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Nakul Desai

• May 10

Health System Specialty Pharmacies are on the Rise: What Manufacturers Need to Know

As HSSPs expand, they have become critical stakeholders in securing patient access to specialty treatments.

Health System Specialty Pharmacies are on the Rise

Health System Specialty Pharmacies (HSSPs) are one of the fastest-growing segments of Specialty Pharmacies (SPs), accounting for almost a fourth of all accredited SPs. As HSSPs expand, they have become critical stakeholders in securing patient access to specialty treatments. HSSPs allow closer collaboration between pharmacists, physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers.

One of the most significant advantages of HSSPs is their capability to streamline transitions of care. From diagnosis to treatment initiation and ongoing management, HSSPs adopt a patient-centric approach that minimizes gaps in care and reduces the risk of medication errors. Prior authorization and medication dispensing turnaround time efficiencies can be realized through HSSP dispensing models, allowing for a faster time to treatment, closely coordinated care, and potentially higher satisfaction rates with patients and providers. When a hospital or health system provides specialty pharmacy services, patients can benefit from the efficient clinical, financial, and experiential outcomes delivered. Many HSSPs also utilize telehealth and digital health tools to enhance patient care, improving treatment compliance and adherence. As manufacturers map out their dispensing networks, they should carefully consider including HSSPs in their patient support strategies.

A growing number of HSSPs are now securing access to Limited Distribution Drug (LLD) products, demonstrating they are becoming an increasingly attractive partner for manufacturers. While the trend points to more partnerships with HSSPs, qualities such as network size, enhanced services, and access to payer networks are still being worked out. A significant pain point is that although HSSPs can access richer data, manufacturers have difficulty consolidating data across health systems. However, the marketplace has responded to these barriers with emerging solutions from data aggregators that blend various data sources into actionable insights for manufacturers.

The expansion of HSSPs reflects a broader industry trend towards personalized care, driven by the increasing complexity of medical treatments and the desire to improve outcomes for patients with chronic and complex conditions. Partnering with HSSPs can provide manufacturers of specialized medications with access to a broader patient population, valuable real-world data, streamlined reimbursement processes, and opportunities for research and collaboration. By leveraging these benefits, manufacturers can potentially enhance the value proposition of their products and contribute to improved patient care and outcomes.

At Archbow Consulting, we leverage our experience, industry knowledge, and SP expertise to help our manufacturer clients design programs that meet their unique needs and then assist in finding the best partners to operationalize their programs. Contact us today if we can help you with your next dispensing program.

For additional insights on this topic, you may also enjoy the following:

Maintaining Medication Adherence Through Transitions of Care

Don’t Let Your Pharma Program Fall Behind – Optimize It Now

What to Do When Your Brand Sees a Sudden Rise in Copay Costs

Archbow Consulting helps pharmaceutical and biotech companies in the USA and Europe design, build, and optimize product distribution and patient access strategies. Archbow was founded by industry veterans to meet a need in the marketplace for consulting options that offer diverse real-world experience, are able to leverage deep connections across the industry, and can also provide actionable strategic guidance. We invite you to learn more about our team, services, and clients’ success, and connect with us via email, LinkedIn or subscribing to this blog which you can do below.

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