Shire Looks to Keep Patients On Track

Shire Pharmaceuticals has launched On Track, a program designed to improve adherence to disease management regimens dialysis patients with hyperphosphatemia, or elevated levels of phosphorus in the blood. On Track was designed to provide resources to patients, healthcare professionals (HCPs) and renal care teams that can help them identify “real world” solutions to adherence-related challenges.

Approximately half of all end-stage renal disease patients fail to attain serum phosphorus control, according to Shire. Up to 73 percent of patients are repeatedly non-compliant to phosphate binder therapy. Specifically, 30 percent of patients have decided not to fill one or more prescriptions due to medication costs and/or lack of transportation to the pharmacy, while 21 percent of ESRD patients admit to not taking medications as prescribed due to side effects, cost, and the belief that they already take “too many” medications. ESRD patients are prescribed an average of 12 different medications for concurrent medical conditions.

On Track will provide resources and services developed with insights from experts in the nephrology and behavior modification fields to help renal care teams and patients take a multifaceted approach to hyperphosphatemia control. Shire also is offering additional support specifically for Fosrenol (Shire’s phosphate binder) patients through its comprehensive offerings in Fosrenol On Track—an additional program that offers an array of services to help renal care teams and patients improve adherence.

Shire developed tools for HCPs and renal care teams to help enhance their communication with patients in clinical settings. These tools will facilitate the development of individualized plans that address patients’ specific barriers to managing their hyperphosphatemia through diet, dialysis, and phosphate binder therapy.

Shire established the Fosrenol On Track hotline to provide a simple, single point of access to a comprehensive range of support services and tools for all Fosrenol patients and their renal care teams. Patients also can elect to receive regular lifestyle and medication “reminders” through Fosrenol On Track.

Shire also is providing several resources for patients who face financial burdens to adherence. Shire will provide a discount card for patients with private insurance that will help them with financial assistance for their medication. In addition, qualified dialysis patients can receive grants to help with phosphate binder costs through Shire’s partnerships with the American Kidney Fund. Eligible patients who fall into the Medicare Part D coverage gap and who are in need of Medicaid assistance may receive Fosrenol free of charge.

As an additional component of the On Track initiative, Shire assembled an Adherence Task Force composed of renal dietitians and other HCPs with expertise in improving patient adherence. Recognizing the complexities of effectively managing hyperphosphatemia over the long term, Shire is working with these experts to evaluate the many factors impacting adherence to hyperphosphatemia management and develop effective, “real world” solutions.

One tool the Adherence Task Force believes can be useful to renal care teams as they work with their patients to develop individualized plans is the phosphate binding ratio (PBR), which signifies the number of grams of phosphorus bound by each gram of a particular medication. By knowing the PBR of the binder a patient is taking, HCPs can help patients make informed decisions about what they eat and the extent to which they can balance their diet and binder to achieve good phosphate balance. There are a variety of phosphate binders available for patients with hyperphosphatemia, and these medications have a range of PBRs based on their active ingredients.

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