Chronic complex conditions are becoming more prevalent each year in the United States. As these numbers continue to increase, providers are starting to prescribe more and more specialty medications. The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) defines specialty medication as follows, “The complexity of these medications may be due to the drug itself, the way it is administered, the management of its side effect profile, the disease or condition it is used to treat, special access conditions required by the manufacturer, payer authorization or benefit requirements, patient financial hardship or any combination of these”. Specialty medications are processed at a specialty pharmacy by individuals who can provide more in-depth care for the patient. Many of these medications are quite costly due to the amount of money spent on research, clinical trials, and development. As the pharmaceutical industry evolves, you may have noticed that some prescriptions are no longer available at your local pharmacy.  Insurance companies now require these medications to be obtained from a specialty pharmacy. The question you may be asking yourself now is: What is the role of a specialty pharmacy, and what benefits does it provide to patients?

Pharmacists have a significant impact in the specialty pharmacy by assisting in managing these complex disease states. As a specialty pharmacist, you can be in a specialty pharmacy or healthcare institution setting. The dispensing pharmacist is in the specialty pharmacy where he/she will monitor the availability of the medication, submit appropriate documents to manufactures to gain access to LDD’s, dispense medication, ensure the patient knows the importance of the medication, and help increase compliance. The clinic pharmacist is in the office or healthcare institution with the provider and usually has a more direct approach with the provider and the patient. The role of the clinic pharmacist is to monitor labs, develop a care plan for the patient, set goals for the patient to , and increase medication compliance. The clinic pharmacist can also help provide benefits investigation to ensure the patient is able to afford their medication prior to arriving at the pharmacy. These efforts are in place to help bridge the gap in therapy from the doctor’s office to the pharmacy, to avoid a delay in therapy, and to increase therapeutic outcomes.

NASP provides pharmacists with the opportunity to advance in their pharmacy career by becoming a certified specialty pharmacist (CSP). Obtaining certification allows pharmacists to elevate their knowledge for proper management of complex diseases. As experts in the specialty field, the goal is to focus on providing services that include how to use these medications, comprehensive treatment assessment, patient monitoring, and frequent communication with caregivers and the patient’s physician or other healthcare providers.

As the specialty pharmacy continues to expand within the United States, we must continue to adapt to it. Providing safe patient care is our number one goal as healthcare professionals. As pharmacists, we must be knowledgeable of proper administration, storage & handling, dispensing and much more when it comes to specialty medications. The best way to do this is to fully immerse ourselves and adapt to the ever-changing world of pharmacy.

Katye Baker, PharmD, CPh

As a pharmacist, Dr. Katye Baker strives to provide clinical care and bridge gaps in medication therapy for patients. She received her Doctorate in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences from Florida A&M University in 2018. Dr. Baker started her pharmacy career at CVS retail pharmacy where her responsibilities included storing, handling, preparing, and dispensing various medications. She was then presented with the opportunity in 2021 to be the Senior Pharmacist at the State of Florida Department of Health Central Pharmacy. She has served over 67 county health departments in Florida as the lead pharmacist over the programs Epilepsy, Insulin, Family Planning, and Tuberculosis. While at the DOH she had the opportunity to rekindle her passion for research and its possibilities, which led to her being appointed by the State Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, as a member of the Florida DOH Institutional Review Board. As a board member, her responsibilities included ensuring all research is ethical and that research participants are protected.
 
Dr. Baker currently holds many different roles in pharmacy as a Clinical Rheumatology Specialist Pharmacist, Consultant Pharmacist and Hospital Pharmacist. Her role in the clinic allows her to collaborate with Rheumatologists to develop the best medication therapy management for their patients. She also ensures no delay in therapy from the clinic office to the pharmacy; this may include signing patients up for copay cards, grants or patient assistance programs. She also works as a consultant pharmacist for various healthcare clinics, surgical units, and correctional facilities, ensuring all state and federal regulations are met. Dr. Baker is a well-seasoned team player who keeps patient wellness at the top of her priorities at each moment and goes above and beyond to ensure proper patient care.