This study assessed TB and HBV screening completion rates at the time of immune response mediator initiation and reasons for incomplete screening in health-system specialty pharmacies. Most patients with a health-system specialty pharmacy referral are screened for TB and HBV prior to treatment. Omitted safety screening is commonly driven by the prescribing provider.

This study describes differences in asthma-related clinical outcomes by race in patients initiating biologic therapy. There was a difference in clinic engagement between groups based on race. Cancellations were higher in patients that identify as White, and no shows were higher in patients that identify as Black or African American/Other. Identifying barriers that lead to reduced clinical engagement may allow for improved health in these patients.

There is a growing number of specialty medications with requirements that exceed standard characteristics, newly defined as "ultra-complex." This article details ultra-complex specialty medications, and strategies implemented by VSP to maintain an optimal patient journey. Ultra-complex specialty medications provide unprecedented therapeutic advancements but demand multidisciplinary resources to reach the desired therapeutic goals, which make health systems an ideal management setting.

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement a transparent, streamlined process of managing patients with IBD receiving specialty medications that have complex dosing regimens with IV to SubQ routes of administration. This was achieved by implementing an EHR flowsheet for patient management and care coordination between infusion and specialty pharmacy staff.

This single-center, retrospective review evaluated medication outcomes and time to access therapy in patients using step therapy or formulary alternatives after being prescribed specialty medications for psoriasis or atopic dermatitis. Most patients denied specialty medications due to insurance requirements eventually needed them or were lost to follow-up (n=37; 60%). Only 5 patients (8%) benefited from and remained on step therapy.

This study quantified VSP pharmacists’ work performed to facilitate specialty medication education, access, adherence, and persistence for patients who do not use VSP. Across 3 clinics over 5 months, pharmacists performed 1,645 actions for 714 non-VSP patients, equating to 375 hours and $30,429.48 in estimated pharmacist compensation. Lack of visibility in the patient journey and increased workload on providers and health systems is created when payers and manufacturers lockout IHSSPs.

This multi-phased survey aggregated data to describe clinical services provided by health-system specialty pharmacies (HSSPs). Results demonstrate that HSSPs are a clinical and educational resource for specialty clinics and have developed robust patient care services that encompass the patient journey from before specialty medication selection through treatment monitoring and optimization.

We implemented a standardized documentation tool (SmartForms) that would collect discrete data fields during the specialty pharmacist's workflow in Dermatology clinic. This allowed us to collect data for reporting purposes on the front end, save time, document pharmacist interventions prior to treatment initiation, improve Epic documentation visibility and future usability.

The objective of this study was to characterize the HCV cascade of care in a bridge clinic setting and identify barriers to HCV treatment in this population. This study demonstrated that several challenges and barriers exist to engage patients in HCV care in a bridge clinic model, and more strategies should be identified to engage patients and link them to care.