CPPA to Develop Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation Program

The Center for Pharmacy Practice Accreditation (CPPA) recently announced the development of an accreditation program for specialty pharmacy practices. These practices provide essential high-impact patient care services. Patients’ medication outcomes and adherence are managed in collaboration with physicians, while disease-specific therapy management (DTP) programs are delivered to minimize adverse events and optimize patient safety and outcomes.

The size and scope of specialty pharmacy is growing rapidly. According to IMS Health, estimated costs for specialty pharmaceuticals agents will exceed $260 billion by the end of 2013. The 2012-2013 Economic Report on the Retail, Mail, and Specialty Pharmacies estimates that by 2016, 8 of the top 10 best-selling drugs, by revenue, will be specialty pharmaceuticals and that these drugs will account for 31% of the United States pharmacy industry revenues.

Specialty pharmacy practices dispense and coordinate the delivery of specialty drugs. They also offer comprehensive support in the distribution of medications that are high cost and have special handling procedures. These medications are used to treat conditions in therapeutic categories such as oncology, autoimmune/immune or inflammatory conditions marked by long-term or severe symptoms, side effects or increased fatality. Specialty medications typically have the following characteristics:

-High in cost ($600 or more per month)

-Involve complex treatment regimens that require ongoing clinical monitoring and patient education

-Have special handling, storage or delivery requirements

-Are generally biologically derived and available in injectable, infusible or oral form

-Are dispensed to treat individuals with chronic and/or rare diseases, and

-Frequently have limited or exclusive product availability and distribution

CPPA’s pharmacy practice accreditation meets the public’s need for specific, predictable and measurable pharmacy-based patient care services. Voluntary accreditation programs recognize pharmacy practices committed to quality, patient safety and improved care. Payers are looking for their specialty pharmacy drugs and service providers to ensure appropriate medication use, avoid unnecessary costs and provide patient education, medication adherence support, care management support and utilization trend management.

“CPPA is excited to announce the development of a specialty pharmacy accreditation program,” stated Lynnae Mahaney, BSPharm, MBA, FASHP, CPPA Executive Director. “The market share for specialty pharmaceuticals is increasing quickly and many health systems and community pharmacies are showing interest in beginning their own specialty pharmacy practices. CPPA will be able to develop the new specialty pharmacy standards quickly and efficiently with our existing standards development methodology, infrastructure and network of specialty pharmacy expertise. CPPA will also be able to provide a more complete line of accreditation programs for organizations with multiple types of pharmacy practices.”

About the Center for Pharmacy Practice Accreditation

The Center for Pharmacy Practice Accreditation (CPPA), a 501 (c)(6) nonprofit organization, is a partnership between the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) to develop and implement comprehensive programs of pharmacy practice site accreditation. This includes the promotion, development and maintenance of principles, policies and standards. CPPA offers the general public and users of pharmacy services a means of identifying pharmacy practices that satisfy the accreditation criteria and are focused on advancing patient care, safety and quality.

SOURCE: CPPA