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Gutenschwager DW, Patel A, Soyad AT, Patel S, Szandzik EG, Kelly B, Smith ZR. Provision of ambrisentan from a health-system specialty pharmacy affiliated with a pulmonary hypertension Center of Comprehensive Care. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2024; 81:66-73. [PMID: 37611180 DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/zxad191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This descriptive report describes the process used to obtain access to providing ambrisentan from a health-system specialty pharmacy (HSSP) affiliated with a pulmonary hypertension Center of Comprehensive Care, develop a pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) care team at the HSSP, and characterize medication adherence and access metrics. SUMMARY PAH is a rare disease treated with several specialty medications requiring intensive monitoring. Historically, specialty medications used to treat PAH have been provided by only select specialty pharmacies due to restricted drug distribution channels. It is recommended that patients with PAH receive their care at centers with expertise in the diagnosis and management of this disorder, but the HSSPs at these expert centers are unable to provide specialty PAH medications. The current care model for PAH leads to patients receiving their medical and pharmaceutical care from separate entities. This descriptive report describes a multidisciplinary team's approach to gaining access to providing ambrisentan and developing a disease state care team within an established HSSP. After implementing this service, specialty pharmacy metrics were assessed, including proportion of days covered (PDC), time to first fill, patient contact rate, Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program compliance, time to prior authorization (PA) approval, rate of optimal adherence (PDC of >80%), and PA renewal rate, to demonstrate a proof-of-concept HSSP model for PAH. In this model, the HSSP was able to demonstrate high-quality specialty pharmacy metrics with regard to medication adherence, medication access, and REMS program compliance. CONCLUSION The development of a PAH care team to provide ambrisentan at an existing HSSP was associated with high adherence rates, efficient and reliable medication access, and REMS program compliance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anand Patel
- Department of Pharmacy, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Amanda T Soyad
- Clinical Pharmacy Services, Pharmacy Advantage, Rochester Hills, MI, USA
| | - Sweta Patel
- Clinical Pharmacy Services, Pharmacy Advantage, Rochester Hills, MI, USA
| | | | - Bryan Kelly
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Zachary R Smith
- Department of Pharmacy, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA
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Lau E, Kotlyar E, Makanji Y, Yu DY, Tan JY, Casorso J, Kouhkamari MH, Lim S, Wu DBC, Bloomfield P. Comparative adherence of macitentan versus ambrisentan and bosentan in Australian patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: a retrospective real-world database study. J Med Econ 2024; 27:596-604. [PMID: 38488130 DOI: 10.1080/13696998.2024.2328483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
AIM Bosentan, ambrisentan, and macitentan are endothelin receptor antagonists (ERAs), currently available in Australia for treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This study assessed the comparative adherence of these ERAs for PAH in Australian patients. METHODS This retrospective, observational study used data for adults with PAH from the Services Australia 10% Pharmaceuticals Benefits Scheme (PBS) dataset (01/2006-10/2020). The primary outcome was treatment adherence (i.e. receiving ≥80% of ERA doses over 12 months). Secondary outcomes were time to treatment change (add-on or switch) and overall survival. RESULTS The study included 436 patients who took bosentan (n = 200), ambrisentan (n = 69), or macitentan (n = 167). Treatment adherence was significantly greater in patients who received macitentan (65.3%) versus ambrisentan (56.5%) and bosentan (58.0%), with odds ratios (ORs; 95% CI) of 0.51 (0.30-0.88; p = 0.016) for bosentan versus macitentan and 0.48 (0.24-0.96; p = 0.037) for ambrisentan versus macitentan. The median time to treatment change was 47.2 and 43.4 months for bosentan and ambrisentan, respectively (not calculated for macitentan because of insufficient duration of data). LIMITATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS Real-world data for Australian patients with PAH showed that treatment adherence for ERAs was suboptimal. Adherence was higher for macitentan compared with ambrisentan and bosentan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmund Lau
- Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | | | | | - Dae Young Yu
- Janssen Pharmaceuticals Asia Pacific, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jin Yu Tan
- Janssen Pharmaceuticals Asia Pacific, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | | | - David Bin-Chia Wu
- Janssen Pharmaceuticals Asia Pacific, Singapore, Singapore
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Kelley TN, Canfield S, Diamantides E, Ryther AMK, Pedersen CA, Pierce G. ASHP Survey of Health-System Specialty Pharmacy Practice: Practice Models, Operations, and Workforce - 2022. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2023; 80:1796-1821. [PMID: 37742303 DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/zxad235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The results of the 2022 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Survey of Health-System Specialty Pharmacy (HSSP) Practice: Practice Models, Operations, and Workforce are presented. METHODS A total of 273 leaders in HSSPs were contacted by email to complete a survey hosted using Qualtrics. The survey sample was compiled from ASHP member lists, the presence of a specialty pharmacy indicated in previous ASHP surveys, and outreach to ASHP member organizational leaders. RESULTS The survey response rate was 35.9%. Most HSSPs dispense 30,000 or fewer specialty prescriptions annually. Most respondents have an annual revenue of $100 million or less, are part of a 340B-covered entity, operate one location, have 1 to 2 specialty pharmacy accreditations, dispense both nonspecialty and specialty medications, and employ an average of 15.5 pharmacists and 17.6 technicians. The majority (66.7%) dispense 50% or less of prescriptions written by internal providers due to payor and manufacturer network restrictions. Over one-third employ nonpharmacist and nontechnician professionals. Specialty pharmacists are involved in treatment decisions and therapy selection before prescription generation (69.8%), and 47.7% of respondents report pharmacists operating under collaborative practice agreements. Most (82.6%) offer experiential or formal education in specialty pharmacy. The top point of pride remains patient satisfaction and level of service. Top challenges include access to payor networks, the ability to hire and retain qualified staff, and shrinking reimbursement from payors. CONCLUSION The HSSP is a continually maturing integrated advanced practice model focused on providing patient-centric care to all patients and employees of the health system regardless of network status. HSSPs are raising the standards for quality in specialty pharmacy care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara N Kelley
- Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy Services, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Scott Canfield
- Clinical Program Development, Johns Hopkins Home Care Group, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Craig A Pedersen
- Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, Seattle, WA, and University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Gabrielle Pierce
- Member Relations, Section of Specialty Pharmacy Practitioners, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Lynn H, Wilson M. Why Living with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Requires a Holistic Approach: A Patient and Clinician Perspective. Pulm Ther 2023; 9:1-13. [PMID: 36622622 PMCID: PMC9931975 DOI: 10.1007/s41030-022-00213-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disease caused by high pressure in the blood vessels leading from the heart to the lung. PAH affects many parts of a patient's life, which means that patients should be managed by a clinical team of different specialists, including doctors, advance practice providers, nurses, social workers, and therapists. This article is co-authored by a patient living with PAH and an acute care nurse practitioner specializing in the management of patients with pulmonary hypertension. In the first section of this commentary, the patient describes her experience of living with PAH. The specialist nurse practitioner then discusses the management of PAH, to provide a clinician perspective in the context of the patient's experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley Lynn
- Patient Author, Northern New Mexico, NM, USA
| | - Melisa Wilson
- Advanced Lung Disease at AdventHealth Orlando, 2501 North Orange Avenue, Suite 402, Orlando, FL, 32804, USA.
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Humbert M, Kovacs G, Hoeper MM, Badagliacca R, Berger RMF, Brida M, Carlsen J, Coats AJS, Escribano-Subias P, Ferrari P, Ferreira DS, Ghofrani HA, Giannakoulas G, Kiely DG, Mayer E, Meszaros G, Nagavci B, Olsson KM, Pepke-Zaba J, Quint JK, Rådegran G, Simonneau G, Sitbon O, Tonia T, Toshner M, Vachiery JL, Vonk Noordegraaf A, Delcroix M, Rosenkranz S. 2022 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension. Eur Respir J 2023; 61:13993003.00879-2022. [PMID: 36028254 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00879-2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 407] [Impact Index Per Article: 407.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marc Humbert
- Faculty of Medicine, Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France, Service de Pneumologie et Soins Intensifs Respiratoires, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Hôpital Bicêtre, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- INSERM UMR_S 999, Hôpital Marie-Lannelongue, Le Plessis-Robinson, France
| | - Gabor Kovacs
- University Clinic of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Lung Vascular Research, Graz, Austria
| | - Marius M Hoeper
- Respiratory Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- Biomedical Research in End-stage and Obstructive Lung Disease (BREATH), member of the German Centre of Lung Research (DZL), Hanover, Germany
| | - Roberto Badagliacca
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche Internistiche, Anestesiologiche e Cardiovascolari, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
- Dipartimento Cardio-Toraco-Vascolare e Chirurgia dei Trapianti d'Organo, Policlinico Umberto I, Roma, Italy
| | - Rolf M F Berger
- Center for Congenital Heart Diseases, Beatrix Children's Hospital, Dept of Paediatric Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Margarita Brida
- Department of Sports and Rehabilitation Medicine, Medical Faculty University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
- Adult Congenital Heart Centre and National Centre for Pulmonary Hypertension, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Guys and St Thomas's NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Jørn Carlsen
- Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andrew J S Coats
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Pilar Escribano-Subias
- Pulmonary Hypertension Unit, Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- CIBER-CV (Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas En Red de enfermedades CardioVasculares), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pisana Ferrari
- ESC Patient Forum, Sophia Antipolis, France
- AIPI, Associazione Italiana Ipertensione Polmonare, Bologna, Italy
| | - Diogenes S Ferreira
- Alergia e Imunologia, Hospital de Clinicas, Universidade Federal do Parana, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Hossein Ardeschir Ghofrani
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Giessen, Justus-Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
- Department of Pneumology, Kerckhoff Klinik, Bad Nauheim, Germany
- Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - George Giannakoulas
- Cardiology Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - David G Kiely
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Sheffield Pulmonary Vascular Disease Unit, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
- Insigneo Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Eckhard Mayer
- Thoracic Surgery, Kerckhoff Clinic, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Gergely Meszaros
- ESC Patient Forum, Sophia Antipolis, France
- European Lung Foundation (ELF), Sheffield, UK
| | - Blin Nagavci
- Institute for Evidence in Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Karen M Olsson
- Clinic of Respiratory Medicine, Hannover Medical School, member of the German Center of Lung Research (DZL), Hannover, Germany
| | - Joanna Pepke-Zaba
- Pulmonary Vascular Diseases Unit, Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Göran Rådegran
- Department of Cardiology, Clinical Sciences Lund, Faculty of Medicine, Lund, Sweden
- The Haemodynamic Lab, The Section for Heart Failure and Valvular Disease, VO. Heart and Lung Medicine, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Gerald Simonneau
- Faculté Médecine, Université Paris Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Hopital Marie-Lannelongue, Le Plessis-Robinson, France
| | - Olivier Sitbon
- INSERM UMR_S 999, Hôpital Marie-Lannelongue, Le Plessis-Robinson, France
- Faculté Médecine, Université Paris Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
- Service de Pneumologie et Soins Intensifs Respiratoires, Centre de Référence de l'Hypertension Pulmonaire, Hôpital Bicêtre, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Thomy Tonia
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Mark Toshner
- Dept of Medicine, Heart Lung Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Royal Papworth NHS Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jean-Luc Vachiery
- Department of Cardiology, Pulmonary Vascular Diseases and Heart Failure Clinic, HUB Hôpital Erasme, Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Marion Delcroix
- Clinical Department of Respiratory Diseases, Centre of Pulmonary Vascular Diseases, University Hospitals of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- The two chairpersons (M. Delcroix and S. Rosenkranz) contributed equally to the document and are joint corresponding authors
| | - Stephan Rosenkranz
- Clinic III for Internal Medicine (Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology and Intensive Care Medicine), and Cologne Cardiovascular Research Center (CCRC), Heart Center at the University Hospital Cologne, Köln, Germany
- The two chairpersons (M. Delcroix and S. Rosenkranz) contributed equally to the document and are joint corresponding authors
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Fusco N, Sils B, Graff JS, Kistler K, Ruiz K. Cost-sharing and adherence, clinical outcomes, health care utilization, and costs: A systematic literature review. J Manag Care Spec Pharm 2023; 29:4-16. [PMID: 35389285 PMCID: PMC10394195 DOI: 10.18553/jmcp.2022.21270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND: US health plans are adopting benefit designs that shift greater financial burden to patients through higher deductibles, additional copay tiers, and coinsurance. Prior systematic reviews found that higher cost was associated with reductions in both appropriate and inappropriate medications. However, these reviews were conducted prior to contemporary benefit design and medication utilization. OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship and factors associated with cost-sharing and (1) medication adherence, (2) clinical outcomes, (3) health care resource utilization (HRU), and (4) costs. METHODS: A systematic review of literature published between January 2010 and August 2020 was conducted to identify the relationship between cost-sharing and medication adherence, clinical outcomes, HRU, and health care costs. Data were extracted using a standardized template and were synthesized by key questions of interest. RESULTS: From 1,995 records screened, 79 articles were included. Most studies, 71 of 79 (90%), reported the relationship between cost-sharing and treatment adherence, persistence and/or discontinuation; 16 (20%) reported data on cost-sharing and HRU or medication initiation, 11 (14%) on costsharing and health care costs, and 6 (8%) on cost-sharing and clinical outcomes. The majority of publications found that, regardless of disease area, increased cost-sharing was associated with worse adherence, persistence, or discontinuation. The aggregate data suggested the greater the magnitude of cost-sharing, the worse the adherence. Among studies examining clinical outcomes, cost-sharing was associated with worse outcomes in 1 study and the remaining 3 found no significant differences. Regarding HRU, higher-cost-sharing trended toward decreased outpatient and increased inpatient utilization. The available evidence suggested higher cost-sharing has an overall neutral to negative impact on total costs. Studies evaluating elimination of copays found either decreased or no impact in total costs. CONCLUSIONS: The published literature shows consistent impacts of higher cost sharing on initiation and continuation of medications, and the greater the cost-sharing, the worse the medication adherence. The evidence is limited regarding the impact of cost-sharing on clinical outcomes, HRU, and costs. Limited evidence suggests increased cost-sharing is associated with more inpatient care and less outpatient care; however, a neutral to no difference was suggested for other outcomes. Although increased costsharing is intended to decrease total costs, studies evaluating reducing or eliminating cost-sharing found that total costs did not rise. Today's growing cost-containment environment should carefully consider the broader impact cost-sharing has on treatment adherence, clinical outcomes, resource use, and total costs. It may be that cost-sharing is a blunt, rather than precise, tool to curb health care costs, affecting both necessary and unnecessary health care use. DISCLOSURES: This study and the development of this article were funded by the National Pharmaceutical Council. Mr Sils is an employee of the National Pharmaceutical Council. Dr Graff is a former employee of the National Pharmaceutical Council. Drs Fusco and Kistler and Ms Ruiz are employees of Xcenda. Xcenda received funding to conduct the literature review.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian Sils
- National Pharmaceutical Council, Washington, DC
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7
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Adherence and Discontinuation of Disease-Specific Therapies for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Am J Cardiovasc Drugs 2023; 23:19-33. [PMID: 36434365 DOI: 10.1007/s40256-022-00553-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), the use of disease-specific therapies (i.e., endothelin receptor antagonists, phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors, soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators, prostacyclins, and prostanoids) has been associated with disease improvement and decreased mortality risk. We aimed to quantify the adherence and discontinuation rates for patients prescribed PAH-specific therapies. METHODS We performed a systematic review via searching MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library from their inception to 4 March 2022 for observational studies published in English that reported data on adherence to and persistence with PAH-targeted therapies. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed to explore average adherence and discontinuation rates. RESULTS In all, 14 studies involving 14,861 individuals prescribed PAH-targeted therapies were included. The overall pooled proportion of patients adherent to their PAH-targeted medications was 60.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 52.3-69.1%). The pooled proportions of patients adherent in questionnaire-based studies and in studies using prescription/dispensing data were 52.9% (95% CI 48.9-56.9%) and 62.9% (95% CI 53.1-72.2%), respectively. The pooled proportion of patients who discontinued their PAH-targeted medications was 42.3% (95% CI 31.6-53.3). Factors reported to impact adherence included administration frequency, length of time on treatment, co-payment, and occurrence of adverse events. CONCLUSIONS In the real world, a considerable proportion of patients prescribed PAH-specific therapies were non-adherent or discontinued. As diverse factors may influence treatment adherence, multifaceted interventions are needed to address this trend in order to improve patient outcomes. REGISTRATION The systematic review protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42022316638).
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Schikowski EM, Swabe G, Chan SY, Magnani JW. Association Between Copayment and Adherence to Medications for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. J Am Heart Assoc 2022; 11:e026620. [PMID: 36370005 PMCID: PMC9750087 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.122.026620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Background Pharmacologic treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) improves exercise capacity, functional class, and hemodynamic indexes. However, monthly prescription costs often exceed $4000. We examined associations between (1) medication copayment and (2) annual household income with adherence to pulmonary vasodilator therapy among individuals with PAH. Methods and Results We used administrative claims data from an insured population in the United States to identify individuals diagnosed with PAH between 2015 and 2020. All individuals had ≥1 medication claim for endothelin receptor antagonists, phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors, prostanoids or prostacyclin receptor agonists, or the soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator riociguat. We defined copayments as low, medium, or high, as determined by their distributions for each medication class. Annual household income was categorized as <$40 000, $40 000 to $74 999, and ≥$75 000. The primary outcome was medication adherence, defined by proportion of days covered ≥80%. We studied 4025 adults (aged 65.9±13.3 years; 71.2% women). Compared with those with annual household income ≥$75 000, individuals in the <$40 000 and $40 000 to $74 999 categories had no significant differences in medication adherence. Compared with those with low copayments, individuals with high copayments had decreased adherence to prostanoids (odds ratio [OR], 0.36 [95% CI, 0.20-0.65]; P<0.001) and combination therapy with endothelin receptor antagonist and phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor (OR, 0.61 [95% CI, 0.38-0.97]; P=0.03). Conclusions We identified associations between copayment and adherence to prostanoids and combination therapy among individuals with PAH. Copayment may be a structural barrier to medication adherence and merits inclusion in studies examining access to pharmacotherapy among individuals with PAH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin M Schikowski
- Department of Medicine University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Pittsburgh PA
| | - Gretchen Swabe
- School of Medicine University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh PA
| | - Stephen Y Chan
- Department of Medicine University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Pittsburgh PA.,Vascular Medicine Institute University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Pittsburgh PA
| | - Jared W Magnani
- Department of Medicine University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Pittsburgh PA.,School of Medicine University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh PA.,Center for Research on Health Care, Department of Medicine University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh PA
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Cantres‐Fonseca O, Kennedy JLW. Where's the Easy Button? The Many Barriers to Care for Patients With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. J Am Heart Assoc 2022; 11:e027967. [DOI: 10.1161/jaha.122.027967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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10
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Humbert M, Kovacs G, Hoeper MM, Badagliacca R, Berger RMF, Brida M, Carlsen J, Coats AJS, Escribano-Subias P, Ferrari P, Ferreira DS, Ghofrani HA, Giannakoulas G, Kiely DG, Mayer E, Meszaros G, Nagavci B, Olsson KM, Pepke-Zaba J, Quint JK, Rådegran G, Simonneau G, Sitbon O, Tonia T, Toshner M, Vachiery JL, Vonk Noordegraaf A, Delcroix M, Rosenkranz S. 2022 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension. Eur Heart J 2022; 43:3618-3731. [PMID: 36017548 DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehac237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 965] [Impact Index Per Article: 482.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
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Peter ME, Zuckerman AD, Cherry E, Schlundt DG, Bonnet K, Shah N, Kelley TN. Exploring healthcare providers’ experiences with specialty medication and limited distribution networks. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273040. [PMID: 35969591 PMCID: PMC9377589 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Integrated health-system specialty pharmacies (IHSSP) have shown high medication access, adherence, and provider satisfaction. The goal of this study was to explore healthcare providers’ experiences with specialty medications distributed via Limited Distribution Networks (LDN) that do not include IHSSPs. We investigated healthcare providers’ perceived impact of LDNs on clinic workflow, clinical practice, and patient outcomes. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with fourteen healthcare providers from four outpatient specialty clinics at an academic health system with an IHSSP. Qualitative analysis using an iterative inductive/deductive approach of coded transcripts was used to identify themes. Participants discussed requirements and barriers to communicating with insurance providers, drug manufacturers, and external pharmacies; time and effort required to navigate LDNs and impact on workload and clinic workflow; financial awareness of medication costs and methods for communication about financial information with patients; and advocating for patients to ensure access to necessary therapy and avoid missed doses or treatment lapse. Participants reported barriers to navigating LDNs that can interfere with clinic workflow and patient care. IHSSPs may reduce clinic burden by helping patients access, afford, and remain on therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E. Peter
- Department of Pharmaceutical Services, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Autumn D. Zuckerman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Services, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Elizabeth Cherry
- Department of Pharmaceutical Services, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - David G. Schlundt
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Kemberlee Bonnet
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Nisha Shah
- Department of Pharmaceutical Services, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Tara N. Kelley
- Department of Pharmaceutical Services, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
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Zuckerman AD, Whelchel K, Kozlicki M, Simonyan AR, Donovan JL, Gazda NP, Mourani J, Smith AM, Young L, Ortega M, Kelley TN. Health-system specialty pharmacy role and outcomes: A review of current literature. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2022; 79:1906-1918. [PMID: 35916907 DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/zxac212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
DISCLAIMER In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. PURPOSE Specialty medications can have life-altering outcomes for patients with complex diseases. However, their benefit relies on appropriate treatment selection, patients' ability to afford and initiate treatment, and ongoing treatment optimization based on patient response to therapy. Mounting research demonstrates the benefits of the health-system specialty pharmacy (HSSP) in improving specialty medication access, affordability, and outcomes. The purpose of this rapid review is to describe the currently reported role and function of HSSP pharmacists and outcomes reported with use of the HSSP model, and to identify gaps in the literature where more information is needed to better understand the HSSP model and outcomes. SUMMARY Current literature describes the role of HSSP pharmacists in facilitating patient access, affordability, and initiation and maintenance of specialty medications. Though it is clear HSSP pharmacists are involved in treatment monitoring, often through utilizing the electronic health record, more information is needed to elucidate the frequency, method, and extent of monitoring. Despite several valuable continuity of care services reported to be provided by HSSPs, the breadth and degree of standardization of these services remains unclear. There is minimal literature describing HSSP education and research involvement. HSSPs have reported significant benefits of this patient care model, as demonstrated by higher adherence and persistence; better clinical outcomes; financial benefits to patients, payers and the health system; better quality of care; higher patient and provider satisfaction with services, and highly efficient specialty pharmacy services. More literature comparing clinical and diagnosis-related outcomes in HSSP versus non-HSSP patients is needed. CONCLUSION HSSPs provide comprehensive, patient-centered specialty medication management that result in improved care across the continuum of the specialty patient journey and act as a valuable resource for specialty clinics and patients beyond medication management. Future research should build on the current description of HSSP services, how services affect patient outcomes, and the impact HSSP network restrictions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lauren Young
- University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | | | - Tara N Kelley
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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13
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Stroedecke N, Lee J, Stutsky M, Boothe K, Tong K, Luon S, Sawant V, Renauer M. Implementation of an integrated pharmacist collaborative care model in specialty disease state clinics. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2022; 79:2047-2052. [PMID: 35913890 DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/zxac209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
DISCLAIMER In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. PURPOSE To expand health-system specialty pharmacy (HSSP) clinical continuity by implementing a specialty integrated model for clinical services in target sites. SUMMARY After evaluation of baseline clinical continuity and institutional goals, select clinics were identified as target sites to which to expand this integrated approach of a medication management clinic (MMC). In this MMC model, the key steps included engaging stakeholders, workflow training, optimization of the electronic health record, service evaluation, compliance with regulatory standards, and development of marketing strategies. The initial focus was development of innovative collaborative practice agreements (CPAs) to expand the scope of ambulatory care pharmacists' practice. Analysis of existing specialty and ambulatory workflows and technology was completed before development of the integrated workflow. Existing credentialing policies were updated to support expanded practices, and marketing collaterals were developed to support growth of pharmacy referrals. Meetings with stakeholders took place to ensure smooth transitions into integrated areas. Primary endpoints included clinical continuity, as determined by prescription orders placed within the health system sent to the HSSP, and number of signed referrals to MMC. Secondary endpoints included disease state-specific clinical outcomes as well as overall outcomes such as medication adherence, laboratory test adherence, immunization rates, and patient and clinician satisfaction. An MMC model was successfully implemented in 5 target specialty practices. Specialty clinic CPAs were developed for rheumatology and digestive health (including viral hepatitis). Since implementation, clinical continuity increased 23% and referrals exceeded the target at 165%. Data on secondary endpoints are currently being collected to evaluate quality of pharmacy services. Pharmacy services have enhanced patient care and received positive feedback from clinicians. CONCLUSION Expansion of integrated decentralized pharmacists into target practices has increased clinical continuity and the number of pharmacist referrals. Clinicians have regarded pharmacists as vital members of the team. Creation of additional specialty CPAs will be needed to support further growth in other clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jenna Lee
- Department of Pharmacy, Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | | | - Kimhouy Tong
- Department of Pharmacy, Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Steph Luon
- Department of Pharmacy, Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Vinay Sawant
- Corporate Pharmacy Services, Yale New Haven Health, Hamden, CT, USA
| | - Marie Renauer
- Corporate Pharmacy Services, Yale New Haven Health, Hamden, CT, USA
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Hellems SS, Soni A, Fasching D, Smith BS, McManus DD. Association between health system specialty pharmacy use and health care costs among national sample of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. J Manag Care Spec Pharm 2022; 28:244-254. [PMID: 35098745 PMCID: PMC10373032 DOI: 10.18553/jmcp.2022.28.2.244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Health care expenditures are growing rapidly. There is a growing body of literature showing that health system specialty pharmacy is associated with improvement in clinical outcomes; however, there is a lack of data on its effect on health care costs and utilization. OBJECTIVE: To perform exploratory research assessing the association between health system specialty pharmacy use and health care costs and utilization. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted examining medical and pharmacy claims from 2018 and 2019 of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. Optum Advisory Service's proprietary deidentified Normative Health Information database was used, which includes claims, membership, and provider data for 12.6 million Medicare Advantage members. Members who filled a prescription at a health system specialty pharmacy and had a specialty provider participating in the health system specialty pharmacy care model in clinic were assigned to the intervention group. Members who did not use a health system specialty pharmacy but had the same provider (provider benchmark group) or different provider (network benchmark group) were considered as comparisons. The network benchmark group was further refined to match variation in health care cost due to geography. The primary outcome measure was total health care costs (across the medical and pharmacy benefit) on a per-patient per-month basis. Secondary outcomes were selected utilization drivers and cost subcomponents. Cost and utilization metrics were calculated on a risk-adjusted basis using Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hierarchical Condition Categories (CMS-HCC) risk score methodology. Differences were assessed for categorical variables with chi-square tests, and 2-tailed t-tests were used for continuous variables. RESULTS: Of the analytic sample of 9,780 members used in this study, 208 (2.1%) used health system specialty pharmacy services. During the 2018 baseline period, total health care costs and utilization were similar after CMS-HCC risk score adjustment ($9,520 among health system specialty pharmacy users; $8,691 among the provider benchmark group; $9,510 among the network benchmark group) but lower in 2019 ($7,060, $7,683, and $8,152, respectively). The differences in 2019 were primarily driven by savings in pharmacy and free-standing physician-related costs. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a health system specialty pharmacy is associated with a lower health care cost. Further study is required to analyze how drug and disease-specific interactions influence total health care costs and utilization for health system specialty pharmacy populations. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by Shields Health Solutions and completed with Optum Advisory Services, which provided all analysis and was the sole source of data. University of Massachusetts Medical School investigators were independent context experts, who volunteered their time for this study. Hellems is employed by Optum Advisory Services; Fasching and Smith are employed by Shields Health Solutions; and Soni and McManus are employed by the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Soni received support from the National Institute of General Medical Science (T32GM107000), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (TL1-TR001454), and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (1F30HD091975-03). McManus's time was supported by R01HL126911, R01HL137734, R01HL137794, R01HL135219, R01HL136660, U54HL143541 from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. McManus has received research support from Bristol Myers Squibb, Care Evolution, Samsung, Apple Computer, Pfizer, Biotronik, Boehringer Ingelheim, Philips Research Institute, Flexcon, Fitbit; has consulted for Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Philips, Samsung Electronics, Rose Consulting, Boston Biomedical Associates, and FlexCon; and is also a member of the Operations Committee and Steering Committee for the GUARD-AF Study (NCT04126486), sponsored by Bristol Meyers Squibb and Pfizer. The other authors have nothing additional to disclose. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH. The funders played no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Apurv Soni
- Department of Medicine and Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
| | | | | | - Dave D McManus
- Department of Medicine and Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA
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15
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Jolly JA, Pierson TJ, Pulvermacher A. Turning differentiation into value: How health-system specialty pharmacies can align to an outcomes-focused mission. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2021; 78:1009-1014. [PMID: 33693486 PMCID: PMC7989639 DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/zxab087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In an effort to expedite the publication of articles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, AJHP is posting these manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time.
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16
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Zuckerman AD, DeClercq J, Choi L, Cowgill N, McCarthy K, Lounsbery B, Shah R, Kehasse A, Thomas K, Sokos L, Stutsky M, Young J, Carter J, Lach M, Wise K, Thomas TT, Ortega M, Lee J, Lewis K, Dura J, Gazda NP, Gerzenshtein L, Canfield S. Adherence to self-administered biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs across health-system specialty pharmacies. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2021; 78:2142-2150. [PMID: 34407179 PMCID: PMC8385960 DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/zxab342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Disclaimer In an effort to expedite the publication of articles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, AJHP is posting these manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. Purpose Adherence to self-administered biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) is necessary for therapeutic benefit. Health-system specialty pharmacies (HSSPs) have reported high adherence rates across several disease states; however, adherence outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) populations have not yet been established. Methods We performed a multisite retrospective cohort study including patients with RA and 3 or more documented dispenses of bDMARDs from January through December 2018. Pharmacy claims were used to calculate proportion of days covered (PDC). Electronic health records of patients with a PDC of <0.8 were reviewed to identify reasons for gaps in pharmacy claims (true nonadherence or appropriate treatment holds). Outcomes included median PDC across sites, reasons for treatment gaps in patients with a PDC of <0.8, and the impact of adjusting PDC when accounting for appropriate therapy gaps. Results There were 29,994 prescriptions for 3,530 patients across 20 sites. The patient cohort was mostly female (75%), with a median age of 55 years (interquartile range [IQR], 42-63 years). The original(ie, prereview) median PDC was 0.94 (IQR, 0.83-0.99). Upon review, 327 patients had no appropriate treatment gaps identified, 6 patients were excluded due to multiple unquantifiable appropriate gaps, and 420 patients had an adjustment in the PDC denominator due to appropriate treatment gaps (43 instances of days’ supply adjusted based on discordant days’ supply information between prescriptions and physician administration instructions, 11 instances of missing fills added, and 421 instances of clinically appropriate treatment gaps). The final median PDC after accounting for appropriate gaps in therapy was 0.95 (IQR, 0.87-0.99). Conclusion This large, multisite retrospective cohort study was the first to demonstrate adherence rates across several HSSPs and provided novel insights into rates and reasons for appropriate gaps in therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Josh DeClercq
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Leena Choi
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Nicole Cowgill
- CHS Specialty Pharmacy Service at Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Kate McCarthy
- Specialty Pharmacy, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | | | - Rushabh Shah
- UK Specialty Pharmacy and Infusion Services, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | | | - Karen Thomas
- Pharmacy Ambulatory Clinical Care Center, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Louis Sokos
- West Virginia University Health System, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Martha Stutsky
- Specialty and Retail Pharmacy Services, Yale New Haven Health System, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jennifer Young
- Specialty Pharmacy Services, Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | | | - Monika Lach
- University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kelly Wise
- Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Toby T Thomas
- Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Jinkyu Lee
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kate Lewis
- Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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Stubbings J, Pedersen CA, Low K, Chen D. ASHP National Survey of Health-System Specialty Pharmacy Practice-2020. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2021; 78:1765-1791. [PMID: 34345889 DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/zxab277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Results of the first ASHP National Survey of Health-System Specialty Pharmacy Practice are presented. METHODS A sample of 230 leaders in health-system specialty pharmacies were contacted by email and invited to participate in a survey hosted using an online survey application. The survey sample was compiled from ASHP member lists, through review of data from other ASHP surveys indicating the presence of specialty pharmacies, and by outreach to ASHP member organizational leaders. RESULTS The response rate was 53.0%. Most health-system specialty pharmacies dispense 30,000 or fewer specialty prescriptions per year, have an annual revenue of $100 million or less, are part of an entity eligible to participate in the 340B Drug Pricing Program, operate 1 specialty pharmacy location, have at least 1 specialty pharmacy accreditation, dispense nonspecialty medications in addition to specialty medications, and employ an average of 13 pharmacists and 15 technicians. More than two-thirds of health-system specialty pharmacies (68.8%) dispense no more than half of the prescriptions written by their providers due to payer network restrictions or limited distribution drugs. The health-system specialty pharmacy practice model includes access to the electronic health record (100% of respondents), pharmacists and technicians dedicated to specific clinics (64.9% and 57.7%, respectively), specialty pharmacist involvement in treatment decisions and drug therapy selection prior to the prescription being written (64.9%), and documenting recommendations and progress notes in patients' electronic health record (93.4%). Most health-system specialty pharmacies (83.3%) offer experiential or formal education in specialty pharmacy. Top challenges that survey respondents expected to face in the next year included restricted access to payer networks and limited distribution drugs, 340B Drug Pricing Program changes, and shrinking reimbursement from payers. CONCLUSION The health-system specialty pharmacy represents an integrated advanced practice model that incorporates specialty medication-use management across the continuum of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- JoAnn Stubbings
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Craig A Pedersen
- Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA.,University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Karly Low
- American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - David Chen
- American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Bethesda, MD, USA
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18
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Peter ME, Zuckerman AD, DeClercq J, Choi L, James C, Cooper K, Choi J, Nadler M, Tanner SB. Adherence and persistence in patients with rheumatoid arthritis at an integrated health system specialty pharmacy. J Manag Care Spec Pharm 2021; 27:882-890. [PMID: 34185565 PMCID: PMC10391136 DOI: 10.18553/jmcp.2021.27.7.882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) improve symptoms and delay progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but adherence is often sub-optimal and many patients change medication (either "switching" to a medication with a different mechanism of action or "cycling" to a medication with the same mechanism of action) during the first year of therapy. Some integrated health-system specialty pharmacies embed pharmacists in clinics to help patients access and adhere to specialty medication. OBJECTIVE: This study assessed DMARD switching, cycling, adherence, and persistence at an outpatient rheumatology clinic with an integrated health-system specialty pharmacy. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults with RA, naïve to biologic or targeted synthetic DMARDs, who filled ≥ 2 biologic or targeted synthetic DMARD prescriptions within 12 months. Adherence was measured using proportion of days covered (PDC); persistence was computed at 12 months. Univariate analyses compared adherence and persistence between patients with and without a medication change. Ordinal logistic regression examined whether PDC was associated with patient age, gender, race, insurance type, and medication change. RESULTS: We included 772 patients: 79% female/21% male, 89% White/11% non-White, median age 56 years (interquartile range = 48-63). Most patients (84%) did not change medication during the study period, 5% cycled medication one or more times (but did not switch), 9% switched medication one or more times (but did not cycle), and 2% of patients both switched and cycled during the study period. Median PDC of the sample was 0.94 and 73% of patients were persistent. Patients with a medication change had lower PDC than those without (0.89 vs 0.95, P = 0.004), but rate of persistence did not significantly differ between groups (77 vs 72%, P = 0.300). Odds of higher PDC was more likely for men (Odds ratio [OR] = 1.82, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.34-2.48, P < 0.001) and less likely for patients who changed medication (OR = 0.65, CI: 0.47-0.91, P = 0.011); age, race, and insurance type were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with RA demonstrated high medication adherence and persistence, and low rates of switching and cycling. Findings support evidence that integrated health-system specialty pharmacies with clinical pharmacists embedded in outpatient clinics help patients overcome barriers to medication adherence to persist on therapy. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by Sanofi, Inc. James and J. Choi were employed by Sanofi, Inc., at the time of this study. Peter, Zuckerman, DeClercq, L. Choi, and Tanner, received research funding from Sanofi, Inc., for work on this study. Tanner has also received advisory board/speaker bureau fees from Pfizer, Regeneron, and Sanofi-Aventis. This study was presented as a poster at AMCP Nexus in October 2019 at National Harbor, MD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E Peter
- Department of Pharmaceutical Services, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Autumn D Zuckerman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Services, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Josh DeClercq
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Leena Choi
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | | | - Katrina Cooper
- Department of Pharmaceutical Services, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | | | | | - S Bobo Tanner
- Divisions of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
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Zuckerman AD, Shah NB, Peter ME, Jolly JA, Kelley TN. Development, implementation, and evaluation of a health outcomes and research program at an integrated health-system specialty pharmacy. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2021; 78:972-981. [PMID: 33693451 PMCID: PMC8142709 DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/zxab082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Health-system specialty pharmacies (HSSPs) provide high-quality, efficient, and collaborative care to patients receiving specialty therapy. Despite proven benefits of the integrated model, manufacturer and payer restrictions challenge the viability and utility of HSSPs. Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy developed a health outcomes and research program to measure and communicate the value of this model, drive improvement in patient care delivery, and advocate for recognition of HSSP pharmacists' role in patient care. The purpose of this descriptive report is to describe the development and results of this program. SUMMARY The health outcomes and research program began as an initiative for pharmacists to evaluate and convey the benefits they provide to patients, providers, and the health system. Early outcomes data proved useful in communicating the value of an integrated model to key stakeholders and highlighted the need to further develop research efforts. The department leadership invested resources to build a research program with dedicated personnel, engaged research experts to train pharmacists, and fostered internal and external collaborations to facilitate research efforts. As of March 2021, the health outcomes and research program team has published 33 peer-reviewed manuscripts, presented 88 posters and 7 podium presentations at national conferences, and received 4 monetary research awards. Further, the program team engages other HSSP teams to initiate and expand their own health outcomes research in an effort to empower all HSSPs in demonstrating their value. CONCLUSIONS The health outcomes and research program described has pioneered outcomes research among HSSPs nationwide and has proven valuable to specialty pharmacists, the health system, and key specialty pharmacy stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Autumn D Zuckerman
- Specialty Pharmacy Services, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Nisha B Shah
- Specialty Pharmacy Services, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Megan E Peter
- Specialty Pharmacy Services, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jacob A Jolly
- Specialty Pharmacy Services, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Tara N Kelley
- Specialty Pharmacy Services, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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Livezey S, Shah NB, McCormick R, DeClercq J, Choi L, Zuckerman AD. Specialty pharmacist integration into an outpatient neurology clinic improves pimavanserin access. Ment Health Clin 2021; 11:187-193. [PMID: 34026394 PMCID: PMC8120983 DOI: 10.9740/mhc.2021.05.187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Access to pimavanserin, the only Parkinson disease–related psychosis treatment approved by the FDA, is restricted by insurance requirements, a limited distribution network, and high costs. Following initiation, patients require monitoring for safety and effectiveness. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate impact of specialty pharmacist (SP) integration on time to insurance approval. Additionally, we describe a pharmacist-led monitoring program. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective study of adults prescribed pimavanserin by the neurology clinic from June 2016 to June 2018. Patients receiving pimavanserin externally or through clinical trials were excluded. Pre- (June 2016 to December 2016) and post-SP integration (January 2017 to June 2018) periods were assessed. Proportional odds logistic regression was performed to test association of approval time with patient characteristics (age, gender, insurance type) postintegration. Interventions were categorized as clinical care, care coordination, management of adverse event, or adherence. Results We included 94 patients (32 preintegration, 62 postintegration), 80% male (n = 75) and 96% white (n = 90) with a mean age of 73 years. Median time to approval was 22 days preintegration and 3 days postintegration. Higher rates of approval (81% vs 95%) and initiation (78% vs 94%) were observed postintegration. Proportional odds logistic regression suggested patients with commercial insurance were likely to have longer time to approval compared with patients with Medicare/Medicaid (odds ratio 7.1; 95% confidence interval: 1.9, 26.7; P = .004). Most interventions were clinical (51%, n = 47) or care coordination (42%, n = 39). Conclusion Median time to approval decreased postintegration. The SP performed valuable monitoring and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Livezey
- Clinical Pharmacist, Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee,
| | - Nisha B Shah
- Pharmacist, Health Outcomes and Research, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Robert McCormick
- Student Researcher, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Pharmacy, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Josh DeClercq
- Biostatistician, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Leena Choi
- Biostatistician, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Autumn D Zuckerman
- Program Director, Health Outcomes and Research, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
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Anguiano RH, Zuckerman AD, Hall E, Diamantides E, Kumor L, Duckworth DL, Peter M, Sorgen PJ, Nathanson A, Kandah HM, Dura J, Campbell U. Comparison of provider satisfaction with specialty pharmacy services in integrated health-system and external practice models: A multisite survey. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2021; 78:962-971. [DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/zxab079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to obtain insight into providers’ satisfaction with services offered by health-system integrated specialty pharmacies and to determine whether providers’ perceptions of services offered under an integrated model differ from perceptions of external specialty pharmacy services.
Methods
A multi-site, cross-sectional, online survey of specialty clinic healthcare providers at 10 academic health systems with integrated specialty pharmacies was conducted. The questionnaire was developed by members of the Vizient Specialty Pharmacy Outcomes and Benchmarking Workgroup and was pretested at 3 pilot sites prior to dissemination. Prescribers of specialty medications within each institution were identified and sent an email invitation to participate in the study that included a link to the anonymous questionnaire. Respondents were asked to rate their agreement with 10 statements regarding quality of services of integrated and external specialty pharmacies on a 5-point scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). An analysis to determine differences in providers’ overall satisfaction with the integrated and external specialty pharmacy practice models, as well as differences in satisfaction scores for each of the 10 statements, was performed using paired-samples t tests.
Results
The mean (SD) score for overall satisfaction with integrated specialty pharmacies was significantly higher than the score for satisfaction with external specialty pharmacies: 4.72 (0.58) vs 2.97 (1.20); 95% confidence interval, 1.64-1.87; P < 0.001. Provider ratings of the integrated specialty pharmacy model were also higher for all 10 items evaluating the quality of services (P < 0.05 for all comparisons).
Conclusion
The study results confirm that the health-system integrated specialty pharmacy practice model promotes high rates of provider satisfaction with services and perceived benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah H Anguiano
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL, and Specialty Pharmacy Services, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Science System, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Autumn D Zuckerman
- Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Elizabeth Hall
- The Ohio State University Outpatient Pharmacy, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Erica Diamantides
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Washington (UW) Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lisa Kumor
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL, and Specialty Pharmacy Services, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Science System, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Deborah L Duckworth
- Specialty Pharmacy and Infusion Services, University of Kentucky HealthCare, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Megan Peter
- Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Amy Nathanson
- Pharmacy Services, Johns Hopkins Home Care Group, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Huda-Marie Kandah
- Specialty Pharmacy, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jillian Dura
- Specialty Pharmacy, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Udobi Campbell
- Department of Pharmacy Services, University of North Carolina Health Care System, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Kjellström B, Sandqvist A, Hjalmarsson C, Nisell M, Näsman P, Ivarsson B. Adherence to disease-specific drug treatment among patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension or chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. ERJ Open Res 2020; 6:00299-2020. [PMID: 33313301 PMCID: PMC7720683 DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00299-2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) require lifelong treatment. The aim of the present study was to investigate adherence to disease-specific treatment in patients with PAH or CTEPH. METHODS The study comprised an adult population diagnosed with PAH (n=384) or CTEPH (n=187) alive in 2016-2017. The study utilised three registries: the Swedish PAH registry, the National Board of Health and Welfare, and Statistics Sweden. Withdrawals from pharmacies of disease-specific oral treatments were studied. Adherence was assessed as: 1) Number of days covered defined as the difference between the total number of daily dosages dispensed and the total number of days covered; and 2) Manual assessment by two persons that independently reviewed each patient's prescription fill history to detect anomalies or patterns of deteriorating or improving adherence over time. RESULTS The mean age was 61±16 years, 61% were female and mean time since diagnosis was 4.6 years. Adherence was 62% using the Number of days covered method and 66% by the Manual assessment method. Drug-specific adherence varied from 91% for riociguat to 60% for sildenafil. Good adherence was associated with shorter time since diagnosis in patients with PAH and with lower number of concomitant other chronic treatments in patients with CTEPH. Age, sex, socioeconomic status or number of pulmonary hypertension (PH) treatments were not associated with adherence. CONCLUSION Adherence to oral disease-specific treatment was 60-66% and associated with time since diagnosis and number of concomitant chronic treatments. Sex, age or socioeconomic factors did not affect adherence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbro Kjellström
- Lund University, Dept of Clinical Sciences Lund, Clinical Physiology and Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
- Cardiology Unit, Dept of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Sandqvist
- Dept of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Janssen Cilag AB, Solna, Sweden
| | - Clara Hjalmarsson
- Dept of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Dept of Cardiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Magnus Nisell
- Lung Unit, Dept of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per Näsman
- Center for Safety Research, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bodil Ivarsson
- Dept of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Lund, Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Medicine Services University Trust, Region Skåne, Lund, Sweden
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Zuckerman AD, Carver A, Cooper K, Markley B, Mitchell A, Reynolds VW, Saknini M, Wyatt H, Kelley T. An Integrated Health-System Specialty Pharmacy Model for Coordinating Transitions of Care: Specialty Medication Challenges and Specialty Pharmacist Opportunities. PHARMACY 2019; 7:E163. [PMID: 31816884 PMCID: PMC6958321 DOI: 10.3390/pharmacy7040163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Adherence and persistence to specialty medications are necessary to achieve successful outcomes of costly therapies. The increasing use of specialty medications has exposed several unique barriers to certain specialty treatments' continuation. Integrated specialty pharmacy teams facilitate transitions in sites of care, between different provider types, among prescribed specialty medications, and during financial coverage changes. We review obstacles encountered within these types of transitions and the role of the specialty pharmacist in overcoming these 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. This insightful and real-world experience is needed to facilitate best practices in specialty care, particularly in the growing number of health-system specialty pharmacies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Autumn D. Zuckerman
- Specialty Pharmacy Services, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37212, USA; (A.C.); (K.C.); (B.M.); (A.M.); (V.W.R.); (M.S.); (H.W.); (T.K.)
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24
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Narechania S, Torbic H, Tonelli AR. Treatment Discontinuation or Interruption in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol Ther 2019; 25:131-141. [PMID: 31594400 DOI: 10.1177/1074248419877409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease, which can be potentially fatal. The management of a complex disease like PAH requires a multidisciplinary approach from a team consisting of physicians, nurses, social workers, and pharmacists. Adherence to PAH-specific therapy is one of the key factors in the management of this disease. Poor adherence to treatment is a common problem in PAH as it is in many chronic diseases. Management of medication interruptions is a challenge in patients with PAH that can lead to negative consequences. However, for most PAH-specific drugs, there are no clear guidelines on how to manage temporary or abrupt medication discontinuations. In this review, we summarized the available literature and provide suggestions on how to manage interruptions of PAH-specific therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shraddha Narechania
- Department of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Heather Torbic
- Department of Pharmacy, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Adriano R Tonelli
- Department of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
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