Because of the growing focus on outcomes research within Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy (VSP) and the need for more student research opportunities, VSP developed a longitudinal student research training program. This report describes the development and outcomes of that program as of June 2021.

Most institutions utilize a Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee to create a formulary for inpatient administered medications that promotes cost effective treatment options to reduce hospital related drug costs. Due to their high cost, most specialty therapies are omitted from inpatient formularies. We describe the non-formulary process developed at our institution to expedite and overcome challenges created by inpatient administered specialty medications.

This report describes VSP's development of an ASHP-accredited community based residency program in the health-system specialty pharmacy setting.

Pharmacists at health system-based specialty pharmacies have the opportunity to improve patient care by providing comprehensive medication management for patients prescribed specialty medication. This manuscript describes how Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy integrated pharmacy services into existing outpatient specialty disease clinics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which improved patient access to therapy and continuity of care.

Pharmacy technicians facilitate medication refills for patients following transplant by conducting phone calls and scheduling medication shipments. Standard prescribing of these medications required calls to be made every 30 days. However technician’s ability to service an increasing number of patients was limited by high call volume workload. In this study, we found that converting medication supply from 30 to 90-days reduced daily call volume and allowed the technician to service more patients

This report describes a health-system pharmacy department’s response to recovering from a natural disaster and preparing for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). By detailing our experience and efforts, we hope to help other institutions who are or will be in a similar crisis-response mode.

This descriptive report details the development and early results of the VSP Health Outcomes and Research Program. Started as an initiative for pharmacists to evaluate and convey the benefits they provide to patients, providers, and the health system, the Program has pioneered outcomes research among HSSPs nationwide and has proven valuable to specialty pharmacists, the health system, and key specialty pharmacy stakeholders.

Adherence and persistence to specialty medications can be challenging during transitions in sites of care, provider types, specialty medications, and financial coverage changes. In this report, we review obstacles encountered within these transitions and the role of the specialty pharmacist in overcoming obstacles. Case examples for each type of specialty transition provide insight into the unique complexities faced by patients and shed light on pharmacists’ vital role in patient care.