Josh examines the risks manufacturers take when transitioning a patient services hub from one vendor to another. He argues that scaling with a proven, flexible blueprint can help hubs with speed, patient continuity, and confident decision-making.
To learn more, download Cardinal Health Sonexus™ Access and Patient Support's framework: 5 Questions Every Manufacturer Should Ask Before a Hub Transition.
Read on for Josh's insights.
Hub Transitions Need Proven Plans, Smart Scale-Up
By Josh Marsh, Vice President and General Manager, Cardinal Health Sonexus™ Access and Patient Support
In rethinking those setups, manufacturers need to know the new vendors can deliver value throughout the drug life cycle, now and years down the road. Indeed, hub transitions are high-stakes initiatives you can't just turn off and back on once in new hands. Even in the best conditions, hubs must be dialed into market dynamics to balance speed with patient continuity and assured decision-making.
That's why, instead of what's theoretically best, what matters — aside from table-stakes factors like patient-centric workflows, covered entity status and branded eRx — is the proven ability to scale. It's the metrics, insights and outcomes. Maybe most importantly, it's the wherewithal to know when to make big decisions and when to hold off.
SCALING IS A SCIENCE
I've seen what makes strong programs, and it's probably not what you think. We can all point to the transformational hubs that are best-in-class examples, and many vendors try to mimic their success when transitioning hubs by going all in, all at once.
But it's not about how big or bold a hub can be. At Cardinal Health Sonexus Access and Patient Support, we've operated programs of every scope and size — large and small, easy and complex. We've managed growth and change in real time. And we've built infrastructure and teams that adapt to an evolving market while putting patients first. For example, during a recent program transition, our operating model not only protected continuity of care, but it also increased positive patient sentiment by 5% during the handoff.
In that work, we've learned that scaling is a science. The thing all great hubs have in common is they scaled when the time and conditions were right.
That takes combining everything you know about the market with everything you know about the manufacturer — and growing (or not growing) from there. So, when we do scale programs, we scale with a proven blueprint. If expectations aren't realistic in year one or beyond, we'll say so. But we'll also find a way to anticipate market shifts, build new capabilities and flex the plan so top priorities are within reach.
FLEXIBILITY IS NON-NEGOTIABLE
Every manufacturer is in a different place. They vary in risk tolerance, pace of change and appetite for innovation. And they're affected by market pressures differently, from the Inflation Reduction Act's pricing squeeze to the Reconciliation Act's effects on Medicaid access. Plus, there's the overall push for cash pay to combat gross-to-net challenges. There is no single approach that works for everyone.
We firmly believe "your strategy is our strategy" and come back to that framing all the time because it does not pit flexibility against a validated framework. A good hub transition follows a proven and not-just-theoretical model. It scales when it makes sense. But a good hub also meets manufacturers and patients where they are.
AI is a fitting example of that. Many clients come looking for ways to embrace AI, which we have increasingly done through functions such as improving call quality and predicting non-adherence. Other brands are more cautious, and we understand that. But for those who are AI-ready, our AI Center of Excellence has partnered with the business to build the governance, policies and secure infrastructure required to continue adopting AI. By being flexible about how we build our solutions, we can accommodate both viewpoints and still scale for both when the time is right.
We're also seeing more interest in manufacturers who choose to insource their CRMs while outsourcing functions like clinical support. In those cases, the hub provider should be able to work with that hybrid model willingly, transparently and flexibly, as we do. If they can't or won't, it begs the question whether they are fit for the program at all.
HUB PROGRAMS DESERVE AND SHOULD DEMAND MORE
In an uncertain and always evolving environment, manufacturers can't afford to put their hubs in the hands of a theoretical transition plan. They need a hub provider who gets to work serving patients on day one, who moves confidently when and where it matters.
Providers who deliver, scale and evolve with manufacturers and the market will ultimately earn the most trust. In this era of frequent hub switching, there is always another option.
Performance results are based on KPIs measured for this specific client engagement. Individual client results may vary based on program design, patient population, market conditions and other factors.
Download our hub transition readiness framework: 5 Questions Every Manufacturer Should Ask Before a Hub Transition.
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