Sharon Faust, PharmD, Vice President of Specialty Pharmacy for Lumicera shares a few key initiatives that will continue to create an impact for patients and clients in 2022.
As economic pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic continue, the fiscal management and patient care of specialty drugs will be a key focus for many payers looking to reduce overall drug spend. It’s an extremely important time for specialty pharmacies to focus on their offerings, to support the efforts for optimal patient health outcomes, and to control drug spend.
As Vice President of Specialty Pharmacy for Lumicera Health Services, the specialty pharmacy wholly-owned by Navitus Health Solutions, I’ve been inspired by what we achieved in 2021, despite the challenges from the pandemic. With the primary goal to bring value to our customers and optimal outcomes to the patients, here are some of the key initiatives we focused on in 2021 to bring a lasting impact to our patients and our clients.
capitalizing on the digital era
In late 2021, we partnered with Cassian Solutions, a provider of digital engagement tools, to develop a modern patient portal. This site will enhance a patient’s ability to experience “Lumicera Care, Anytime, Anywhere” through 24/7 access to resources and tools specific to their disease state and medication. Additionally, patients will be able to request refills, complete clinical questionnaires, and chat with clinicians to fulfill all of their care needs. Moving beyond an industry-standard offering, the portal integrates Cassian’s expertise with Lumicera’s superior clinical offerings and customer service to create a clinical experience tailored to the needs of each individual patient. The partnership with Cassian enables Lumicera to create a long-term vision, allowing for continuous enhancement and customization to create a truly best-in-market offering for patients.
continuing to provide clinical excellence
Specialty Pharmacy Centers of Excellence (CoE) provide outstanding patient support, financial assistance, best-in-class analytics and clinical oversight. Lumicera proudly has several CoEs. They feature subject matter experts who assist patients with developing their care plans and treatment goals. Our Centers of Excellence provide enhanced adherence monitoring capabilities, disease-specific data analytics, and operational automations to improve time to therapy. Additionally, earlier this year we were approved for accreditation for Specialty Pharmacy with a Distinction in Oncology by the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). This honor further demonstrates our commitment to delivering the highest quality of products and services by complying with ACHC Accreditation Standards. Lumicera’s excellence promise has significantly improved the lives of many patients over the last year.
joining forces with turning point specialty pharmacy network
In November 2021, Lumicera joined Turning Point, a specialty pharmacy network, comprised of top-tier, carefully-vetted, independent specialty pharmacies. This strategic alliance provides Lumicera with the ability to collaborate with other specialty pharmacies that have aligned values focused on patient care.
expanding our geographical footprint
In 2021, we also expanded our nationwide reach with the acquisition of CareMetx in the first quarter of the year and Quality Drug Clinical Care during the third quarter. CareMetx Health, located in Gaithersburg, Maryland, allows Lumicera to better serve patients located in the Eastern United States, while Quality Drug, in Irvine, California allows us to better serve our California and West Coast patients. Moreover, Quality Drug carries expertise in the treatment of HIV. Adding specialty pharmacies to our portfolio allows us to better our business continuity and provide faster regional distribution.
health system offering
Health systems are an integral part of the specialty pharmacy and healthcare landscape. As an organization that is owned by a health system, Lumicera and Navitus are in a unique position to provide subject matter expertise to health systems looking to partner and expand their own specialty pharmacy. In 2021 Lumicera partnered with several large health systems to expand an integrated specialty pharmacy program that provides high-quality care to patients through a collaborative patient care model. This model has us working in tandem with other health system physicians and staff to improve health outcomes, manage patients within the health system electronic medical records and provide a better patient experience.
driven by our patients
In September, we received results from our annual patient satisfaction survey that showed a best-in-class Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 82.1, demonstrating our continued commitment to outstanding customer service. For organizations evaluating specialty pharmacy partners, a high NPS helps determine whether a provider has a positive reputation with its existing customer base. The NPS scale runs from -100 to +100, with most companies falling into the benchmark of +30 to +40 range. A high NPS score demonstrates exceptional customer service and customer retention, and helps drive growth since promoters often influence new customers through word-of-mouth referrals.
I’m motivated by the excellence and groundwork our team laid in 2021. As we move into 2022, we will continue to leverage our actual acquisition-plus pricing, and Navitus’ fully transparent pass-through business model to help plan sponsors manage their overall specialty pharmacy spend through channel management, utilization management, and acquisition savings. When a number of specialty products go generic in the coming years, there can be significant savings to plan sponsors and their members through our innovative pricing models for expensive specialty medications.
Providing value-driven, tailored services and support to our customers will always be our first priority, especially when it comes to the complex world of specialty pharmacy.
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WRITTEN BY SHARON FAUST, PHARMD
Sharon is the Vice President, Specialty Pharmacy at Lumicera Health Services, a wholly-owned Navitus subsidiary and full-service national specialty pharmacy accredited by both URAC and ACHC. With the company since its inception in 2014, she provides strategic direction and oversight at Lumicera, supporting its unique business model, growth and regulatory needs. In addition, her responsibilities also include oversight of pharmacy operations, clinical and quality programs, trade relations and strategic vision.
