Alternative funding programs (AFPs) remove costly drugs from insurance coverage, forcing patients to seek alternative sources. This multisite study showed AFPs delay specialty medication access, reduce likelihood of therapy initiation, and increase treatment gaps and adverse outcomes compared to traditional pharmacy benefits. Non-AFP patients accessed therapy 3.8x more often and 3.4x faster (8 vs. 32 days). AFP patients were 47x more likely to have a treatment gap.

This nationwide survey study evaluated the scope and depth of didactic and experiential instruction on specialty pharmacy (SP) in US schools/colleges of pharmacy. In the 43 respondents (response rate 31%) specialty pharmacy (SP)-related topics were sparsely covered in current didactic and experiential curriculum, but more common in schools with SP-affiliated faculty. Many schools recognize the value and growth of SP and the importance of SP-related education.

Pharmacists play a vital role in specialty care, but intervention practices aren't standardized. This national survey of 24 health-system specialty pharmacies revealed wide variation in defining and documenting interventions, though most were pharmacist-led and recorded in EHRs. Standardizing these practices can improve care quality, highlight pharmacist impact, and strengthen patient outcomes.

This national survey evaluated the scope and depth of didactic and experiential instruction on specialty pharmacy (SP) in schools/colleges of pharmacy in the United States. Results demonstrate th SP-related topics are sparsely covered in current didactic and experiential curriculum. SP topics and electives are more common in schools with SP-affiliated faculty. Many schools recognize the value and growth of SP and the importance of SP-related education to meet growing workforce needs.

This study evaluates health-system specialty pharmacy (HSSP) pharmacists' roles in medication discontinuations, switches, and dose changes, focusing on cost avoidance. HSSP pharmacists intervene to ensure safe and effective use of specialty medications, preventing unnecessary costs. Pharmacists successfully avoided $129,705 - $162,133 in direct costs through their interventions. These findings support the employment and role of pharmacists in HSSPs, extending beyond prescription filling.

The purpose of the project is to redesign and align the specialty pharmacy Pharmacist Intervention (PI) Assessment with pharmacy organizations, published literature, and pharmacist feedback, allowing detailed documentation that clearly communicates the reason for and outcome of the pharmacist intervention. Key lessons learned are featured to outline steps for replicating the project in other health systems.

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.

This primer describes the structure of copay accumulator, copay maximizer, and alternative funding programs used by payers and self-employers to shift costs for high-priced specialty medications. The primer uses a patient case throughout to highlight the unique structure of these programs and their impact on patient affordability and access.

This quality improvement project implemented the use of tools in the electronic health record that allowed specialty pharmacist to discretely document clinical data for Hepatitis C as part of their normal workflow. Post-implementation, the documentation burden for pharmacists was reduced and documented data was used to create a near real-time dashboard for reporting and tracking patient outcomes.