Insights Newsletter: November 2022

Prepare for up to a Dozen Humira Biosimilars 

• Pain Point: Up to 12 biosimilars for Humira (adalimumab) are slated to hit the market in 2023, leading to questions about the differences among these specialty meds, how to switch between products, and more. Humira is a top seller, with annual revenue of over $20 billion, so most clinicians will face these questions.    
• Solution: Our Pharmacist’s Letter, Hospital Pharmacist’s Letter, Pharmacy Technician’s Letter, Hospital Pharmacy Technician’s Letter, and Prescriber’s Letter articles help pharmacy teams and prescribers understand the difference between biosimilars and “interchangeable” biosimilars, and how these are different from generic meds. We provide tips to help clinicians feel comfortable switching between these specialty med products. We offer guidance for pharmacists about substitution and when to communicate a change with the prescriber. We also provide guidance to prescribers about working with pharmacists as switches among adalimumab products are sorted out. Our resource, Facts About Biosimilars, answers common questions such as how biosimilars compare to the reference biologic in regard to safety and efficacy.

Clear Up Confusion About Emergency Contraception 

• Pain Point: There continue to be questions about the various methods of emergency contraception and when each method is preferred. 
• Solution: Our Pharmacist’s Letter, Pharmacist’s Letter Canada, Pharmacy Technician’s Letter, Pharmacy Technician’s Letter Canada, and Prescriber’s Letter articles point out when to suggest an IUD versus an oral emergency contraceptive, considering various factors (product availability, the timing of unprotected sex, patient weight, drug interactions, etc). We also address questions about repeat use and recommend steering patients toward effective long-term contraception. Our resource, Choosing a Contraceptive, includes tips such as whether to redose oral emergency contraceptives after vomiting, when to start a contraceptive after emergency contraception, and more. 

We also feature information on how to help recruit and retain pharmacy technicians and highlight our Diabetes Resource Hub. Don’t miss our new on-demand webinar, and be sure to check out November’s most popular charts for our Letter products.

Read November’s issue of Insights Newsletter.