Specialty Pharmacy

PharmaHealth Specialty Pharmacy announced today that it has been awarded Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation from URAC, a Washington, DC-based health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.

Prime Therapeutics projects that by 2017, the cost of specialty pharmaceuticals will be half the cost of all pharmacy claims. Therefore, noted Duane Barnes, senior vice president, consumer delivery at Prime Therapeutics, it is important for a PBM to align its medical and pharmacy policies.

The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis is not occurring early enough, despite recent advances in diagnostic tools and imaging.

Community pharmacists interviewed for a recently published study were eager to play a role in counseling patients who use over-the-counter HIV tests.

Experience with biologics and biosimilar products means a high level of trust from US payers, according to a report from BioTrends Research Group.

A new survey commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) shows 86% of Americans believe developing cures for more forms of cancer should be one of the top national health priorities.

The FDA's Breakthrough Therapy designation program represents a major shift not only in how drugs are brought to market, but in how drug sponsors communicate with agency officials.

Researchers highlighted the latest developments in the treatment of multiple myeloma at the 2013 ASCO Annual Meeting.

As more and more specialty pharmacies enter the marketplace, the need for a competitive edge based on performance and quality has never been greater.

Debbie Stern of Rxperts highlights the various "unknowns" surrounding the potential cost savings of biosimilar products, such as interchangeability and the possible need for additional clinical trials.

Two major trade groups in the United States and European Union, PhRMA and EFPIA, recently pledged to increase the amount of drug trial information available to researchers. But what level of transparency would be afforded to patients?

Specialty pharmacies can minimize "cost to treat" by identifying which specialty drugs have dose optimization opportunities, noted Michael Einodshofer, RPh, MBA, director of utilization management, Walgreens, at the 2013 PBMI Drug Benefit Conference.

An FDA advisory panel voted yesterday against recommending that AbbVie's Humira be approved to treat early-stage spondyloarthritis, a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease.

The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) today announced their support of InnovatixCares, a new accountable care organization (ACO) provider network that was recently launched by New York, New York-based Innovatix Network, LLC.

The 10 highest-expenditure Medicare Part B drugs, all of which are classified as specialty medications, accounted for 45% of Part B spending in 2010, according to a report from the US Government Accountability Office highlighted in recent congressional testimony.

Walgreens Infusion Services and Regence, an affiliation of health care plans in the Pacific Northwest/Mountain State region, recently entered into an agreement to help lower overall medical costs for specialty infusion patients in Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

Patients with previously treated multiple myeloma responded well to therapy with the monoclonal antibody elotuzumab in combination with lenalidomide and low-dose dexamethasone, with a high objective response rate and longer progression-free survival (PFS) in those who received the dose being taken into phase III studies.

Approximately 700,000 Americans have Crohn's disease, a chronic but manageable inflammatory bowel disease.

In a recent letter to HHS, the Specialty Pharmacy Association of America expressed its concerns about the impact of the HIPAA Final Rule on remuneration for Medication Therapy Management and specialty pharmacy services and on interaction with patients through social media platforms.

In a recent letter to the Delaware House of Representatives, the AMCP asked the body not to impose dollar limits on the prescription drug insurance practice of cost-sharing known as specialty tiers.

Unorthodox clinical study design, innovative FDA public policy, and increased levels of patient involvement may be necessary to develop suitable treatments for rare diseases.

The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) announced it will begin developing pharmacy practice parameters in approximately 20 specialty pharmacy therapeutic categories this year.

Bill Sullivan, executive director of SPAARx, describes how his organization's definition of "specialty pharmacy" compares with other entities' definitions.

A new study released by the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development reports that annual drug approvals for neglected diseases have nearly doubled since 2000, and patient access to these therapies has improved markedly.

The FDA today approved Gilotrif (afatinib) for patients with late stage (metastatic) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors express specific types of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test.

Avella Specialty Pharmacy announced today that it has been awarded Specialty Pharmacy and Mail Service Pharmacy accreditations from URAC.

Blount Specialty Pharmacy, part of Blount Discount Pharmacy, Inc announced that it has been awarded Specialty Pharmacy accreditation from URAC.

Many of the types of drugs addressed by the guidance document could be categorized as specialty drugs because they require special handling, frequent dosing adjustments, and intensive clinical monitoring of adverse effects.

Samford University's McWhorter School of Pharmacy has received a $10,000 International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists Foundation grant to support research in compounded pain formulations.