Industry stakeholders share what they’ve done to prepare for this year’s respiratory season.
Abbott
Editor’s note: The following responses were provided by Sonal S. Nana, MBA, senior marketing manager, ID NOW™ and Connectivity, Infectious Disease, US Market, Abbott.
Q: In what ways has the industry adjusted to the disruptive nature of the last few respiratory seasons, combined with the pandemic?
Sonal Nana: The pandemic and the last few respiratory seasons have challenged our industry to be as agile as possible in adapting to changes in demand, and to stay current with the evolving needs of clinicians and patients. From a manufacturing perspective, we plan our operations carefully by constantly monitoring surveillance data to ensure we are positioned to adapt if we see changes in prevalence and demand for testing. We’ve also worked to meet the continuously evolving needs of clinicians and patients. The pandemic highlighted challenges in the industry including staffing, speed to isolation, minimizing waiting time for patients, etc., which emphasized the operational and clinical benefits of bringing molecular point-of-care testing closer to the patient as it enables results during the patient visit and timely treatment.
Q: How are we better prepared? What work remains to be done to avoid shortages or potential issues?
Nana: We developed many different plans over the past few years to adapt as the seasons continue to evolve. With this knowledge and experience, we are better positioned to pivot to alternative plans quickly to avoid shortages or potential issues, wherever possible. However, we can’t prepare for what we don’t know. Which is why Abbott created the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition, the first industry-led global scientific and public health partnership dedicated to the early detection of and rapid response to future pandemic threats. Together, we’re identifying, tracking, analyzing and testing emerging threats around the globe, including COVID-19 variants so we can best avoid potential future issues.
Q: What sales challenges can Repertoire readers expect to face this respiratory season insofar as in-office diagnostics are concerned? How can reps overcome those challenges?
Nana: One challenge observed the past few years is customer hesitation to prepare for respiratory season with inventory. Repertoire reps can help encourage customers to consider action that can be taken now to stay proactive as we start to see respiratory season start.
BD
Editor’s note: The following responses were provided by Nikos Pavlidis, vice president and general manager for Diagnostics at BD.
Q: In what ways has the industry adjusted to the disruptive nature of the last few respiratory seasons, combined with the pandemic?
Nikos Pavlidis: The pandemic highlighted and accelerated existing trends in healthcare including the movement of healthcare into new care settings. We’ve witnessed healthcare transition from the hospital room to the living room – and every point in between – to reduce the higher costs and inefficiencies associated with unnecessary hospital visits by enabling access to care at the most efficient point, including the physician offices, surgery centers and long-term care facilities.
It also accelerated the clinical need and adoption of combination respiratory testing which I firmly believe will be the standard of care moving forward. Combination tests will help eliminate the need for multiple tests or doctor’s visits and will also help to increase testing capacity during the busy flu/RSV season and speed time to diagnosis.
Q: How are we better prepared? What works remains to be done to avoid shortages or potential issues?
Pavlidis: Throughout the pandemic, we learned several lessons on how to prevent shortages and implemented new technology that helps us better anticipate consumer demand. We also introduced a new product tracking software that allows us to monitor product delays. Moving forward, we believe these interventions will curtail supply chain issues and help us avoid shortages.
Additionally, we plan to expand collaborations with distributors. This will allow us to react quicker through robust integration of our supply chain and increased visibility on our collective inventory position.
Q: What sales challenges can Repertoire readers expect to face this respiratory season insofar as in-office diagnostics are concerned? How can reps overcome those challenges?
Pavlidis: There is no crystal ball to predict how the upcoming respiratory season will play out. Last year, there was the looming threat of a “tripledemic” with COVID-19, influenza and RSV circulating at the same time. The threat remains for this coming respiratory season and given the overlapping symptoms associated with these highly contagious viruses, rapid and reliable diagnostic testing will be essential.
Sekisui Diagnostics
Editor’s note: The following responses were provided by Jonathan Overbey, head of corporate alliances and channel management, Sekisui Diagnostics
Q: In what ways has the industry adjusted to the disruptive nature of the last few respiratory seasons, combined with the pandemic?
Jonathan Overbey: In general, the industry is communicating and sharing information more frequently than before the pandemic. There is a sense of community and partnership. However, as a manufacturer, we have responded by producing more kits with better dating, we are taking on more risk of building inventory earlier and often to ensure product is available for spikes in demand.
Q: How are we better prepared? What works remains to be done to avoid shortages or potential issues?
Overbey: We are better aware if not better prepared. The work and risk are getting there but more production needs to be done onshore or closer to our shores. We must have more control of our Supply Chain and not return to just in time and lowest cost of measure.
Q: What sales challenges can Repertoire readers expect to face this respiratory season insofar as in-office diagnostics are concerned? How can reps overcome those challenges?
Overbey: Take orders earlier and truly be a consultative sales rep to your customers. There is always a spike in demand, the questions are how big and how much? We strongly suggest a minimum/maximum approach to orders and ordering. Share with your customers what they bought last season and at a minimum stock and buy at least a quarter to half of that amount. You should contact or meet with them more often during the last 4-5 months of the year to check demand and needs.
QuidelOrtho
Editor’s note: The following responses were provided by QuidelOrtho.
Q: In what ways has the industry adjusted to the disruptive nature of the last few respiratory seasons, combined with the pandemic?
Noted adjustments in the industry have included many companies requiring and requesting expeditious review cycles at the FDA for hundreds of COVID-19 tests; better partnerships between the U.S. government and the industry; the expansion of telemedicine and laws to support its use; and near-shoring of critical components and raw materials. QuidelOrtho also anticipates the upcoming respiratory season with tests for Strep, Flu and RSV.
Q: How are we better prepared? What works remains to be done to avoid shortages or potential issues?
We think the industry as a whole is better prepared. The capacity for ramping test volume remains at our manufacturing sites here in the U.S., although utilization has waned in this endemic phase. We are continuing our efforts to optimize our sites and supply chains (what the industry refers to as “warm manufacturing”) to allow our organization to respond very rapidly in the event that a pandemic-like set of circumstances were to reemerge.
Q: What sales challenges can Repertoire readers expect to face this respiratory season insofar as in-office diagnostics are concerned? How can reps overcome those challenges?
A few challenges the industry might face:
1. Challenge: In a rapidly evolving environment post-pandemic, understanding changing reimbursements and regulations can be challenging.
- Overcome: Reps can stay close with their QuidelOrtho account manager or channel manager who will have the latest information to share and help guide conversations.
2. Challenge: Helping customers meet their diagnostic testing needs with smaller COVID-19 testing volumes this year.
- Overcome: Utilize the broad menu of Sofia® 2 analyzer to expand customers’ testing abilities to other important disease states like RSV, Strep A and Lyme disease.
3. Challenge: With various products available on the market, between rapid antigen and molecular, making the decision on what products to lead with can be a challenge.
- Overcome: At QuidelOrtho, we have a wide array of diagnostic options, both rapid and molecular. Leading with QuidelOrtho’s quality, speed, ease of use, reliability and trust allows your customer to get the right product the first time.
4. Challenge: Our customers are facing staffing shortages and are looking for ways to improve operational efficiencies ahead of what we expect to be a busy respiratory season.
- Overcome: Reach out to your QuidelOrtho rep on how the Read Now function works on the Sofia 2 analyzer, which can significantly reduce test processing times, working on bringing more automation and informatics easy-to-use products to the market to help address staffing shortages.