Harrow founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark L. Baum says he’s passionate about patient access to needed treatments.

“I think it’s our moral responsibility as pharmaceutical companies to ensure that as many patients as is reasonably possible can get access to a medication that can really benefit them,” he says.

Baum has most recently backed this up with the Vevye Access for All program (https://bit.ly/HarrowVevyeProgram), which recently expanded to allow Klarity-C (compounded cyclosporine 0.1%, ImprimsRx, a compounding subsidiary of Harrow) users to switch to Vevye for the same cost.

Here, he answers questions about the program.

Q: What was the impetus for the Vevye Access for All Program?

A: I make a habit of visiting doctors’ offices before our salespeople do, so I can schmooze with patients in the waiting room, allied health staff, and doctors. Doing so provides a real sense of what’s happening when it comes to issues, such as patient access. Over and over, patient access to Vevye (cyclosporine ophthalmic solution 0.1%) was being hindered by prior authorizations and so-called “step therapy,” among other issues, so we created the program to enable patients to get what their eyecare provider prescribed.

Q: What are the specific patient and practice benefits of the program?

A: In addition to facilitating access to Vevye, I would say that the program can reduce a patient’s overall out-of-pocket costs for dry eye disease medications because they’re going to get the drug that was prescribed for them vs having to try several drugs until they can get it.

Regarding the practice benefits, the program removes prescribing restrictions, particularly for Medicare Part D patients. Also, through our recent expansion of the program, Klarity-C patients can access Vevye for $59 per bottle, including refills, which is 50% off the market price. Additionally, the program can reduce the administrative burden of prior authorizations.

Q: How, specifically, can doctors transition their patients from Klarity-C to Vevye via the all-access program?

A: Harrow has built an efficient portal through PhilRx, where the doctor can quickly and efficiently change their patients’ prescriptions to Vevye, and it only needs to be done once, even for refills. We are also looking to add partner pharmacies to this program, so stay tuned.  OM