Specialty Pharmacy Trends And Plan Sponsor Value

摘要

The therapeutic paradigm is shifting toward early, and longer, disease treatment. For many new drug technologies (NDTs) - biologies and their corresponding dose form or drug delivery technology - the value of dose escalation has buttressed the utilization of specialty pharmacy products. Specialty pharmacy spending has been considered a high-cost, low-occurrence event for plan sponsors, which include employers, unions,' and other group buyers of health insurance and pharmacy benefit coverage. The specialty drug category includes the biologies and other in-jectable and high-cost pharmaceu-ticals that require special preparation, handling, and monitoring. These medications may be administered either by a physician or the patient. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) defines specialty drugs as medications that cost more than Dollars 500 for a one-month supply. Recently, the specialty drug category has expanded to include oral medications that fit CMS' definition, primarily oral oncologies and drugs with alternative or new delivery systems.