Reclast the facts

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Anonymous

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I know that we just got back from our launch meeting a couple of weeks ago, but I am already getting doctors who said I will not write this drug again. These are doctors that I have great relationship with for years. They are telling me their patients are calling back complaining about the price.

Three of these Doctors that are friends have tried to prescribe Reclast. Every time the patient has refused the therapy. The patients are saying that they are not paying $ 240.00 to $ 480.00 dollars for the product.

The insurance companies are charging $ 20.00 to $ 40.00 a month for their co-pay.

I know that is not much $ 20 to $ 40, but they are charging that times 12 months.

This is going to be a huge problem!!!
 


















You are a dumbass. The drug beats everything on the market and once the oncologists, endos and rhem. use the product, the IM docs will follow quickly. This is a great product and will take the others to the cleaners. The only hard part is to get patients to agree to the infusion.
 






Anonymous said:
You are a dumbass. The drug beats everything on the market and once the oncologists, endos and rhem. use the product, the IM docs will follow quickly. This is a great product and will take the others to the cleaners. The only hard part is to get patients to agree to the infusion.
Click to expand...

Why would the oncologists use reclast....they have Zometa
 












OP Here!!!

I am going to spell out the facts to my idiot counter parts in the company. I am going to you a simple education into the finances of medicine. Hope the fools that dont understand this continue going to launch meetings, and believing every thing that the Power Points tell us.

The following is why my Doctors are telling me they will not write Reclast!!!!

Here are the facts,

1. Most patients that will recieve Reclast are older, and a large percentage are on a fixed income.
2. Ask your grandmother if she is ready to write a check for $ 240 to $ 480 dollars for a drug. In one lump check.
3. This drug does not come with any thing, but the drug. I know that is obvious, but the tubing is around $ 6.00 to $ 8.00 per patient.
4. No supplier in the country McKesson, Cardinal, Hospira sell the tubing in individual units. They all sell them by the case. Most case are 48 to 120 depending on the supplier.
5. A doctor is going to have to spend on the low side $ 300.00 on the tubing.
6. With a reimbursement rate of approximatley $ 75.00 for the CPT code 90765. The doctor will have lose money on the first 5 Patients. Just on the tubing. Not including his general over head. IE Nursing
7. Now they have to sit on the tubing waiting for the appropriate patient.
8. The prior Authorization on these types of drugs, usually takes about 15 to 30 minutes.
9. An MA costs us about $ 12 to $ 15 an hour so it costs us about $ 6 to
$ 7.50 just to give the patient the drug. This does not include their insurance or any other ancillary expenses.
10 . Then they have to call the patient to let them know the drug is going to cost them $ 240 to $ 480 for the prescription. If the patient says no they make nothing.
11. On top of all of that they have to spend about $ 1000.00 just to bring the drug into the clinice.
12. The 6 % mark up is not always Gauranteed. It usually takes 45 to 60 to reimbursed the $ 1060.00.
13. If you have a $ 1000.00 and you loan it to a friend and he says he will give you $ 60.00 plus $ 1000.00 for $ 1060.00 60 days later what are you going to say? Oh yeah and he is going to subtract $ 6.00 for his hassles. IE the cost of the tubing.
14. So when all is said and done they have spent close to $ 300.00 on tubing, and a $ 1000.00 per patient on the drug.
15. If the Dr. puts 5 patients a month on Reclast the Dr has spent $ 5,0000 in just drug costs. Or i could take the $ 5,000 and put it in a simple 5 % interest account. I make $ 250 a year with no worries. Or I put a bunch of patients of Reclast, and just one of the 60 patients in the year has an insurance issue. I lose money or at best case i break even.
16. Who wants the risk.


I was trying to give you all a heads up as to what you can expect in the market place. I was always taught that knowledge is power. So I hope this helps.

You all can say what you want, but these are the facts. Remember not everyone has money just sitting in their accounts to spend. They also need to eat, pay bills.

Now you can all make fun of my grammer or spelling, and not pay attention to the financial facts.

Sincerly,

An enlighted Reclast Rep!!!!
 












Patients will brown bag the drug. Offices are used to buying disposables and not getting their money back right away. Doctors will use this drug because it's better for their patients, not to make a buck. Patients will want it and be willing to pay for it because then don't want to break their leg/hip and they don't want to have to take a pill every day/week/month.

If it were easy they wouldn't need us. This is going to be a great drug to sell.
 






Just did some rough calculations that might or might not be a surprise to you Reclast folks. A MD can buy zometa 30ml or 120mg for $1,114. Since it is the same drug....that comes to a cost of 24, 5mg doses at $46. Why would the same office purchase one dose of Reclast at $1,041? Just a thought......
 






Anonymous said:
Patients will brown bag the drug. Offices are used to buying disposables and not getting their money back right away. Doctors will use this drug because it's better for their patients, not to make a buck. Patients will want it and be willing to pay for it because then don't want to break their leg/hip and they don't want to have to take a pill every day/week/month.

If it were easy they wouldn't need us. This is going to be a great drug to sell.
Click to expand...

What about Boniva IV where they can get all that AND make the buck?
 






90% on Medicare patients have secondary insurance and that will bring the cost way down for those patients.
As for the poster that stated about buying Zometa in bulk. Seems like a good idea but don't really think it will be done in theory unless you have a huge number of infusions done at one time and you have the means to mix and measure etc. Seems kind of like FRAUD to me!!

If you all are Novartis reps , shouldn't you want this drug to do well as opposed to looking for reasons that It won't. Certain we are all realistic with the facts but for the bottom line of this company and your jobs you should hope any new drug does well
 






OP Here again,

I very much appreciate the Manager who posted the 90 % information about the medicare population having a supplemental. However, Mr. Manager you better understand what you are talking about before you spout of 90 % have a supplemental.

1. Most of the supplemental only handle drugs.
2. I know Reclast is a drug.
3. Reclast is covered under Medicare Part B and not Medicare D.
4. So most supplementals will not help.

I do understand that Medicare plans can very greatly, but most will not help additionally with this drug. So once again the cost will be $ 240 to 480.

However I do find it funny that you obviously believe everything the company tells you, and never actually go out and find out the facts.

As far as going out an selling this drug that is what I am paid to do. So that is exactly what I am doing everyday. However, since you obviously are not aware of all the facts you might want to get out from behind your desk, and go out truly understand the facts on how much this drug is going to cost the patients. Instead spewing out your little gems about 90 % have supplemental.

I posted this information so we as reps no the facts. Since the company is trying to keep our heads in the sand. We need to know what we need to say to the Dr's that we are calling on everyday.

P.S. I live on the west coast so I doing this during my lunch. For those of you who are going to comment on the Time stamp!!
 






Anonymous said:
OP Here again,

I very much appreciate the Manager who posted the 90 % information about the medicare population having a supplemental. However, Mr. Manager you better understand what you are talking about before you spout of 90 % have a supplemental.

1. Most of the supplemental only handle drugs.
2. I know Reclast is a drug.
3. Reclast is covered under Medicare Part B and not Medicare D.
4. So most supplementals will not help.

I do understand that Medicare plans can very greatly, but most will not help additionally with this drug. So once again the cost will be $ 240 to 480.

However I do find it funny that you obviously believe everything the company tells you, and never actually go out and find out the facts.

As far as going out an selling this drug that is what I am paid to do. So that is exactly what I am doing everyday. However, since you obviously are not aware of all the facts you might want to get out from behind your desk, and go out truly understand the facts on how much this drug is going to cost the patients. Instead spewing out your little gems about 90 % have supplemental.

I posted this information so we as reps no the facts. Since the company is trying to keep our heads in the sand. We need to know what we need to say to the Dr's that we are calling on everyday.

P.S. I live on the west coast so I doing this during my lunch. For those of you who are going to comment on the Time stamp!!
Click to expand...


In my area many of the supplementals cover the things that Med B would pay for.
So let me ask you OP....if you have so much to say against Reclast and the cost how to you suspect you will try to sell this drug??
 






Anonymous said:
OP Here!!!

I am going to spell out the facts to my idiot counter parts in the company. I am going to you a simple education into the finances of medicine. Hope the fools that dont understand this continue going to launch meetings, and believing every thing that the Power Points tell us.

The following is why my Doctors are telling me they will not write Reclast!!!!

Here are the facts,

1. Most patients that will recieve Reclast are older, and a large percentage are on a fixed income.
2. Ask your grandmother if she is ready to write a check for $ 240 to $ 480 dollars for a drug. In one lump check.
3. This drug does not come with any thing, but the drug. I know that is obvious, but the tubing is around $ 6.00 to $ 8.00 per patient.
4. No supplier in the country McKesson, Cardinal, Hospira sell the tubing in individual units. They all sell them by the case. Most case are 48 to 120 depending on the supplier.
5. A doctor is going to have to spend on the low side $ 300.00 on the tubing.
6. With a reimbursement rate of approximatley $ 75.00 for the CPT code 90765. The doctor will have lose money on the first 5 Patients. Just on the tubing. Not including his general over head. IE Nursing
7. Now they have to sit on the tubing waiting for the appropriate patient.
8. The prior Authorization on these types of drugs, usually takes about 15 to 30 minutes.
9. An MA costs us about $ 12 to $ 15 an hour so it costs us about $ 6 to
$ 7.50 just to give the patient the drug. This does not include their insurance or any other ancillary expenses.
10 . Then they have to call the patient to let them know the drug is going to cost them $ 240 to $ 480 for the prescription. If the patient says no they make nothing.
11. On top of all of that they have to spend about $ 1000.00 just to bring the drug into the clinice.
12. The 6 % mark up is not always Gauranteed. It usually takes 45 to 60 to reimbursed the $ 1060.00.
13. If you have a $ 1000.00 and you loan it to a friend and he says he will give you $ 60.00 plus $ 1000.00 for $ 1060.00 60 days later what are you going to say? Oh yeah and he is going to subtract $ 6.00 for his hassles. IE the cost of the tubing.
14. So when all is said and done they have spent close to $ 300.00 on tubing, and a $ 1000.00 per patient on the drug.
15. If the Dr. puts 5 patients a month on Reclast the Dr has spent $ 5,0000 in just drug costs. Or i could take the $ 5,000 and put it in a simple 5 % interest account. I make $ 250 a year with no worries. Or I put a bunch of patients of Reclast, and just one of the 60 patients in the year has an insurance issue. I lose money or at best case i break even.
16. Who wants the risk.


I was trying to give you all a heads up as to what you can expect in the market place. I was always taught that knowledge is power. So I hope this helps.

You all can say what you want, but these are the facts. Remember not everyone has money just sitting in their accounts to spend. They also need to eat, pay bills.

Now you can all make fun of my grammer or spelling, and not pay attention to the financial facts.

Sincerly,

An enlighted Reclast Rep!!!!
Click to expand...


You are the most uneducated idiot that has ever written a post on cafepharma. Rather than spend time trying to educate your peers you should be brushing up on your high school english. The fact that you are actually employed by novartis just tells me that this place has taken a severe turn for the worst.
 






Interesting discussion. Here's a question... If the patients are supposed to get a dental evaluation before getting the drug, won't that add to the out-of-pocket expenses for the patient?

Most dental insurances won't cover a well visit other than the standard bi-yearly check-up/cleaning. I'm experiencing some of the challenges the OP mentioned, plus more. I know our data is great, but the hurdles are discouraging.
 






My mother-in-law, (78 w/osteoporosis, otherwise in pretty good health) has asked me about this drug. I currently sell prenatal vitamins, so I have no idea about this.

She would like to know what the total cost would be; she does not have any supplemental insurance and would be total cash pay, which she can afford. She currenty takes Fosamax and gets sick for the entire day.

Can someone shed some light on this for me?

Thanks.
 






Anonymous said:
My mother-in-law, (78 w/osteoporosis, otherwise in pretty good health) has asked me about this drug. I currently sell prenatal vitamins, so I have no idea about this.

She would like to know what the total cost would be; she does not have any supplemental insurance and would be total cash pay, which she can afford. She currenty takes Fosamax and gets sick for the entire day.

Can someone shed some light on this for me?

Thanks.
Click to expand...


Probably about $250. medicare pays 80% of total cost
 






OP is right. I think this is an amazing drug and I for one will do very well with it but not without my fair share of hurdles. Sometimes ignorance is bliss but not in this case. Remember, this is new to the company and they still have no idea what they are doing or how to market it. There will be more changes as we discover more and more hurdles. I want my mom on this but face it, there is nothing in it for the doctors b ut to help the patient and in this sad medical time, that is just not enough for a doctor. We are asking them to take a chance financially and that means more to them than anything. They are for the most part money hungry pigs looking to see what they can get from the industry. Think about how they give you a hard time over the lunches we bring or the wrong coffee or not taking them out enough to the restaurants of their choice with the $200 bottles of wine. Think they will front the money for us or the patient when they can write a script with no hassle? some will, many wont,,,,, in time, for my jobs sake, I hope they will come on board. DOn't be so close minded not to keep this good information in your head. You never know when you may be able to usefully use this information.
 






Sad state of affairs. Let me say first, I don't work at NVS, but I did years ago. I sold both Aredia and Zometa and I had physicians then that treated osteo patients who could not tolerate oral biphos. I came here to read because I've recommended that my 70+ y.o. mother speak to her physician about reclast. While the OP has some interesting points, I completely disagree with this being only for older patients. I can't imagine too many post-menopausal women that would not prefer to take a once-a-year 15 minute infusion vs. taking daily, weekly, or even monthly pills that cause GI distress. With the controversy around estrogen supplements, more and more women are taking biphos., even pre-menopausal women.

For patients over 65 y.o. Medicare Part B will pay 80% and for patients with Medicare supplements, many will have their co-pay covered. OP is incorrect regarding supplements only paying for drugs. I've been in oncology for 16 years and I've seen lots of EOBs, supplements pay based upon the same charges that Medicare allows, so if Medicare pays an infusion charge at 80%, the supplement will pay the infusion charge at the plan rate.

I think the key will be that not every MD that treats osteo patients will want to invest in the effort to infuse drugs. You'll need to get infusion centers going, I'd even consider checking with the hospital out-patient infusion department. It appears from the reclast web site that NVS is already trying to establish infusion centers and direct patients to them. OP is right that some MDs will not want to do it, but they would likely allow their patient to receive it at their hospital's outpatient center.

This is a great drug for patients and anyone with a little creativity should be able to sell it like crazy. Zometa substitution should not be an issue, since Zometa comes in 4mg vials, unless of course a 5mg vial of Reclast cost 10 - 12 times mores than a 4mg vial of Zometa. I don't know anything about the cost of Reclast, but as I recall Zometa was about $700 - $800 for 4mg and of course cancer patients receive that monthly.

Good luck - salespeople should be successful, whiners will, well still be whiners.
 






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