SPECIALTY PHARMACY AT A GLANCE By Edgar Galvan
What is Specialty Pharmacy?
According to the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP), A specialty pharmacy is a state-licensed phar- macy that solely or largely provides medications for people with serious health conditions requiring complex therapies. These include conditions such as cancer, hepatitis, rheuma-
with specialty medications require comprehensive patient care, clinical management, and product support services. Specialty prescription medications cannot be routinely dispensed at a typical retail community pharmacy because the therapy typ- ically requires special handling as well as significant patient
toid arthritis, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, organ transplantation, human growth hormone deficiencies, hemophilia and other complex or chronic conditions. Sheila M. Arquette, RPh, the President and CEO of the National Association of Special Pharmacy, likens a specialty pharmacy to that of a primary care physician and a patient who is experiencing a specialized problem. For example, if that patient develops a heart issue, the primary care physician would refer that patient to a heart specialist. In a similar way, a specialty pharmacy is in a setting that focuses on managing patients with specialty pharmacy conditions by providing them with specific medications to better combat those conditions. Specialty drugs are more complex than most prescription medications. The complexity of these medications may be due to the drug
education regarding appropriate utilization. Specialty pharmacies help patients navi- gate the issues associated with specialty conditions and medications. They help coor- dinate these various complexities so that patients can receive the medication they need and help them stay on that medica- tion. They do this by helping the patients seek financial assistance when needed so patients can afford the medications and help patients manage the side effects. They also provide monitoring so that if issues arise from the drugs, the prescriber is immediately notified. Specialty pharma- cies serve as part of the patient’s healthcare team and coordinate closely with prescrib- ers and the patient’s health insurance plans. As Arquette states, specialty pharmacies take “a very hands-on, personalized, ‘white-
Sheila Arquette
itself, the way it is administered, the management of its side effect profile, the disease or condition it is used to treat, special access conditions required by the manufacturer, payer autho- rization or benefit requirements, patient financial hardship or any combination of these. As a result, patients being treated
glove’ approach to taking care of the patients.”. In comparison to standard retail pharmacies, specialty pharmacies deal with more complex patients, complex medications, and complex insurance authorization requirements. However, this care coor- dination ensures the best possible outcome for the patients.
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