Specialty pharmacies provide 24/7 support, lower costs, and increase healthcare access for complex illnesses, promoting adherence and safety.
FREMONT, CA: Recently, complex and individualized medications have been developed due to advancements in treating chronic illnesses. These drugs are handled by a specialist team at specialty pharmacies who ensure that they are taken most effectively according to research. Retail pharmacies wrote over 4.75 billion prescriptions in 2022, most of which were for conventional dosages of over-the-counter medications. Specialty pharmacies are best used for treating acute illnesses or infections and can be found in local hospitals or as standalone businesses. They work directly with care professionals to reach their customers, while retail pharmacies market directly to consumers.
Specialty medicines are drugs that treat complex medical conditions like hemophilia, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and cystic fibrosis. These drugs are complex to manufacture, require special handling, and can be administered through injection, oral ingestion, intravenous infusion, or for preventing organ transplant rejection. Despite their high cost, they are critical in managing complex medical conditions and improving patient outcomes. They accounted for 55 percent of all medication expenses in the US in 2022, making them the only treatment option for patients with these conditions.
