MedImpact Healthcare Systems Expands Scope of Specialty Pharmacy Solutions

SAN DIEGO --(Business Wire)--

As the cost and utilization of biotech drugs rise, MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Inc. is expanding its specialty pharmacy services to include high-touch programs that promote individualized patient care with clinical support tools for meaningful population management.

"Optimization of care results from astute population assessment, treatment monitoring and care coordination to ensure each patient gets the right drug at the right time in the ideal setting to preserve health status," said David D'Altorio, PharmD, MedImpact senior vice president of health services. "Our new ChoiceSpecialty® disease-specific programs for hemophilia and multiple sclerosis are joint efforts with best-in-class specialty pharmacy organizations to enhance disease-specific treatment with data collection and analysis at a population level. Reporting aggregated data provides a feedback loop for opportunities to integrate specialty drug management into the medical benefit and leverage plan sponsor investments in health care."

MedImpact's ChoiceSpecialty® Hemophilia Program focuses on identifying opportunities to reduce the patient's required amount of clotting factor thereby lowering costs. The program leverages a high-touch model that includes education of the patient in the community. Knowledge of how to live with hemophilia prevents inappropriate clotting factor administration and unnecessary emergency room visits or hospitalizations to treat bleeding episodes. The program includes MedImpact oversight with monitoring for waste, promotion of quality and service delivery, and reporting of insights into the costs of care.

"We are excited to co-develop this program with MedImpact," said Eric Hill, co-founder and vice president of BioRx. "Our agreement forms a true best-in-class partnership that is bringing a unique offering to MedImpact's clients while focusing on the high-touch needs of members with bleeding disorders."

The ChoiceSpecialty® Multiple Sclerosis Program is designed to provide clinical management support and an understanding of population disabilty status and its impact on medical cost. The MS program has been designed to capitalize on our industry's best practices for data capture, clinical interventions and advanced reporting. The program includes gathering of key clinical indicator data, ongoing monitoring and care management, and clinical care coordination with patients and providers. Longitudinal reporting on disease impact is shared with providers and payers to enhance quality at patient, provider and population levels.

"The US Bioservices team is proud of the new and innovative patient care tools and reports that are part of the ChoiceSpecialty® Multiple Sclerosis Program," said Craig Miller, president of US Bioservices. "MedImpact and US Bioservices have formulated a modified functional disability scoring methodology to supplement the comprehensive assessment conducted by the patient's physician. We use this proprietary tool to help assess patients and track their response to MS therapies."

These new disease-focused programs supplement MedImpact's long-standing ChoiceSpecialty® dispensing channel management program launched in 2008.

About MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Inc.

MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Inc. is the nation's largest full-service PBM that derives revenue by managing the drug benefit, not from dispensing drugs. We use information technology and human capital to improve the practice of managed care pharmacy. MedImpact partners with the nation's finest health plans, hospitals and employers to provide pharmacy benefit management services to more than 35 million members.

About Hemophilia and BioRx

Hemophilia is a rare, inherited bleeding disorder that is caused by an inability to create the coagulation factors necessary to form blood clots and stop bleeding. Bleeding episodes can occur frequently after injury or spontaneously with no apparent cause. Internal bleeding, especially into knees, ankles and elbows, can lead to chronic joint damage over time. Bleeding in the brain or other vital organs can be life-threatening. Hemophilia medications, called clotting factor, replace missing or deficient clotting proteins in the blood. Costs for hemophilia medications average $135,000 per year. In some cases, hemophilia drug costs can exceed $1 million per year.

Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, BioRx is one of the nation's fastest growing providers of specialty pharmaceuticals and infusion services, delivering highly customized care for patients with certain rare and chronic diseases. In addition to serving patients with hemophilia, BioRx offers pharmacy, nursing and education services to patients with hereditary angioedema, immune deficiencies, autoimmune disorders, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and nutritional/digestive disorders. The company's clinical staff reaches patients and physicians in all 50 states.

About Multiple Sclerosis and US Bioservices

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease that is the leading cause of neurologic disability in young adults and is associated with significant morbidity and reduction in quality of life. Annual drug costs for one MS patient can range from $35,000 to $40,000. Reduced employee productivity and high indirect costs are associated with non-treatment of MS.

US Bioservices is a national specialty pharmacy provider for patients with chronic or complex conditions. Through our Pathpoint® MS program, we provide access to a full range of MS medications, including self-injectable, infused and oral drugs. Our staff of pharmacists and nurses is knowledgeable in the inherent challenges patients with MS face and is available 24/7, 365 days a year to assist patients and physicians. US Bioservices guides patients through every step of their therapy, providing comprehensive benefits verification, co-pay assistance guidance, manufacturer program enrollment, refill reminders and free delivery of medications. Managing patient and therapy compliance is critical to ensuring that patients stay on medically necessary therapies. Our clinical staff provides trusted, personal support to improve compliance and health benefits.