Avella Offers Guide to Selecting the Appropriate Specialty Pharmacy for Patients with Hepatitis C

Avella Specialty Pharmacy has introduced Guide to Selecting the Appropriate Specialty Pharmacy For Patients with Hepatitis C, a white paper outlining important considerations for health care providers and patients selecting a specialty pharmacy partner.

The Guide to Selecting the Appropriate Specialty Pharmacy For Patients with Hepatitis C highlights important factors to consider when choosing a specialty pharmacy including the ability to provide comprehensive, quality clinical services to patients and to support the needs of the patients with hepatitis C.

“Hepatitis C has received extensive media coverage recently due to the FDA approval of new drugs that will help millions of patients,” said Eric Sredzinski, PharmD, vice president of clinical affairs at Avella. “Irrespective of which antiviral medications patients are prescribed, the majority will face cost and adherence challenges. It’s important for health care providers to work with a specialty pharmacy partner that offers proven services that promote optimal outcomes.”

The prevalence of hepatitis C in the United States exceeds 5 million Americans, 75% of whom remain undiagnosed. Hepatitis C disproportionally affects individuals born between 1945 and 1965, ie baby boomers, and accounts for roughly 75% of all hepatitis C infection in the U.S. In 2007, deaths attributed to hepatitis C surpassed those from HIV/AIDS for first time. Patients must be able to access drugs by overcoming cost barriers and must adhere to treatment regimens by receiving high-touch specialty medication therapy management.

Specialty pharmacies play a key role in providing patients with complex medical conditions access to medications and in monitoring those patients to ensure correct utilization. Working as a key component of the healthcare system, Avella collaborates with providers, payors and patients to offer unique solutions to their challenges. More information about Avella and its specialty services can be found at www.avella.com.

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About Avella Specialty Pharmacy

Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Avella Specialty Pharmacy is a National Accredited Specialty Pharmacy, providing individualized care and support to patients since 1996. Avella's clinical pharmacists and staff members are experts in managing complex disease states and providing compassionate care. The company offers a nationwide distribution service to complement its retail locations. In 2013, Avella reached 1105th on Inc. magazine's list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the country. For more information, please visit www.avella.com.

SOURCE: Avella