National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) Plans Launch
The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) announced it is scheduled to launch the organization and its marketing campaign this coming October. NASP is a non-profit organization that will be dedicated to represent all specialty pharmacy stakeholders and provide a strong voice in the specialty pharmacy industry.
The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) announced it is scheduled to launch the organization and its marketing campaign this coming October. NASP is a non-profit organization that will be dedicated to represent all specialty pharmacy stakeholders and provide a strong voice in the specialty pharmacy industry.
NASP's mission is to provide educational programs, certification curriculum and professional networking forums for specialty pharmacy healthcare professionals to promote the safe and appropriate use of specialty medications and improve clinical and economic outcomes for patients.
NASP will create a strong voice in specialty pharmacy by improving communication among stakeholders by establishing forums for members to network and collaborate on a national level.
"Specialty therapy management is a critical success factor in achieving the health outcomes desired by a patient's physician. The rapid pace of healthcare change and the emerging science continues to create complexities in specialty therapy management and an increased need for strong collaboration amongst the health care team. NASP will provide a unique forum for specialty pharmacy practitioners to share information and experiences that support the management of patients prescribed specialty pharmaceuticals," stated Jeffrey Bourret, MS, RPh, FASHP, senior director or medical affairs, Pfizer Specialty Care Business Unit.
Deeper knowledge and education is essential for a pharmacist dealing with specialty products because of the high costs, specialized handling of the drugs and patient care management that deals with the complexity of the diseases. NASP's goals include providing a certification curriculum in order to assist pharmacists in gaining this deeper knowledge.
"The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) will fill the pressing need for the specialty pharmacy industry. The landscape continues to evolve rapidly, and NASP will be there to guide, educate and report on the most exciting aspects of pharmacy today and in the future," said Ray Tancredi, RPh, MBA, vice president of specialty pharmacy development at Walgreens.
