Laura Wingate: Education Makes Patients More Confident in Biosimilar Switches

Switching from a medication that is working to a biosimilar can make some patients nervous but educated patients feel more confident in the switch, explained Laura Wingate, executive vice president, Education, Support, & Advocacy, Crohn's & Colitis Foundation.

Transcript

What is the best way to inform a patient that a switch to a biosimilar is happening?

The patients who we've focus grouped and talk to about how they want to be informed, they don't want to receive a letter from their insurance company, stating that “you're being switched.” They really want to have the opportunity to talk to their physician about this change and to be educated. I've been advocating with insurers that they leverage the resources—whether they be the FDA’s resources, whether they be resources like the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation resources, or other organizations that are working to educate their communities about biosimilars.

We know that when patients are educated and have an opportunity to hear from another patient—so the patient storytelling of other patients who have moved from their originator product to a biosimilar—they feel more confident in that. They feel more confident when their physician is educating them and telling them about the switch rather than a form letter sent to them from their insurance company. So, the more we can do this in an engagement way rather than just informing them about a change, the better the outcomes for the patient, the more patients that will be stable on their biosimilar and won't experience the nocebo effect, which we all want to avoid.

If you're needing to educate your patients or even your health care professional community about biosimilars, the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation has numerous resources, including some short format videos that really break down the language of biosimilars, the evidence supporting biosimilars in patient-friendly terms and they're available through our website. And they're less than 5 minutes long, and patients and their caregivers can view them and become more comfortable with the language of biosimilars and understanding how safe and effective they are.