Cost Management Crucial for Hemophilia Specialty Pharmacy

According to recent research presented at the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting & Expo 2017, engagement with stakeholders in quality improvement and cost management initiatives for hemophilia specialty medications are critical elements of pharmacy budgeting. 

“Hemophilia represents a significant driver of health care resource utilization and requires expert hematologic and multidisciplinary services to achieve optimal outcomes,” Vanita Pindolia, PharmD, vice president of ambulatory clinical pharmacy programs at Henry Ford Health System & Health Alliance Plan, and colleagues wrote. “Despite serving as federally-recognized centers of excellence in managing this unique patient population for more than 40 years, hemophilia treatment center collaboration with specialty pharmacy providers and payers is currently lacking. This is largely due to a lack of communication and information shared between stakeholders.”

The researchers developed a comprehensive care sustainability collaborative initiative, which included 18 managed care decision makers and clinicians. At concensus meetings, the initiative developed quality improvement metrics for payers and hemophilia treatment centers to deploy in order to improve cost-effectiveness. 

They determined that the pilot programs developed through this initiative will serve as the foundation for future collaboration between payers and hemophilia treatment centers and specialty pharmacy providers.

“Data collection and reporting demonstrates quality in specialty pharmacy management by hemophilia treatment centers and specialty pharmacy providers and enhances sustainability in the relationships of these entities with payers,” Dr Pindolia and colleagues concluded. “Such quality improvement and cost management initiatives are crucial in the new era of health care accountability.”

—David Costill