CVS Health Receives URAC Accreditation for Specialty Pharmacy

Underscores Company's Commitment to Quality and Safety for Patients with Complex Conditions

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Apr 05, 2016, 08:30 ET

WOONSOCKET, R.I., April 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) announced today that CVS Specialty, the company's specialty pharmacy, has been awarded Specialty Pharmacy accreditation from URAC, a Washington, DC-based health care accrediting organization that establishes quality standards for the health care industry.

"Receiving accreditation from URAC demonstrates our commitment to providing high-quality care to patients served by CVS Specialty," said Alan Lotvin, MD Executive Vice President, CVS Health and President, CVS Specialty. "At CVS Specialty, we are focused on providing quality care that supports the whole patient throughout their treatment journey. We not only make it easier and more convenient for patients to get started on a specialty therapy, but our expert clinicians also provide clinical support and insurance guidance. As a result, patients are more likely to take their specialty medicine as prescribed and also report high satisfaction with the service they receive."

Specialty pharmacies generally serve patients with complex conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, who take medications that sometimes require special handling. Specialty pharmacies often also provide care coordination, disease education and 24/7 access to patient support. The URAC accreditation program for Specialty Pharmacy evaluates organizational standards, including pharmacy care; customer service, communications, and disclosure standards; specialty drug and patient management; and pharmacy operations.

"We applaud CVS Health on achieving URAC Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation," said URAC President and CEO Kylanne Green. "In today's healthcare market, URAC accreditation provides a mark of distinction for organizations to demonstrate their commitment to quality healthcare."

The URAC accreditation process demonstrates a commitment to quality services and serves as a framework to improve business processes through benchmarking organizations against nationally recognized standards. The URAC standards development process is consensus driven, with industry experts serving as volunteers to establish and revise appropriate industry benchmarks.

About URAC
URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is a well-known leader in promoting healthcare quality through its accreditation, education, and measurement programs. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking programs and services that model the rapid changes in the healthcare system and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to validate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in establishing meaningful quality measures for the entire healthcare industry. For more information, visit www.urac.org.

About CVS Health
CVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its approximately 9,600 retail pharmacies, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with more than 75 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, and expanding specialty pharmacy services, the Company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com.