CVS Caremark Specialty Connect Provides Comprehensive Support

Program offers patients choice and flexibility in how they access their specialty medications, while providing centralized, expert clinical support.

For most Americans, filling a prescription is as simple as bringing it to the neighborhood pharmacy and picking up the pills a few hours later.

But for patients who take specialty medications to manage complex conditions like hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, oncology, and rheumatoid arthritis, the process can be more challenging.

CVS Caremark has reinvented the specialty patient experience with Specialty Connect a specialty prescription services program. The program offers patients choice and flexibility in how they access their specialty medications, while providing centralized, expert clinical support.

Historically, patients faced three key challenges when filling a new prescription for a specialty medication: submitting the prescription, having easy access to centralized clinical and benefit support, and navigating how to receive the medication.

With Specialty Connect, patients now have a new option to bring their specialty prescriptions to any CVS/pharmacy. After dropping off their prescription at the pharmacy, patients receive insurance guidance and dedicated clinical support by phone from a team of specialty pharmacy experts, trained in each therapeutic area, who are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

“This program helps specialty patients with their critical therapies by helping to eliminate common challenges and by offering flexibility and choice,” said Alan Lotvin, MD, Executive Vice President of Specialty Pharmacy for CVS Caremark. “The program makes it easier and more convenient for patients to submit and receive their specialty prescriptions.”

Once the prescription is ready, the program also makes it easy for patients to get their specialty drugs. Patients can now choose between in-store pickup at any of the 7600 CVS/pharmacy stores nationwide, or they can receive their medications by mail.

“The program increases medication adherence, improves outcomes and lowers overall health care cost for specialty patients and payers,” Lotvin added.

Specialty Connect has demonstrated high levels of patient satisfaction as well as improved adherence for specialty patients. Early program results also show the program is improving the patient experience and reducing barriers, with 97% of patients successfully starting on therapy after their first interaction at a CVS/pharmacy store.

SOURCE: CVS Caremark