Patient-Centered Care: The Case for Site Expansion to Include Health System Specialty Pharmacy
By Kristin Chambers
Caring for patients with complex diseases is inherently challenging. When specialty medications are prescribed, informing and educating the patient about their disease state and treatment plan is only part of the puzzle. Behind the scenes, you need a team that works with the patient and other stakeholders to ensure drug coverage, secure financial assistance, and monitor the patient’s medication adherence and tolerance.
However, when these services are performed by the health system specialty pharmacy team, who are informed by the electronic health record (EHR) and are part of a larger interdisciplinary team, they ensure a seamless patient experience, whether or not the health system fills the prescription. When care coordination is lacking, patients facing the burden of a disease must also jump through hurdles and contact various stakeholders just to access their medication. Consider the story of Ms. Jones.
To read the full article, as originally published in Specialty Pharmacy Times, click here.
