WOONSOCKET, R.I., Jan. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- New research
published by the CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) Research Institute showed a
significant improvement in adherence to specialty medications for
patients enrolled in a pilot study evaluating Specialty Connectâ„¢,
CVS Health's innovative specialty prescription services program.
New patients enrolled in the pilot were 17.5 percent more likely to
pick up their first refill and existing specialty patients had an
11.4 percentage point improvement in adherence, as compared to a
control group. The study was published in the most recent issue of
the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.
"The specialty market is growing rapidly and new high-cost
specialty drugs, that were once limited to small patient
populations, are now increasingly being indicated to treat many
more patients," said William Shrank, M.D., chief scientific officer
and senior vice president, CVS Health. "As new specialty
medications are introduced, adherence to therapy will be
particularly important to optimize the benefit of these very
expensive medications. Specialty Connect, combined with
evidence-based benefit design and utilization management
strategies, can increase the likelihood that the most appropriate
patients receive specialty medications and that, once received,
they take them as prescribed."
CVS Health piloted the Specialty Connect program in 115 CVS
Pharmacy stores before launching the program nationwide. Patients
enrolled in the pilot could choose to have medications delivered to
their home or doctor's office or opt to pick up their specialty
medications at their local CVS Pharmacy, while receiving
specialized clinical support from CVS Specialty, the specialty
pharmacy of CVS Health. Since the program's launch, more than
100,000 patients have been served, with more than half choosing to
pick up their specialty prescriptions at retail.
Specialty medicines treat complex conditions such as rheumatoid
arthritis, multiple sclerosis and hepatitis C. Many of these
medications require special handling, storage and administration.
In addition, many specialty drugs are only available at select
specialty pharmacies to help ensure compliance with required safety
and compliance protocols. As a result, patients often have
difficulty with the logistics of filling a new prescription for a
specialty medication, with as many as one quarter of traditional
retail pharmacies unable to fill a specialty prescription without
barriers and/or delays. CVS Specialty is the only specialty
pharmacy that offers patients a choice of where to get their
medicines, either at any CVS Pharmacy location or through mail
delivery, which simplifies getting started on a specialty therapy.
In addition, the Specialty Care Team provides round-the-clock
support and patient care, including symptom management, claims
processing and help managing comorbid conditions.
"CVS Specialty is the only specialty pharmacy that integrates
rare disease management and coordinated care programs to make it
easier for patients to start and stay on complex treatments," added
Alan Lotvin, M.D., president, CVS
Specialty and executive vice president, CVS Health. "Since we
launched Specialty Connect across all CVS Pharmacy locations, we
have seen high rates of adherence, and our specialty patients have
reported extremely high satisfaction with their service."
The CVS Health Research Institute is focused on contributing to
the body of scientific knowledge related to pharmacy and health
care through research collaborations with external academic
institutions, participation in federally-funded research, analysis
and sharing of CVS Health data sources and coordination of pilot
programs and initiatives. CVS Health Research Institute findings
support a continuous quality improvement environment, which
encourages product innovation and development to benefit CVS Health
patients, clients and their members.
About CVS Health
CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation
company helping people on their path to better health. Through its
more than 9,500 retail pharmacies, more than 1,100 walk-in medical
clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with more than 70
million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business
serving more than one million patients per year, and expanding
specialty pharmacy services, the Company enables people, businesses
and communities to manage health in more affordable, effective
ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality
care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health
care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping
the future of health at www.cvshealth.com.
Media
Contacts:
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Christina
Beckerman
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CVS
Health
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CVS Health
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(401)
770-3317
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(401)
770-8868
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christine.cramer@cvscaremark.com
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christina.beckerman@cvscaremark.com
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SOURCE CVS Health