Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories

Catholic Health launches specialty pharmacy services

Submitted

Mon, May 10th 2021 07:00 am

Pharmacist support for chronically ill patients aligns with Catholic Health’s care management strategy, forms a key part of its community pharmacy initiative

Furthering its mission to deliver high-quality, compassionate and affordable care to Western New York, Catholic Health announced the launch of a new business line focused on offering comprehensive personalized, specialty pharmacy services across its network of physician practices and clinics. A key part of Catholic Health’s community pharmacy initiative, the program is being developed in partnership with Trellis Rx, a leading technology-enabled specialty pharmacy services provider.

A press release stated, “Patients across Western New York rely on specialty medication therapies to treat a variety of serious or chronic illnesses like cancer, hepatitis C, congestive heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes. Yet these medications are frequently expensive, challenging to manage, and have significant side effects. As a result, patients often struggle to adhere to these treatment regimens without the right level of clinical, financial management and emotional support.

“Catholic Health will tackle these challenges head-on by adding dedicated pharmacists to its care teams to help patients who require these specialty medications. The health system will also provide patient liaisons to help program participants navigate the often complex process of obtaining and complying with these medication therapies, and managing the high cost of specialty prescriptions. This personalized, local approach aligns with Catholic Health’s focus on patient-centered care and will create a much more user-friendly experience for patients and their families.”

Catholic Health Executive Vice President and Chief Business Development Officer Joyce Markiewicz said, “We strive to provide our community with accessible, affordable and innovative care – especially for those who are poor or disadvantaged. We know many patients struggle to afford and manage these complex therapies, often jeopardizing the chance to improve their health and enjoy their highest quality of life. We believe our specialty pharmacy services will give our patients the vital support they need to adhere to these critical regimens and achieve better health outcomes.”

Patients will receive in-person, telephonic and virtual medication education and ongoing counseling from pharmacists with advanced clinical training. Pharmacy liaisons will manage financial assistance applications, insurance authorizations, medication refills and more to “reduce the burden specialty medications often create for patients and providers.”

Catholic Health will initially offer these services for its patients living with cancer and diabetes and plans to expand services throughout 2021 to support patients with other serious and chronic conditions.

Hometown News

View All News