National Association of Specialty Pharmacy™ (NASP™) Launches Nationwide Project to Develop Pharmacy Practice Parameters for Specialty Pharmacy Therapeutic Categories

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy™ (NASP™) announced today a nationwide, collaborative project to develop pharmacy practice parameters in approximately 20 specialty pharmacy therapeutic categories focused on disease management. 

"Our goal as an organization is to establish practice parameters that encompass clinical guidelines, existing standards and measures, benefit design, as well as management and information technology to measure adherence and outcomes." Gary M. Cohen, BSPharm, RPh, NASP CEO, said.  "We will collaborate with other stakeholders to utilize existing and emerging guidelines, and adapt them to the specific needs of the specialty pharmacy community. Specialty pharmacists are playing a more integral role in the collaborative care model, and will be a key driver of successful patient outcomes. It is important that we develop practices parameters through consensus panels with key opinion leaders and subject matter experts."

Each disease category has specific requirements allowing for appropriate intake, clinical management, fulfillment and outcomes.  This complete spectrum of responsible care, based on peer-reviewed and accepted standards, leads to better patient outcomes and appropriate evidence for manufacturers, payers and providers. NASP expects the healthcare community to incorporate the parameters into patient registries that will be utilized across the industry, setting critical benchmarks to maintain access to product and payment information as the industry evolves. 

The foundation of the project is built on partnerships with other organizations to gain acceptance from key stakeholders. NASP will incorporate the learnings of organizations into the final parameters, including URAC accreditation standards and the Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) specialty pharmacy measures under development.  Additionally, NASP will engage a variety of audiences including specialty pharmacists, pharmaceutical manufacturers, specialty pharmacy executives, payers, reimbursement consultants, disease-specific organizations and patient advocacy groups to complete the project. The parameters will also include information technology, adherence and outcomes metrics, allowing organizations to utilize and embellish a set of baseline standards.

"All the newly approved specialty pharmaceuticals targeted therapies coming on the market today require highly skilled specialized pharmacists who have disease and drug specific training and IT systems to support ongoing concurrent medication treatment management," Burt Zweigenhaft, CEO Onco360 and NASP Board Member, said. "NASP is dedicated to providing and driving the healthcare market leadership and standards to ensure we as an industry deliver the promise of improved clinical utility and quality outcomes." 

NASP is recruiting volunteers to work on advisory and consensus groups in different disease categories to support the development of practice parameters. For more information on volunteering, visit www.nasprx.org/?page=Committees.  

NASP, founded in 2012, represents specialty pharmacy professionals in all practice settings and highlights the unique value its members bring to patients and the healthcare system by focusing on building collaboration among all industry associations to improve patient outcomes.  Specialty pharmacy is the fastest growing segment in the industry today and NASP provides valuable benefits to members by creating a strong, unified voice for all stakeholders. Through the Specialty Pharmacy Education Center (SPEC), NASP offers education specific to specialty pharmacy in more than 20 therapeutic categories.  SPEC also provides education needed to earn and maintain professional certification through the Specialty Pharmacy Certification Board (SPCB).

Source: National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (www.nasprx.org)

Media Contact: Gary Cohen, [email protected]  

Media Contact: Gary Cohen, National Association of Specialty Pharmacy, 813-926-5000, [email protected]

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SOURCE National Association of Specialty Pharmacy

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