Community Pharmacy Based
Specialty Medication
Administration
Robert Willis, PharmD, BCACP
Corporate Pharmacy Trainer/
Residency Program Director
Albertsons Companies, Denver Division
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Disclosures
• Robert Willis, PharmD, BACAP, declare(s) no conflicts of
• Target Audience: Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians
interest, real or apparent, and no financial interests in
any company, product, or service mentioned in this
program, including grants, employment, gifts, stock
holdings, and honoraria.
• ACPE#: 0202-0000-16-076-L04-P
0202-0000-16-076-L04-T
• Activity Type: Knowledge-based
The American Pharmacists Association is accredited by the Accreditation
Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy
education.
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Which of the following is/are common route/s of
specialty drug administration?
Learning Objectives
• Identify the most common routes of administration for
specialty medications
A) Self-administered injection
• Explain the roles and responsibilities of Albertsons
B) Clinic administered infusion
Companies Specialty Care Support Center
C) Oral administration
• Recognize the benefits and barriers to administering
ventrogluteal specialty medications in the community
pharmacy setting
D) Topical administration
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© 2016 by the American Pharmacists Association. All rights reserved.
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Which of the following are barriers to
administering specialty medications in the
community pharmacy setting?
What is Specialty Pharmacy?
• Specialty Medications – products used to treat chronic, high-cost or
rare diseases
A) Staffing
• Key Characteristics
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B) Training protocols
C) Store design
Rapidly expanding area of pharmacy practice
Require close supervision and monitoring
Special storage, handling and/or administration
Target specific patient populations
Patient registration and training
• Routes of Specialty Drug Administration
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D) Convenience
Select oral agents
Self-administered injectable products
Clinic/office administered infusible products
Office-administered injectable products
Steiber, Dan, Erhardt, Dean. United States. NACDS Pharmacy Industry Council Supply Chain Committee. Specialty Pharmacy in
Community Pharmacy: The Time Is Now-and How! November 2006.
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Albertsons Companies
Safeway Denver Division
• Albertsons Companies – Community Pharmacy Grocery Chain
• Wellness Centers: professional, private physical
environment to provide high quality patient-centered care
– 1700 pharmacies, 32 states
• Safeway Denver Division
– 122 pharmacies, 5 states
• Community Pharmacy focused Patient-Centered Care
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Immunizations
Travel Health Services
Biometric Screenings
Disease State Management
Smoking Cessation
Specialty Drug Administration (IM, VG)
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Albertsons Companies Specialty Care Drug
Administration Program
Specialty Pharmacy Drug
Administration Training
• Specialty Care Support Center
• Complete the manufacturer-required training (product
specific)
– Boise, ID
– 15 Employees
• Pharmacist and Technicians
• Review chaperone policy
• Role in Specialty Care Medication Administration
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• Review company-approved protocol
Investigate third party benefits
Coordinate care
Direct patients to local Albertsons Safeway locations
Correspond with pharmacy teams
Follow up with manufacturer and provider
• View ventrogluteal (VG) training video
– Initial VG administration must be observed by a division VG trainer
or a contracted nurse
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© 2016 by the American Pharmacists Association. All rights reserved.
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Specialty Pharmacy Drug
Administration Workflow
Specialty Pharmacy Drug
Administration Coordination
• Review Albertsons Safeway Specialty Care Protocol
• Specialty Care Support Center/Pharmacy Coordination
– Pharmacist Instructions – Access manufacturer website
• Medication guides
• Instructions for use
• Important safety information and black box warnings
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Appointment Information/Directions for Appointment
Patient and Provider Information
Prescription Information
Pharmacist Checklist
Medication Specific Consent and Release Form
Patient Injection Report Form
• Assessment Questionnaire
• Patient Satisfaction Survey
– Adverse Drug Experience / Product Complaint Form
– Product Re-Order Form
– Pharmacist Checklist
• Review medication guide
• Steps to complete medication specific Consent & Release form
• Report adverse events per protocol
• Bill patient for VG administration
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Benefits of Specialty Drug Administration in the
Community Pharmacy Setting
Barriers to Specialty Drug Administration in the
Community Pharmacy Setting
• Provide Convenience
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• Investigate third party reimbursement
• Manage multiple disease states
State law and regulations
Infrastructure
Staffing
Store Design
– Private dedicated space
• Provide immediate drug access
• Customer Service and Order Management
• Comfort level
• Impact medication adherence
• Reduce stigma associated with addiction/behavioral
– Pharmacist engagement
• Training Protocols
medication
– No standardized nationally recognized drug administration
certificate program
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Various Pharmacy Settings – Specialty Drug
Administration Services
• Community pharmacies
• Routes of specialty pharmacy medication administration
• Long-term care facilities
• Specialty Care Support Center
Key Points
– Self administered routes, provider administered routes
• Hospitals
– Pharmacy coordination, benefits investigation
• Benefits of specialty drug administration in the community
• Physician offices
pharmacy setting
– Convenience, reduce stigma associated with disease state
• Behavioral treatment centers
• Barriers to specialty medication administration in the
• Addiction recovery inpatient treatment centers
community pharmacy setting
– State law and regulations, training protocols
• Addiction recovery outpatient treatment centers
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© 2016 by the American Pharmacists Association. All rights reserved.
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Which of the following is/are common route/s of
specialty drug administration?
Which of the following are barriers to
administering specialty medications in the
community pharmacy setting?
A) Self-administered injection
A) Staffing
B) Clinic administered infusion
B) Training protocols
C) Oral administration
C) Store design
D) Topical administration
D) Convenience
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© 2016 by the American Pharmacists Association. All rights reserved.
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