Professional Care at Home Provides Peace of Mind
When caring for patients who are receiving Sandostatin® LAR Depot (octreotide acetate for injectable suspension) therapy, you know how important it is to administer injections exactly as prescribed. But you also know that it's not always easy for some of your patients to get to the office to receive their injections by a trained healthcare provider.
This program also enables you to receive up-to-date patient reports, ensuring your own professional care standards are maintained. This is why the Sandostatin® Nurse Home Injection Program was created—not to replace the office visit, but to help appropriate patients receive their injections conveniently, at home and on schedule, by a trained healthcare professional.
Advantages of the Sandostatin® Nurse Home Injection Program
Because the Program provides specially trained registered nurses, you can rest assured that your patients will be taken care of professionally and that the highest standards will be adhered to.
- Peace of mind. Specially trained registered nurses provide professional care. So you know that your patient will receive the right dose, at the right time, using the right technique.
- Feedback from registered nurses. The nurse will submit a full report to you after each visit. You will know when the patient receives his/her treatment and what dose. The nurse might also report back any additional relevant feedback from your patient.
- Convenience for your patient. Your patient can plan injections to suit his/her schedule. Nurses are available outside traditional office hours, including weekends and evenings.
- Time saved for your patient. Your patient won't need to make long trips to the treatment center.
- No needles for patient's disposal. The program nurse handles disposal of all equipment.
- Sandostatin® LAR Depot – a name you can trust. You'll have peace of mind knowing your patient is receiving not only professional care, but also a medicine you can trust:
- Over 4 million doses of Sandostatin® LAR Depot administered worldwide*
- Clinical experience supported by over 600,000 patient-years of experience,† over 6000 published articles,† and over 600 clinical trials†‡
* Sandostatin® LAR Depot for all indications.
† Combined use of immediate release Sandostatin® Injection and Sandostatin® LAR Depot for all indications.
‡ Includes both ongoing and completed trials for all approved indications.
How the Sandostatin® Nurse Home Injection Program Works
- As the prescribing physician, you evaluate your patients on a case by case basis and decide who is appropriate for the Program
- Your office submits the patient's information to BioScrip®, the company that administers the program, in one of two ways:
- By calling 1-888-LAR-4759 (1-888-527-4759) or
- By completing and faxing the enrollment form
- BioScrip® verifies patient eligibility, according to your patient's insurance plan
- Your patient receives a call from BioScrip® to schedule the next injection at the patient's convenience (Patients must receive their first dose of Sandostatin® LAR Depot in your office.)
- A specially trained treatment nurse is assigned to your patient
- The treatment nurse visits your patient's home and:
- Assesses the patient and reports any changes in disease status and/or comorbidities
- Administers the injection
- Schedules the next appointment and follows up with a reminder
- Sends a report to you, the prescribing physician
Which Patients Are Eligible?
The Sandostatin® Nurse Home Injection Program is an additional benefit for all appropriate patients with diarrhea and flushing associated with carcinoid syndrome for whom Sandostatin® LAR Depot has been prescribed.
- Residents of all states except Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, and Rhode Island can participate
- The Program is available to patients covered by most commercial plans (HMO, PPO, etc)
- Patients with government-provided medical insurance (eg, Medicare Part B and D, or Medicaid) are not eligible at this time
Your office can confirm patient eligibility easily by calling 1-888-LAR-4759 (1-888-527-4759) and speaking with a representative. You can also print the enrollment form by clicking here.
Important Things to Note About the Nurse Home Injection Program
- The Program does not replace your care or the authority of the prescribing physician. It simply provides your patients with the convenience of home injections. Patients still keep their regular, scheduled physician check-ups.
- Patients must receive their first dose of Sandostatin® LAR Depot in your office
- Nurses who take part in this program are specially trained on both Sandostatin® LAR Depot and carcinoid syndrome
Get Answers to Your Patient's Questions about the Nurse Home Injection Program
Click on the questions below for answers to frequently asked questions you can expect from patients who may be eligible for the Program.
Am I eligible for this program based on my medical and pharmaceutical insurance coverage?
According to my disease state, am I a candidate for this program?
What are the main benefits of the Sandostatin® LAR Depot Nurse Home Injection Program?
How flexible is the scheduling?
How does the Sandostatin® LAR Depot get to my home?
Will I still see my doctor regularly?
Does this involve a lot of paperwork on my part?
To print a complete list of questions and answers, click here
Important Safety Information
Carcinoid Syndrome:
Sandostatin® LAR Depot (octreotide acetate for injectable suspension) is indicated for long-term treatment of the severe diarrhea and flushing episodes associated with metastatic carcinoid tumors and for the long-term treatment of the profuse watery diarrhea associated with VIP-secreting tumors in patients in whom initial treatment with immediate release Sandostatin® (octreotide acetate) Injection has been shown to be effective and tolerated.
Important Safety Information:
As with immediate release Sandostatin® Injection, the most frequently reported drug-related adverse events were biliary disorders (62%), gastrointestinal disorders (14% to 38%), and injection-site pain (20% to 50%). Hypoglycemia (4%), hyperglycemia (27%), sinus bradycardia (19%), conduction abnormalities (9%), and arrhythmias (3%) have been reported.
The controlled clinical trials that support the marketing clearance for Sandostatin® LAR Depot did not include determination of effect on tumor size or rate of growth. Sandostatin® LAR Depot is not indicated for tumor shrinkage.
Acromegaly
Sandostatin® LAR Depot (octreotide acetate for injectable suspension) is indicated for long-term maintenance therapy in acromegalic patients who have had an inadequate response to surgery and/or radiotherapy, or for whom surgery and/or radiotherapy is not an option. The goal of treatment in acromegaly is to reduce GH and IGF-1 levels to normal.
Important Safety Information:
As with immediate release Sandostatin® Injection, the most frequently reported drug-related adverse events were biliary disorders (52%), gastrointestinal disorders (7% to 36%), and injection-site pain (2% to 11%). Hypoglycemia (2%), hyperglycemia (15%), and hypothyroidism (2%) have been reported. While not measured in acromegalic patients receiving Sandostatin® LAR Depot, ECG changes have been reported in patients receiving immediate release Sandostatin® Injection; the degree to which these abnormalities are related to octreotide acetate is not clear, as many acromegalics have cardiovascular disease. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
