Specialty Pharmacy

CVS Caremark announced today that it has been awarded Specialty Pharmacy accreditation from URAC, a Washington, DC-based health care accrediting organization that establishes quality standards for the health care industry.

Debbie Stern, RPh, president of Rxperts, explains why a high entry cost for a specialty drug may dissuade a patient from filling and staying adherent to his or her prescription.

The new process takes into account the efficacy, risk, cost, and societal benefit of a given specialty drug in determining whether it should be added to the hospital's formulary.

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and Oregon Bioscience Association (Oregon Bio) commend Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber for signing legislation designed to address the regulatory issues related to the interchangeability of biological medicines.

Adam Fein describes the way in which the sequester will affect physician reimbursement for specialty drugs.

Illinois is now the 13th state to avoid enacting legislation that would slow patient access to biosimilars, which are new, affordable versions of costly brand biologic medicines that treat cancer, immune disorders and other complex diseases.

Prime Therapeutics, a leading pharmacy benefit manager, announced today that its specialty pharmacy, Prime Therapeutics Specialty Pharmacy, has received full accreditation from URAC.

The last day of ASCO is today! Check out these social media updates to see what has been popular at the meeting.

The Specialty Pharmacy Association of America (SPAARx) announced it is has agreed to participate in an alliance with BusinessOne Technologies (BusinessOne) wherein BusinessOne will provide access to its national/regional market access data and data integration technology.

Ongoing shortages of common oncology chemotherapies have compelled physicians to substitute more expensive drugs, delay or suspend clinical trials, or even skip doses of chemotherapy, according to survey results presented at ASCO.

Michael Einodshofer of Walgreens discusses the challenges associated with moving specialty into retail in this video shot at PBMI's Drug Benefit Conference 2013.

The letters ask 15 health insurance companies in New York to adopt a "Specialty Prescription Drug Fulfillment Hardship Exception Criteria" so that patients who want to get their specialty prescriptions at a community pharmacy may do so without penalty.

Bevacizumab is the first biologic, targeted treatment for cervical cancer proven to significantly improve survival, according to Phase III research released ahead of the plenary session of the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

The addition of GM-CSF to ipilimumab treatment for patients with metastatic melanoma was found to decrease mortality risk by 35%, according to a study presented today at ASCO.

An investigational monoclonal antibody called daratumumab has received breakthrough therapy designation from the FDA for the treatment of patients with double refractory multiple myeloma, according to a statement from the drug's manufacturer, Janssen Biotech.

Armada Health Care (Armada), the nation's largest group purchasing and channel management organization for the specialty pharmacy market, is pleased to appoint Mike Baldzicki as Executive Vice President of Industry Relations & Advocacy.

Pharmacy team helps patients better understand importance of adherence while on complex medication regimens.

The FDA today approved two new drugs, Tafinlar (dabrafenib) and Mekinist (trametinib), for patients with metastatic or unresectable melanoma.

Manufacturers can use a variety of alternative distribution methods to reduce drug waste and prepare for the cost structure changes associated with health care reform.

Adam J. Fein describes how the 340B program is being exploited by many hospital systems due to a lack of oversight by government agencies.

The FDA indicated in a letter to SPAARx that future compounding legislation will omit the term "specialty pharmacy."

Einodshofer explains how the costs associated with one specialty patient's treatment can have the same financial footprint as an entire population of patients. Video from PBMI's Drug Benefit Conference 2013.

A bill passed by the Florida legislature would allow pharmacists to substitute biosimilars for brand-named biologics provided that a number of criteria are met.

The value of a specialty therapy lies not only in its clinical safety and efficacy, but also in how its price compares with other therapies in its class, found a new report.

United States spending on specialty prescription drugs is projected to increase 67% by the end of 2015, according to a forecast released today by Express Scripts.

The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) announced it will host its 2013 Fall Strategic Business Exchange meeting on October 14-16, 2013 in San Antonio.

Specialty drugs drove spend in 2012 and accounted for almost two-thirds of spending on branded products.

The FDA approved the first companion diagnostic to detect epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations, which are present in approximately 10% of non-small cell lung cancers.

David Hileman, senior vice president of Omnicare, recently discussed how market access to oncology medications is changing and presented strategies manufacturers can use to support patient need through compliant distribution channels.

The Specialty Pharmacy Association of America (SPAARx), the largest national association representing the broad interests of the specialty pharmacy industry, celebrated its official launch at the 2013 Annual Armada Specialty Pharmacy Summit in Las Vegas, NV, on May 8, 2013