General Description, Overview, and Opportunity

Specialty is the fastest growing segment of the pharmacy industry. More than 40 percent of the drugs currently under development are specialty drugs, according to the National Center for Policy Analysis. The drug pipeline is enormous and being led by more than 3,000 oncology and immunology drugs in global development. Although specialty medications account for less than 1 percent of prescriptions dispensed, they account for almost 38 percent of total pharmacy spending in the United States, according to the 2015 Express Scripts Drug Trend Report. This trend is expected to increase significantly over the next several years with the specialty portion of the pharmacy spend expected to catch, and the pass the traditional pharmacy spend by 2018, according to the CVS Caremark Insights 2013 Report.

Independent community pharmacies are continuing to demonstrate their capabilities to care for patients who require specialty medications despite the number of barriers and logistical complexities in the marketplace. Clearly, pharmacy entrepreneurs interested in specialty pharmacy have business considerations to evaluate before reaching the point of seeking payer contracts or specialty pharmacy accreditation.

Innovation Center Podcasts

• NCPA's Kevin Day talks with Kelly Selby, Owner of Community Pharmacy in Denton, Texas about his pharmacy's growth in specialty from compounding experience.

   

• NCPA's Kevin Day talks with Tim Gallagher and Lyle Prussman of Sterling Specialty Pharmacy about their experience working with a partner to enhance specialty pharmacy services for their retail stores (Astrup Drug) and the Smart-Fill network of pharmacies.

   

• NCPA's Kevin Day talks with Morgan Miller of Alps Specialty Pharmacy in Springfield, Missouri about the rapid growth in the specialty pharmacy space Alps has experienced since starting to pursue it in September of 2015.

   

Companies Offering Specialty Solutions

These companies offer different models for community pharmacies to enter the specialty pharmacy marketplace. We encourage to look around their websites or call them directly for more information about what they offer for pharmacies like yours and decide which, if any, make sense for you.

• Asembia (formerly Armada Health Care)

   

• CSI Specialty Group

   

• Diplomat

   

• Kloudscript*

   

• Therigy

   

• Thrifty White*

   

Accrediting Organizations

• URAC

  • Small Specialty Pharmacy Offering

• ACHC

   

• CPPA

   

• The Compliance Team

   

Resources

• Myth-Busting Specialty Pharmacy Stigmas

   

• Specialty Services in Community Pharmacies-What to Consider

   

• Hepatitis C: Yes, it's that Special

   

• Harnessing the Patient-Care Power of Specialty Pharmacy

   

• Specialty Medications Should Be Managed by Medication Specialists

   

• Local Specialty

   

• 'Specialty' Drugs: Opportunity and Threat

   

• Update on the Treatment of Hepatitis C Infection

   

• Complete Care of the HIV-Infected Outpatient: Antiretroviral Advances and Chronic Care Objectives

   

• Maintaining Symptom Control and Quality of Life for Outpatients with Multiple Sclerosis: Treatment Update

   

• Adverse Effects of Pharmacotherapy Used in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

   

• Operation and Management Considerations for Specialty Pharmacy

   

• Top 10 Takeaways from the NCPA Specialty Forum

   

• Four Factors to Ensure Independent Success in Specialty reported by Drug Store News

   

* - NCPA Corporate Member