7 Must-Try Apps for Specialty Pharmacists

Looking for mobile apps relevant to your specialty business? Here are 7 recommendations from the editors of Specialty Pharmacy Times.

1. Genentech’s BioOncology HD

Genentech’s BioOncology app is a great resource for specialty pharmacists looking to learn more about the various signaling pathways on which many biologic therapies are based. Detailed videos about angiogenesis and the way different proteins function within the cell give the user an enhanced understanding about how drugs act within various cell structures and at the cell membrane. Up-to-date oncology news is also available through a Reuters health newsfeed, and users can find clinical trials in their cancer specialty through EmergingMed’s Trial Link feed.

Price: Free

Compatible with: iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad

Download: http://phrmcyt.ms/ZDZx7Y

2. inPractice HIV

Geared towards patient care, this app is ideal for pharmacists offering specialized pharmacy services to patients living with HIV or AIDS. USF Health updated this program in late October, and it contains the latest developments in HIV drugs, clinical trials, and practice guidelines. The app also offers detailed information about the indications, dosages, warnings, drug-—drug interactions, and adverse effects associated with all drugs used to treat HIV, as well as instructions for the management of specific populations within the disease community.

Price: Free with registration

Compatible with: iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad

Download: http://phrmcyt.ms/UXV6gJ

3. IMS Pharma

This app from IMS Health is the first mobile edition of World Pharma Market Summary for 2012, and contains information that was previously only available to users through e-mail. The virtual newsletter contains interactive analytics and insights, such as a list of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies, data from the IMS Drug Monitor, excerpts from the IMS Health Therapy Prognosis USA, and market information about biologics and biosimilars.

Price: Free

Compatible with: iPad

Download: http://phrmcyt.ms/12vMnsI

4. NCCN Guidelines

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines app brings evidence-based guidelines and recommendations for appropriate oncology care to your fingertips through the Virtual Library of NCCN Guidelines. The app is updated frequently to include new data and clinical information, and the newest upgrade allows users to browse more quickly and connect directly to outbound sources and references.

Price: Free with registration

Compatible with: iPad

Download: http://phrmcyt.ms/Zdeyi1

5. BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy

This app deals specifically with issues affecting the specialty pharmacist. Pharmacists can connect directly with Stephen Vogt, PharmD, of BioPlus through his LinkedIn profile or by email and read Dr. Vogt’s BioBlog for developments in the specialty pharmacy world. The application also includes a user manual for BioPlus’s Therapy Access Portal, their monitoring software that measures patient compliance, drug interactions, interventions, and completion of therapy rates.

Price: Free

Compatible with: iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad

Download: http://phrmcyt.ms/Wj09z5

6. UHC RxLINK Mobile

This pharmaceutical supply chain management application developed by Novation allows UHC pharmacy supply chain members to quickly access information to support strategic pharmacy purchasing decisions. The application provides hospital pharmacies with instant access to real-time drug price benchmarking data. The app is available only to UHC supply chain participants who already have access to the online version of RxLINK, a web-based tool that integrates clinical and supply data for a comprehensive view of a hospital’s drug spend.

Price: Free for RxLINK users

Compatible with: iPad

Download: http://phrmcyt.ms/UDTSIC

7. Specialty Pharmacy Times

Bring the key areas of specialty pharmaceuticals to your fingertips with the Specialty Pharmacy Times iPad edition! The update to this free app includes all of the back issues of the journal, and each article is enhanced with bonus links to video, podcasts, and other multimedia resources tailored to the practice needs of specialty pharmacists and ancillary personnel. Featured topics include business-oriented content, such as product selection, infrastructure, pharmacy design, reimbursement, and order management, as well as clinical news and updates on disease states such as HIV, hepatitis C, cancer, and multiple sclerosis.

Price: Free

Compatible with: iPad

Download: http://phrmcyt.ms/WjNYhI

Honorable Mentions:

VELCADE (bortezomib) for Professionals

Chronic Hep C Dosage Calc

Gout Channel (gout patient resource)

FactorTrack (hemophilia patient resource)