CASE STUDY
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specialty pharmacy,” he explains. “Being able to help our patients access and manage
these complex medications improves their experience and outcomes — and that’s
something we couldn’t have done without the help of CPS.”
Today, the specialty pharmacy supports Union Health’s patients who are dealing with
various cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, neurological disorders, infectious diseases, and
respiratory conditions. Canup says having pharmacists and liaisons onsite is a big win
for clinic staff. “I didn’t realize the workload nurses were taking on trying to obtain prior
authorizations and help patients research and apply for financial assistance.” Now, with
dedicated staff to manage the process, provider satisfaction has improved. Moreover,
patients are better able to access and afford their therapies. “The specialty pharmacy
maintains a 96.7% prior authorization approval rate and has saved patients over $2.6M in
financial assistance,” says Canup.
As a result, patient satisfaction has increased, too. Union Health earned a Net Promoter
Score (NPS) of 97.7, placing it as the 2024 winner and top performer for patient loyalty in
Managed Markets Insight & Technology’s (MMIT) 9th Annual Specialty Pharmacy Patient
Choice Awards. This is a significant honor as the MMIT awards recognize health system
specialty pharmacies nationwide that provide exemplary patient satisfaction.
ADDING VALUE
n Uncovering New Opportunities
Working with CPS provides Union Health with opportunities to serve that community
that would not otherwise have been possible. This includes focusing on programs and
initiatives to improve patient adherence and outcomes.
In 2023, the specialty pharmacy team began working with a group of local neurologists
to follow their migraine patients closely. “Starting with a patient’s baseline migraines, we
track their progress once they’ve started therapies to confirm treatment is effective and
migraine days are decreasing each month,” explains Canup. If there isn’t improvement
after three months, the pharmacist works closely with the neurologist to adjust and
optimize therapy. “And when an office visit is required for further evaluation, we can
typically get patients seen faster so they are able to adjust therapies as needed in a more
timely fashion.”
Working with the rheumatology clinic, the specialty pharmacy team also conducted
a study to determine if self-administered subcutaneous injections could be a more
affordable and convenient option for patients with autoimmune diseases being treated
with intravenous (IV) therapies. The catalyst for the study was related to the cost of IV
therapies, which were becoming unaffordable for many patients, even with financial
assistance, as well as the time and expense spent traveling to a medical facility for
treatment. Self-administered medications were delivered to the homes of patients who
agreed to participate. Union Health specialty pharmacists then interviewed participants
using a standardized six-question survey to measure patient satisfaction, ease and
convenience of use, and confidence in the self-administered medication. Overall, 87% of
participants said the self-administered medication was either
extremely convenient or very convenient. With this, the specialty
pharmacy team began working with rheumatology patients to
We’ve found that
having a local
Terre Haute
patient talking
to a Terre Haute-
based pharmacist
or liaison has
made a difference
in building trust
and helping them
understand we
have a specialty
pharmacy right
here onsite.”
Zel Skrtic
Senior Vice President of
Onsite Operations
~ CPS Solutions