Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada Releases Landmark Findings on the Value of Specialty Pharmacy Services
TORONTO, Sept. 14, 2023 /CNW/ - The Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada (Neighbourhood Pharmacies) has released key findings from its groundbreaking report, The Value of Specialty Pharmacy Services to the Healthcare System. This report is the first-of-its-kind to define, describe and quantify the value of specialty pharmacy services to patient care and the overall healthcare system.
"The complex nature of specialty medications necessitates specialized handling, administration and monitoring, as well as additional clinical services to ensure stability, safety and effectiveness", says Sandra Hanna, CEO. "Pharmacies provide a wide range of services to support patients taking specialty medications, but until now, the value of these services has not been fully understood."
Developed in partnership with IQVIA Canada, the report explores six different categories of specialty services in-depth to illustrate the value of pharmacy's contributions to patient care and the healthcare system. In so doing, the report demonstrates how pharmacies are filling gaps through the provision of specialty services that would otherwise have to be somehow provided, and funded, through public healthcare system.
"We know that the volume of specialty medications – and the numbers of patients who require them – will continue to grow as novel therapies come to market", says Renée St-Jean, Senior Director of Pharmacy Services at Innomar Strategies Inc. "But the vast majority of the care and services required by the patients taking these complex medications is not funded by the healthcare system. For vulnerable patients, pharmacies bridge an essential gap in their care."
All told, the report estimates that the pharmacy sector directly invests and offsets approximately $1 billion in economic value for 1.9 million patients which would otherwise have to be funded by Canada's healthcare system.
"All stakeholders in the healthcare system need to work together to deliver the highest quality of care to our patients," says Hanna. "Calling out the contributions that the pharmacy sector makes to support Canadians taking complex specialty medications is a necessary step to ensuring that pharmacies can sustainably continue to provide these services in the years to come."
Neighbourhood Pharmacies represents Canada's leading pharmacy organizations, including chain, banner, long-term care, specialty pharmacies, grocery chains, and mass merchandisers with pharmacies. We advocate for pharmacies' role in caring for Canadians, both behind and in front of the counter. We aim to advance sustainable healthcare for all stakeholders by leveraging over 11,500 pharmacies conveniently located in virtually every community throughout the country. Pharmacies are integral points of patient care.
Related Links
https://www.neighbourhoodpharmacies.ca/
SOURCE Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada
Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada, 416-226-9100, [email protected]
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