Asembia

Drug companies and specialty distributors navigate challenges like profitability, supply chain volatility, regulatory complexities, and market pressures to build successful partnerships, said Natalie Bedford of McKesson.

To safely and successfully use artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the pharmacy, credentialing bodies and professional associations will need to validate these tools for the individual pharmacist, said Harry Travis of The Travis Group.

Asembia’s AXS25 Summit covered a variety of relevant topics in the pharmaceutical industry, from the effects of the new administration to how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the patience experience.

Innovative financing and reimbursement models can improve access to cell and gene therapies, addressing cost barriers and improving patient outcomes, said Joe DePinto, MBA, of McKesson.

Specialty distributors can help navigate complex health care regulations, ensuring compliance and adapting to changes in the landscape, said Natalie Bedford of McKesson.

Joe DePinto, MBA, of McKesson; Kathi Henson, MBA, of Orsini; and Natalie Bedford of McKesson discuss how Asembia's AXS25 Specialty Summit fosters collaboration among industry leaders, exploring technology trends to enhance specialty pharmacy and patient care delivery.

Experts champion medically integrated care and oncology optimized distribution models as vital strategies to improve outcomes, streamline access, and reduce costs for patients.

Experts urge for technology-driven, collaborative solutions as patients shoulder a growing burden of prescription costs.

Improving health equity is part of the core of quality improvement and requires data collection and community engagement strategies for underserved populations, said Shawn Griffin, MD, president and CEO of URAC.

Key trends and challenges are shaping the next era of advanced therapies, from FDA momentum to broader patient access.

Strategic relationships and feedback can enhance specialty pharmacy operations, said Natalie Bedford, senior vice president of US pharmaceutical distribution services at McKesson.

Balancing technology and patient care can enhance communication and data collection, improving adherence and outcomes in specialty pharmacy, said Kathi Henson, MBA, of Orsini.

At Asembia’s AXS25 Summit, industry experts explored how pharmacy is evolving to meet rising patient expectations and navigate a shifting health care environment.

As the number of cell and gene therapies expands, it's increasingly important for long-term patient data, explained Fran Gregory, PharmD, MBA, vice president of emerging therapies at Cardinal Health.

New treatments for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME) enhance patient care with gene therapies and new mechanisms of action on the horizon, explained Casey Koch, PharmD, from Select Health.

Evaluating the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will require real-time data and effective therapy metrics, explained H. John Beardsley, MBA, of CoverMyMeds; and Fauzea Hussain, MPH, of McKesson.

With artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities freeing up workers and driving billions in gains, pharmacy may soon see a 75% workload drop.

Early actions by the new administration signal major changes in health policy, taxes, and pharmaceutical pricing.

Asembia's AXS25 Summit will unite more than 8000 key decision-makers to explore pharmacy innovation, artificial intelligence, policy, and patient care from April 27 to May 1 at Wynn & Encore in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Presentations at the 2024 Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit focused on reshaping specialty pharmacy while keeping patients front and center.

Patients on specialty medications may face many barriers that prevent them from getting on or staying on therapy, but a specialty pharmacy integrated into a health system can help address these issues, explained Ryan Nix, PharmD, MMHC, of Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy.

Innovation in the specialty pipeline, drug costs, health care policy updates, and collaboration were key topics at this year's Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit.

In 2024, the Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit celebrated 20 years and speakers highlighted the conversations around improving access and affordability taking place at the meeting.

In a session during the final full day of conference activity at AXS24, experts from CVS Health and Surescripts emphasized the need to simplify the prescribing workflow for specialty medication through proactive messaging, automation, and interoperability.

While the novel payment models for expensive cell and gene therapies have been effective, they need to continue evolving, said Joe DePinto, MBA, of McKesson.

Representatives from ICON plc and Symphony Health joined forces at AXS24 to discuss the challenges of managing high-cost specialty drugs and how they influence self-funded employer benefit plan design and employee access to specialty medications.

In the US, a disease is considered rare when it affects fewer than 200,000 persons, or 1 in every 1500 individuals, with an estimated total of 25 to 30 million Americans overall living with a rare disease at any given time.

The health-system specialty pharmacy has the unique ability to coordinate better with the provider and take a team approach that reduces the chances of dropping the ball on the patient’s care.

There are multiple levers that need to be pulled to allow biosimilars to come to market more broadly in the US, explained Fran Gregory, PharmD, MBA, vice president of emerging therapies, Cardinal Health.

Doug Long, MBA, vice president of industry relations at IQVIA, covered a bevy of stakeholder investment–related topics in his presentation at AXS24 on trends in specialty pharmacy, chief among them challenges facing the industry, obesity medications, generics and biosimilars, new product launches, and the outlook for the US market.