data into FHIR structure. FHIR standards have already been adopted by the FDA and EMA and is increasingly being embraced by regulatory authorities and healthcare systems worldwide.

Providing medicines information digitally promotes the efficient flow, search and access of information, reducing the time and effort required to engage with this vital content at the right time and place, such as doctors prescribing or pharmacists ordering products. This is crucial for supporting healthcare professionals to understand the specifics around a particular product, such as how it must be stored, the best treatment options for patients, and ensuring all medicines' safe and effective administration.

PE: How does a single touchpoint for accessing all medicines information improve prescribing practices and patient outcomes?
Cooper: A single touchpoint for accessing medicines information streamlines the process for healthcare providers by consolidating critical information like drug interactions, dosages, and patient-specific considerations. Comprehensive access reduces the risk of errors and ensures that prescribers and dispensers have the most up-to-date and accurate information. It facilitates more informed decision-making, which can improve patient outcomes by enhancing the safety and effectiveness of medication administration, reducing adverse events, and ensuring timely updates on new treatments and safety alerts. A unified approach ultimately supports better patient care and coordination.

Digital platforms can also open up new ways of consuming safety information, taking into account the patient’s requirements. For instance, this could factor in a patient’s lactose intolerance or vegan preference to highlight this information to the patient about their medicines.

PE: What feedback have you received from internal and external stakeholders regarding the digitalization of product information?
Cooper: Many healthcare professionals prefer to access medicines information online, with 74% globally viewing independent medical websites as either critical or very important for accessing scientific content. Furthermore, around 29% of searches for specific questions about medicines take place outside of pharmaceutical companies’ core hours. This means the digitalization, and online availability, of product information improves the accessibility of up-to-date medicines information at the point of care.

PE: What advantages can pharmaceutical sponsors and healthcare professionals gain from using an independent source of information?
Cooper: Independent sources of medicines information provide pharma and healthcare professionals with a reliable, unbiased and centralized resource. Data is aggregated from multiple sources, offering a comprehensive overview of available products. The information is also presented in standardized formats, making it easier for healthcare professionals to compare options and make decisions. Access to a centralized, independent source also saves time, eliminating the need to consult several, often inconsistent sources. Independent platforms also help ensure that all information provided meets regulatory standards, reducing the risk of non-compliance for sponsors and offering healthcare professionals confidence in the information they access.

PE: How do you see the role of digitalization evolving in the pharmaceutical supply chain over the next few years?
Cooper: The pharmaceutical supply chain represents both a significant challenge and opportunity for Pharma companies. To safely deliver products to patients, Pharma and their supply chain partners need a reliable product information set that means that they understand how to store, transport and check that the medicines are in fact the right ones. Global supply chains are nearly all supported by digital technology, and for products to flow seamlessly up and down them, it is vital that the right information is available about the medicine itself. This can provide feedback analytics to the supply chain, and this will enable supply chain optimisation where possible to help avoid unwanted price fluctuations and potential regional and national shortages, as well as ensure patient safety by making sure the supply chain is secure.