On the Horizon

Pharmacy is going through dramatic changes these days, and as the year winds down it is worthwhile to remark on some of them. Change is especially true of specialty pharmacy, and we have been proud to be a part of that landscape for some time now—with Specialty Pharmacy Times and our active website, www.SpecialtyPharmacyTimes .com, as well as our mobile apps. As 2014 approaches, we enter our fourth year of publication in this fascinating market. There’s a lot to think about coming up on the horizon.

Our prestigious editor-in-chief, Dan Steiber, RPh, has guided this journal and provided insights that you will not find elsewhere, based on his many years in the industry and involvement in so many sectors of the profession. We look to an expert editorial board for their valuable insights as well, as they share in-depth articles about what has changed, what is working, and what is on the way. As the changes in specialty pharmacy continue at a fast pace—and a multitude of new medications come on the scene—we know you will appreciate our experts’ viewpoints on this burgeoning industry.

As with all health care, it’s about patient care and adherence. That is the goal for health care professionals—and it always has been the goal in the past—as they grapple with the implications of the Affordable Care Act. And with the high cost of specialty drugs, the stakes are even higher. So, movement in that space includes company mergers and expansion of services by retail chains and others. It has also included new growth in specialty associations, as Dan points out in his editorial in this issue.

You’ll enjoy our cover story, which focuses on video consults, a new and innovative way of working together with patients to gain adherence and complete the delivery of health information and health care in this new age of technology. It presents real-life examples of how video consults work—and it is a predictor of what is in store in the future for pharmacists, physicians, and others in the quest for the delivery of the best care at the best price. Interestingly, patients seem to be one step ahead in terms of embracing technology into their lives— so it is important that specialty pharmacy, and pharmacy in general, continue to develop new and better ways of reaching their patients through technology. It’s the entrepreneurial-spirited specialty pharmacists who will pave the way and bring better health care.

Look to our comprehensive Specialty Pharmacy Times issues for guidance, discussions, and information about trends, important issues, and innovative practices in specialty pharmacy for 2014—and beyond! SPT

Thank you for reading!

Mike HennessyChairman/Chief Executive Officer