CHAIN PHARMACY FOCUSES ON HIGH-END SPECIALTY Rx MARKET

With the demand for high-dollarspecialty pharmaceuticalproducts expected to growby 20% annually, chain drugindustry leaders have developeda new white paper andbusiness plan designed to helpcommunity pharmacies positionthemselves to play a keyrole in dispensing and managingthese drugs.

That new plan, developed bythe National Association ofChain Drug Stores' (NACDS)Pharmacy Industry CouncilSupply Chain Committee, inpartnership with VCG &Associates, focuses squarelyon high-cost medications usedto treat chronic and/or rarediseases, including those thatare administered by injection,infusion, or inhalation.

By 2008, chain drug industryofficials expect that the specialtypharmacy market willaccount for $73 billion in totalsales—>26% of all drug costs.With prices for these drugs averaging$1000 to $1500 monthlyper patient, the NACDS believesthat community pharmacies canmake an important contributiontoward ensuring the affordabilityof specialty drug products.

"Community pharmacy isuniquely positioned to care forpatients requiring specialtymedications, as the patientcounseling component of thesetherapies is critical to success intreating patients' needs," saidEdith A. Rosato, RPh, senior vicepresident of pharmacy affairs atNACDS.