Recap PharmaLedger’s Open Webinar “Making ePI a Reality: The User Journey”

PharmaLedger recently hosted our third open webinar, “Making ePI a Reality: The User Journey” in November 2021 and January 2022 which focused on our blockchain-enabled electronic Product Information (ePI) use case. PharmaLedger partners and invited guests joined together to discuss the history, evolution and future plans of the use case, as well as results from a healthcare professionals focus group and patient workshops conducted to collect feedback on how to improve the mobile application. 

You can rewatch the full webinar recording from our Youtube channel, which was moderated by PharmaLedger’s Culture and Adoption Team Member Martin Hunt (Onorach) with an introduction by GSK’s Representative for the ePI use case Paul Marley (GlaxoSmithKline). 

Making ePI a Reality: The User Journey – Individual Presentations

We also posted individual presentation recordings to more easily re-watch the webinar. You can read a summary of each presentation with the accompanying link below.

1. ePI Journey 

The ePI use case was introduced by PharmaLedger’s ePI Co-Lead Ken Thursby (MSD). The goal of ePI is to digitise the product information leaflets found in medicine boxes (eLeaflets) and connect the various healthcare ecosystem players and bring value to end-users through the ePI app. 

Currently, manufacturers create printed medicine leaflets, which is what the future state of the ePI use case is trying to change. Ken described how PharmaLedger aims to use this use case to electronically update any changes made or created by manufacturers. Patients would access it via a mobile app by scanning a medicine pack’s barcode. The app can show valuable updates about batch recalls, the expiry date, or even counterfeit checks to verify that the given medicine is authentic.

Various end-user groups were formed to test this idea out, such as the Healthcare Practitioner Group in Singapore, and the Patients’ Advisory Group, which was created with the help of PharmaLedger’s partners, the European Patients’ Forum and the European Forum for Good Clinical Practice. The workshops performed led to a better understanding of the patient journey and valuable feedback on the ePI mobile app was received.

2. Healthcare Professional Focus Group Discussion (HCP FGD)

The second presentation was led by PharmaLedger’s ePI Use Case Proof-of-Concept Co-Lead Tarn Yeong (TY) Goh (MSD), who talked about the Singapore Healthcare Professional (HCP) Focus Group from August 2021. The aim of this focus group was to find out about HCPs views and perceptions on the ePI mobile application and how it can be improved.

Sixteen doctors in private practice were given dummy packs with instructions to scan medicine packs and use the mobile application. Along with positive feedback, they also offered areas for improvement and add-on features, which you can find out more about in the video recording below. 

3. Incorporating the Patient Perspective: Interview with Patients

The third presentation invited PharmaLedger’s partner, the European Patient’s Forum Project Coordinator Hannes Jarke (EPF) to moderate three patient speakers that participated in a project involving the ePI app. Over five weeks and four workshops, eight patients gave their feedback on ways the app could improve.

The first patient was Silvia Scalabrini, who emphasised that there was a common goal from the patients, which was accessibility, getting the latest up-to-date information, and drug safety. She pointed out that the eLeaflet shouldn’t automatically substitute the paper leaflet, since there is adjustment time needed. 

The second patient named Marta Morato discussed how the patients were given a chance to talk about their day-to-day interactions and their expectations from HCPs. She highlighted that collaboration is needed and that she is happy that the patients’ views and concerns were listened to and shown in the project’s outcome.

The third patient, Robert Joyce expressed how patients were brought in for feedback at the mid-way point of the project, and it could have happened sooner. PharmaLedger reacted to the feedback given by the patients in the HCP project, which made up for it. You can view this presentation below.

4. Demo of the App

Sonja Steiner (Novartis), who works with the ePI and Anti-Counterfeiting use cases, provided a demo of the ePI mobile application. She walked through how the app works when scanning the barcode of a medical product. Various information is shown about the medical product on the mobile app, such as the product ID, batch number, serial number and expiry date. Another example showed the eLeaflet, available in various languages and its easy navigation to different sections of information.

A newer improved version of the app was also demoed, which also showed how it provides patient safety. Another example signalled that the scanned medicine had a batch recall, while another verified the barcode and revealed that the product was past its expiry date. You can view the live demo presentation below.

5. ePI Future State

The final presentation was conducted by PharmaLedger’s ePI Use Case Co-Lead Patrick Maher (Novartis), who highlighted the next development steps, aims and milestones of the use case. He first explained what an enterprise wallet is, the types of barcodes used and why. He also said that the ePI app isn’t intended to be the only app, but instead aid in market adoption.

He then showed the product pipeline, which is divided into three main categories for the ePI use case. Patrick also emphasised the necessary steps to have this solution adopted. After the project ends at the end of 2022, PharmaLedger NextGen needs to be established with long-term sustainability, along with various compliance measures and privacy legislation, such as the EU GDPR. 

He also showed the market adoption path planned for implementing the solution, even with the NextGen continuation after 2022. You can hear Patrick’s explanation of all three pillars, NextGen, Pharma Adoption and Market Adoption, and his ending remarks in the recording below. 

6. Live Q&A

Throughout the webinar, speakers asked attendees various poll questions, and attendees were encouraged to submit questions of their own back to the speakers to be answered at the end of the presentations. You can watch the Q&A from b oth sessions below.

You can read a summary of the top five questions asked from the first session and second session as well.

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