November/December

In a session held at the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting and Educational Conference, Kara E Cardinale, MPA, provided an update on regulatory actions in the health care space by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Department of Health and Human Services.

In a presentation held at the 2018 National Association of Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting and Educational Conference, Doug Long, MBA, provided insight into the growth of specialty, citing several areas to watch over the next few years.

Benralizumab (Fasenra) is indicated as an add-on therapy for patients with severe eosinophilic asthma.

With change on the horizon in the health care sector, the 6th Annual National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) Meeting and Educational Conference returned with a strong message echoing the importance of advocacy on behalf of patients and the profession as a whole.

With oncology agents now flooding the specialty drug pipeline, it is important to keep up with the latest developments and look ahead at innovative therapies on the horizon.

Those who do not get involved in health care reform efforts to make sure their voices are heard risk ceding important decisions to those who may lack the insight to make meaningful change.

On August 23, 2018, the FDA approved lanadelumab-flyo (Takhzyro; Shire) for the prophylaxis treatment and prevention of hereditary angioedema (HAE) in patients 12 years or older.

A new trend is emerging as health system–based specialty pharmacies become a staple in the industry.

Payers and biopharmaceutical companies are increasingly interested in outcomes-based agreements in which payments for a treatment are based on how well it helps patients meet specific health outcomes.

The time has come to be proactive in finding a path that can benefit all potential stakeholders, rather than letting other third parties define the system in a way that negatively affects potential outcomes.

Although there is a persistent need for lower prescription drug costs, this simple concept is complicated by multiple factors.

It's been nearly a year since the new 340B payment rule implemented by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services went into effect.

The coordinated-care models and high-touch services provided by specialty pharmacies put them in an ideal position to support patients with hemophilia now and in the future.

Health care providers should keep these results in mind when choosing a CSTD product to ensure that hazardous drugs are compounded and administered in the safest way possible.

There have been several recent federal efforts aimed at bringing more balance into the market by increasing PBM oversight.

If a specialty pharmacy wants to participate in providing products and services to patients, they must prepare.

In this issue of Specialty Pharmacy Times®, we highlight the goings-on at the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting and Educational Conference along with some key trends to monitor closely in the year ahead.