New Specialty Pharmacy Network will Provide Better Access

Salt Lake City — Intermountain Healthcare is among three leading health systems in a new specialty pharmacy network, Excelera Corp., that will allow better access to limited-distribution drugs for patients with complex conditions who require specialty drugs.

Excelera includes Catholic Health Initiatives, Fairview Health Services, and Intermountain Healthcare as those that have committed resources, expertise and investment capital to support its model of integrated care for patients who require specialty drugs.

Specialty pharmaceuticals are expensive drugs that may require special handing and administration and are often used to treat the most ill and clinically complex patients.

“Intermountain Healthcare firmly believes that this specialty pharmacy will be a great benefit to our patients,” said Nannette Berensen, Intermountain’s assistant vice president of pharmacy services.  “We are pleased to be joining together with other leading institutions to provide this service.”

Most health plans now require patients to obtain specialty drugs from an outside specialty pharmacy that has no direct relationship with the patient. The health system does not have control as to when the patient initiates therapy and is not able to manage or monitor it. As a result, health systems and payers may incur higher medical costs, lower patient satisfaction, and suboptimal health outcomes as care plans are not fulfilled as intended.

The Excelera network will negotiate on behalf of its member organizations to remove barriers to specialty drug access and monitoring. Patients and providers of health systems in the Excelera network will benefit by working with a specialty pharmacy that is a member of their care team, can easily access specialty pharmaceuticals, and knows the patient’s care plan.

In addition to the three initial members named, the Excelera organization also includes Henry Ford Health System, Marshfield Clinic, Avera Health, and Regional Health. For more information about the Excelera, visit excelerarx.com.