Avella Executive Honored with Pharmacy Practice Research Award
Avella Specialty Pharmacy announced today that Dr. Eric Sredzinski, Pharm.D. is among a team of researchers that received the 2014 Pharmacy Practice Research Award from the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists Research and Education Foundation.
PRESS RELEASE
December 16, 2014 Phoenix, AZ --
announced today that Dr. Eric Sredzinski, Pharm.D., its Executive Vice President of Quality Assurance and Clinical Affairs, is among a team of researchers that received the 2014 Pharmacy Practice Research Award from the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists (ASHP) Research and Education Foundation.
The study receiving this distinction, entitled “Improving Outcomes of Renal Transplant Recipients with Behavioral Adherence Contracts: A Randomized Controlled Trial” was conducted by Avella in partnership with the University of Arizona, and funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH). It was designed to reveal the clinical and financial impact of applying specific medication adherence strategies to renal transplant patient populations.
Non-adherence to immunosuppressant therapy medications in transplant recipients has been identified as a major cause of poor outcomes in these patients. The randomized trial found that participants in the intervention group who received a behavioral adherence contract and associated support from Avella had a statistically significant improvement in adherence rates over patients in the control group. In fact, patients receiving this support were also 78 percent more likely to avoid hospitalization, generating a savings of more than $27,000 per month in healthcare costs.
“I’m very proud to have one of our leaders honored among such a prestigious group of clinical experts and researchers,” said Rebecca M. Shanahan, CEO of Avella. “This study shines a light on the opportunities and challenges associated with treating specialty pharmacy patients. Empowered with this data, providers and specialty pharmacies like Avella can work together to help drive positive outcomes for patients while reducing avoidable healthcare costs.”
The Pharmacy Practice Research Award recognizes an outstanding original contribution to the peer-reviewed biomedical literature related to pharmacy practice in hospitals and health systems. The award is given annually to the authors of an important contribution of original research relevant to health-system pharmacy practice. The 2014 award was presented during the organization’s mid-year clinical meeting earlier in December.
To review a short video which highlights the study approach and findings, please visit
For more information about the ASHP Foundation and its Pharmacy Practice Research Award, please visit:
About Avella Specialty Pharmacy:
Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Avella Specialty Pharmacy is a National Accredited Specialty Pharmacy, providing individualized care and support to patients since 1996. Avella's clinical pharmacists and staff members are experts in managing complex disease states and providing compassionate care. The company offers a nationwide distribution service to complement its retail locations. Avella reached 1,772th on Inc. magazine's 2014 list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the country. In addition, the Arizona Corporate Excellence Awards has named Avella Specialty Pharmacy as the fastest-growing private company based in the state. For more information, please visit
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