BACKGROUND

Health plans have acknowledged there is a significant unmet need to improve prior authorization (PA) processes to increase patient access to life saving nonstatin therapies. Outcomes from a series of regional working groups in the United States provided recommendations for developing standardized patient eligibility criteria and a checklist for streamlining the PA process.

OBJECTIVE

To (1) develop a standardized PA checklist to streamline collection of adequate PA documentation by prescribers, regardless of health insurance plan type, and (2) measure the impact of the PA checklist in clinical practice in a controlled observational study.

METHODS

A working group of thought leaders representing payers and providers was assembled by PRIME Education, in collaboration with the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, the American Society for Preventive Cardiology, and the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association. The working group developed and finalized a PA checklist for PCSK9 inhibitors that was integrated into the electronic medical record for 2 large community health care systems with geographic representation of patients with cardiovascular disease: Random chart audits were conducted prior to (historical controls) and 6 months after (post-intervention) implementation of the checklist (n = 100 each set). Primary study endpoints were rates of approvals and time to approval/receipt of prescribed drug. Statistical analyses measured changes in PA documentation outcomes, including treatment history and authorization approvals/denials. Survey questions provided to health care provider teams before and after integration of the PA checklist measured changes in prescriber attitudes on effectiveness and efficiency of the PA checklist.

RESULTS

Following implementation of the PA checklist, a 19% absolute increase in initial PA approvals and a 2-day overall reduction in time-to-treatment with prescribed PCSK9 inhibitor therapy were observed. Documentation of side effects (54%;  < 0.0001), statin contraindications (31%;  < 0.0001), and prior lipid therapies failed (20%;  < 0.0001) also increased postimplementation. In surveys, prescribers reported greater efficiency and effectiveness of the PA process when using the standardized PA checklist.

CONCLUSIONS

Time-to-treatment for nonstatin therapies for eligible patients with hypercholesterolemia was decreased in 2 community health systems following integration of a standardized PA checklist developed through a collaboration between patients and providers.