Expert Interviews

Drug Topics discussed independent pharmacy advocacy and PBM reform on the federal level with Miguel Rodriguez, Executive Vice President and general counsel for American Pharmacies.

Kristen Hartzell, PharmD, Vice President of Clinical Services, RedSail Technologies, sat down with Drug Topics to discuss the RxCash+ tool designed to achieve fairer pricing on cash prescriptions for pharmacies and patients.

Dana Krug, Senior Vice President of Cold Chain Fulfillment at Phononic, explained the current state of his company’s cooling technology and the common trends of temperature control throughout the industry.

Dana Krug, Senior Vice President of Cold Chain Fulfillment at Phononic, discussed the importance of cooling medications in the rising heat of the summer months.

Dana Krug, Senior Vice President of Cold Chain Fulfillment at Phononic, discussed the role his company’s technology plays in the pharmaceutical industry.

Jeremy Cundiff, PharmD, co-owner of Professional Pharmacy Group, joined Drug Topics to discuss Return Solutions and the company’s Rx Returns process.

Drug Topics sat down with Sandra Canally, RN, founder and CEO of The Compliance Team, and Kara Benson, PharmD, long-term care director of Lewis Drug Inc, to discuss the future of LTC pharmacy.

The specialty drug market has exploded in the last few decades.

As medication experts, pharmacists can advocate to organizational decision makers around the benefits of biosimilars.

Data from 2024 are being used as a way to predict what changes may be on the way for 2025.

The market is sensitive to both upstream and downstream pressures that impact drug pricing.

The specialty drug market has exploded, and will continue to grow across sectors such as oncology and neurology.

A lack of clarity around certain provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act has presented challenges to payers.

A siloed approach to care can worsen patient outcomes, but collaboration between one health system specialty pharmacy and a manufacturer led to better patient care.

Understanding the goals of each party is the first step to a successful collaboration.

Collaboration between health system specialty pharmacists and pharmaceutical manufacturers can benefit patients in the long run.

Collaboration between health system specialty pharmacies and manufacturers can benefit patients in the long run.

Addressing requirements around FDA interchangeability designations can increase the adoption of biosimilar substitutions at the pharmacy level.

A recent bill introduced to Congress is intended to prevent product hopping, a practice that extends exclusivity and hinders the adoption of biosimilar therapies.

Distributors can help manufacturers create patient access programs that reduce costs, copays, and co-insurance.

One notable incentive includes the launch of biosimilars at both low- and high wholesale acquisition costs.

Pharmacists can help financial decision makers understand the value of biosimilar therapies.

Savings associated with biosimilar uptake are projected to reach $181 billion through 2027.

The role of health care specialty pharmacies has expanded.

The expertise of health system specialty pharmacists, combined with better adherence and better affordability, leads to better patient outcomes.

Paying for these new therapies, that may be curative for patients, remains a challenge.

From medication adherence to patient counseling, clinical pharmacists at health system specialty pharmacies can play a role in reducing health care costs.

At AAP 2024, Kathy Campbell, PharmD, discussed obstacles that pharmacies may face when transitioning to a wellness-focused approach.

According to Scott Soefje, PharmD, understanding nuances across sites of care can help health care providers optimize patient care delivery while ensuring financial viability across all settings.

Karen Fancher, PharmD, addresses how hearing the perspectives of colleagues can offer invaluable support to shape individualized approaches to ethical dilemmas in oncology pharmacy.