What to know about specialty pharmacies
Get access to medications and specially-trained experts you can’t find at regular pharmacies.
When your doctor gives you a prescription, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to get it filled at your local pharmacy. But what if that prescription calls for a medicine that’s for a rare or complex condition?
Enter specialty pharmacies. Specialty pharmacies provide medications that are used to treat rare, chronic, or complex health conditions. These pharmacies also manage specific storage, handling, and shipping requirements of these medications. Most importantly, pharmacists at a specialty pharmacy are familiar with side-effects associated with these medications and can help patients understand what they can expect when taking these drugs. And while your regular pharmacist might provide a label and simple printed instructions on how to take a common medication, instructions for specialty drugs can sometimes be confusing.
The medicine and care that you receive from a specialty pharmacy is highly specialized for your condition, making this treatment more likely to be effective.
An Emphasis on Personalized Care
With the specialty drug program you can have prescriptions for specialty drugs filled by a specialty pharmacy and its expertly-trained pharmacists and nurses. These professionals have experience handling the medicine you’ve been prescribed, so they can answer any questions you might have. You can connect with a specialist via phone, secure video or live chat. Consult with a pharmacist, get training on injection techniques and handling your medication, or ask questions about your orders.
What’s more, our specialty pharmacy will get in touch with the health care provider who prescribed the specialty drug whenever appropriate. You’ll also have access to a secure patient website where you can access personalized information and self-service tools that can help you stay on track with your medication plan.
What Conditions Are Treated with Medications Supplied by Specialty Pharmacies?
The following conditions may be treated with specialty drugs:
- Allergic asthma
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Cancer
- Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
- Cystic fibrosis
- Growth hormone deficiency
- Hemophilia
- Hepatitis C
- Hereditary angioedema
- Infertility
- Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Organ transplant
- Osteoarthritis
- Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Sticking to Your Medication Plan
Medications work best when you take them as directed and understand how they interact with you. A pharmacist is available 24/7 to answer any urgent concerns you may have about your medication (1-855-427-4682).
It’s important to learn all you can about the medications you're prescribed, as soon as you can. If you fear that you won’t be able to cover the duration of your treatment plan on a specialty drug for financial reasons, you can call an Independence Blue Cross Registered Nurse Health Coach 24/7 at 1-800-ASK-BLUE (1-800-275-2583; TTY/TDD: 711). The Health Coach can help you assess your benefits, review your medication profile and discuss appropriate options.
