Specialty medications designed to treat complex chronic conditions have dominated new drug development for the past decade, and the pressure on health systems and hospitals to provide specialty medications is growing rapidly as drug manufacturers release more medications to treat patients with complex chronic diseases. By 2020, specialty pharmacy revenues are projected to hit $400 billion and represent 50% of pharmacy plan spend. Without a strong specialty pharmacy presence, healthcare organizations are at risk of losing millions in revenues from those medications and associated ambulatory care services.
Though providing specialty drug services presents multiple challenges, including the high cost and gaining access to specialty medications, facility-based specialty pharmacy services can provide hospitals and health systems with a source of new revenue and savings along with opportunities to optimize patient care.
