TABLE 3.
How to efficiently manage a switch from a biological reference product to a biosimilar or vice versa and inform the patient: guiding principles from structured healthcare professional group discussions.
| Level of agreement a | Level of consensus b | |
|---|---|---|
| When implementing a switch it is important to… | ||
| General elements | ||
| A. Communicate with a one voice principle (coherence in communication and terminology used among physicians, pharmacists, nurses) | 4.7 | Strong consensus |
| B. Search for consensus and support from involved stakeholders prior to the switch | 4.5 | Strong consensus |
| C. Inform/educate/train involved physicians, pharmacists, nurses about the switch and/or general concepts of biosimilars | 4.3 | Strong consensus |
| D. Follow a planned and stepwise approach | 3.9 | Moderate consensus |
| Elements related to the patient | ||
| A. In the hospital setting: inform patients in advance about the switch | 3.7 | Moderate consensus |
| B. For subcutaneous (self-administered) products: inform patients about the switch and involve them in the decision-making | 4.5 | Strong consensus |
| C. Provide an opportunity to discuss the switch with the physician/nurse prior to the switch, provide patients with the opportunity to ask questions | 4.5 | Strong consensus |
| D. For subcutaneous products (self-administered): provide training to the patient on the new injection device | 4.6 | Strong consensus |
| E. Keep it simple. Providing patients with excessive information may invoke uncertainty about the change/biosimilar | 4.5 | Strong consensus |
| F. Assess the information need on the individual patient level | 4.3 | Strong consensus |
| G. Frame the switch positively, and focus on equality of the treatments | 4.7 | Strong consensus |
| H. Allow room for deviation in case a patient objects to switch | 3.7 | Moderate consensus |
a
Participants expressed their level of agreement (LoA) on a five-point Likert scale, with 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree. This column shows the calculated mean LoA.
b
Strong consensus: when at least 80% of participants agreed with the statement (yes/no) and the mean overall LoA was ≥4 on the Likert scale, Moderate consensus: a mean overall LoA of ≥3.5 on the Likert-scale, No consensus: a mean overall LoA of <3.5 on the Likert scale.