May 10, 2021

More Than Medication

Central, Clinical Partners

CentraCare’s Specialty Pharmacy team dispenses life-saving medications, saves patients millions of dollars, and protects the environment too.

The CentraCare Specialty Pharmacy opened on July 15, 2019. It’s different from a retail pharmacy. Retail pharmacies typically treat short-term illnesses. A specialty pharmacy focuses on medications to treat complex and chronic diseases, like cancer, hepatitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Such medications often require a more hands-on approach. “Many of the medications prescribed through a specialty pharmacy range from $3,000 to $10,000 per month,” said Keith Karsky, Supervisor, Outpatient and Specialty Pharmacy Services. These medications often require cold storage and many patients rely on them for several months, or even years.

Prior to CentraCare opening its Specialty Pharmacy, patients were largely responsible for obtaining their vital prescriptions. Their insurance provider dictated which pharmacy to use and prescriptions often got delayed or sent back if a pre-authorization was required. Ultimately, it was a logistical headache for patients who were already dealing with a serious illness. “We saw an opportunity to improve the patient experience and we’ve made what was often an impersonal experience, much more personal.” said Mary Phipps, Senior Director, Pharmacy Services.

“We saw an opportunity to improve the patient experience and we’ve made what was often an impersonal experience, much more personal.”

Mary Phipps, Senior Director, Pharmacy Services

100s of hours saved

To better support patients, CentraCare’s Specialty Pharmacy embeds patient liaisons in clinics that use specialty medications most frequently. The liaisons work directly with patients to make sure they get the meds they need while also removing the hassles from the process. “Inserting our liaisons into the clinics has many benefits,” said Karsky. “The patients now have a dedicated go-to person to help with their meds and the liaisons can handle some duties that nursing staff previously had to take care of, which saved our clinical staff hundreds of hours and allowed them to practice at the top of their license.”

Concierge-level communication

The team of liaisons is in constant communication with patients and is a resource for them throughout their treatment. For example, they reach out about a week before prescriptions are to be refilled to make sure everything is going well. They also contact patients when the medication is getting shipped so they know exactly when it will arrive. This is vital because when medications are shipped in cold storage, the handling, delivering and receipt needs to be seamless.

$53.3 million

The team also makes sure patients can afford their medications. “We can jump through all the hoops of getting a pre-authorization, but if the patient can’t afford their copay, there’s no way they’re going to take the medication,” said Karsky. “If our patients have a co-pay that is more than $5, our patient liaisons are looking for financial assistance options.” And this work on behalf of the patient’s financial needs is having a tremendous impact. In the first 18 months since the Specialty Pharmacy opened, the team secured $53.3 million in financial assistance for patients through foundations, grants and other support programs.

The team secured $53.3 million in financial assistance for patients through foundations, grants and other support programs.

Less in the landfill

Another important innovation embedded in the Specialty Pharmacy operations is the packaging used to ship medications. Since most patients receive a monthly supply of medications, they’re left with piles of 18”x18” Styrofoam coolers filled with cold packs to throw away. Disposing of these can be a challenge and most end up in a landfill.

To reduce waste and to protect the environment, the team uses an innovative, biodegradable packaging called Green Cell. It’s just as effective as Styrofoam, but made from corn starch so it dissolves entirely in water, completely eliminating waste and hassle for patients.

Big demand, big thanks

In less than two years, the team is already supporting 525 patients per month and the demand isn’t slowing. “When I look back on how this all started, there were so many people that made it happen,” said Karsky. “We have great leadership that backed us, our providers bought in and supported the concept, and our clinics have partnered with us so well. Behind the scenes our legal, Finance, and IT teams also played crucial roles. And our Specialty Pharmacy team is just fantastic.” Karsky sees the growth potential continuing for years to come. “I’d say we’re at about 40% of where I believe we’ll be five years from now.”