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 (NHIP) 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® NHIP
Because the Program provides specially trained registered nurses, you can feel confident 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, even if they are traveling
- Time saved for your patient. Your patient won't need to make long trips to the treatment center.
- Nurse handles all needle disposals. The program nurse handles disposal of all equipment.
How the Sandostatin® NHIP 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 sending in 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, to update you on the patient's progress
Which Patients Are Eligible?
The Sandostatin® NHIP is an additional benefit for all appropriate patients with severe diarrhea and flushing associated with carcinoid syndrome or patients with acromegaly 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 NHIP
- 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 checkups
- Patients must receive their first dose of Sandostatin® LAR Depot in your office
- Nurses who take part in this program are specially trained on Sandostatin® LAR Depot, carcinoid syndrome, and acromegaly
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
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
Sandostatin® LAR Depot (octreotide acetate for injectable suspension) is indicated for patients in whom initial treatment with immediate release Sandostatin® (octreotide acetate) Injection has been shown to be effective and tolerated for:
- Long-term maintenance therapy in acromegalic patients who have had 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).
- Long-term treatment of the severe diarrhea and flushing episodes associated with metastatic carcinoid tumors.
- Long-term treatment of the profuse watery diarrhea associated with VIP-secreting tumors.
In patients with carcinoid syndrome and VIPomas, the effect of Sandostatin Injection and Sandostatin LAR Depot on tumor size, rate of growth and development of metastases has not been determined.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Warnings and Precautions:
- Gallbladder abnormalities may occur: Patients should be monitored periodically.
- Glucose Metabolism: Hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia may occur. Blood glucose levels should be monitored when Sandostatin LAR Depot treatment is initiated or when the dose is altered. Antidiabetic treatment should be adjusted accordingly.
- Thyroid Function: Hypothyroidism may occur. Baseline and periodic assessment of thyroid function (TSH, total and/or free T4) is recommended.
- Cardiac Function: Bradycardia, arrhythmia, conduction abnormalities, and other EKG changes may occur. The relationship of these events to octreotide acetate is not established because many of these patients have underlying cardiac disease. Use with caution in at-risk patients.
- Nutrition: Octreotide may alter absorption of dietary fats. Monitoring of vitamin B12 levels is recommended during therapy with Sandostatin LAR Depot. Patients on total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and octreotide should have periodic monitoring of zinc levels.
Drug Interactions: The following drugs require monitoring and possible dose adjustment when used with Sandostatin LAR Depot: cyclosporine, insulin, oral hypoglycemic agents, beta-blockers, bromocriptine. Octreotide has been associated with alterations in nutrient absorption, so it may have an effect on absorption of orally administered drugs. Drugs mainly metabolized by CYP3A4 and which have a low therapeutic index should be used with caution.
Adverse Reactions: The most common adverse reactions occurring in patients receiving Sandostatin LAR Depot are:
- Acromegaly: biliary abnormalities (52%), diarrhea (36-48%), cholelithiasis (13-38%), abdominal pain or discomfort (11-29%), flatulence (26%), influenza-like symptoms (20%), constipation (19%), headache (15%), anemia (15%), hyperglycemia (15%), injection site pain (2-14%), hypertension (13%), dizziness (12%), fatigue (11%), nausea (10%), vomiting (7%), hypothyroidism (2%), hypoglycemia (2%), and goiter (2%).
- Carcinoid Tumors and VIPomas: biliary abnormalities (62%), injection site pain (20-50%), nausea (24-41%), abdominal pain (10-35%), fatigue (8-32%), headache (16-30%), hyperglycemia (27%), back pain (8-27%), constipation or vomiting (15-21%), dizziness (18-20%), sinus bradycardia (19%), pruritus (18%), URTI (10-18%), myalgia (4-18%), flatulence (9-16%), arthropathy (8-15%), rash (15%), generalized pain (4-15%), sinusitis (5-12%), conduction abnormalities (9%), hypoglycemia (4%), and arrhythmia (3%).
