ASHP Launches National Survey of Health-System Specialty Pharmacy Practice

On Sept. 15, ASHP launched its first National Survey of Health-System Specialty Pharmacy Practice. Created to capture key insights and national benchmarks into the current state of specialty pharmacy practice, the survey evaluates a number of areas including the specialty pharmacy workforce, patient care services, accreditations, business development, and future projections. 

The survey demonstrates ASHP’s continued efforts to provide national data, tools, and resources for the expansion of health-system based specialty pharmacy. As outlined in ASHP’s “National Trends in Prescription Drug Expenditures and Projections for 2020” report, specialty medications account for only 2.2% of prescriptions but 48% of expenditures. As specialty drug spending grows alongside approvals for new novel drug therapies, a comprehensive understanding and industry benchmark of specialty pharmacy practice will serve as a critical resource for healthcare leaders.

The creation of this survey was driven by volunteer leaders of the ASHP Section of Specialty Pharmacy Practitioners in collaboration with the immediate-past chair of the section, JoAnn Stubbings, B.S.Pharm., and Craig Pedersen, B.S.Pharm., Ph.D., who will analyze survey outcomes.

The ASHP Section of Specialty Pharmacy Practitioners is comprised of members practicing in diverse specialty areas working to optimize patient care and comprehensive medication management in the specialty pharmacy environment. Volunteer members of the section have established a broad collection of valuable resources and education and guided ASHP professional policy development and advocacy efforts in support of their interests as specialty pharmacy practitioners. The results of the survey will inform the work of ASHP, including the future focus of the section and section advisory groups. 

ASHP will be publishing the survey results in AJHP and making them available to ASHP members via AJHP ahead of print. ASHP will also utilize the findings from the National Survey of Health-System Specialty Pharmacy Practice during ASHP’s Specialty Pharmacy State of Practice in Hospitals and Health Systems – Future Directions Summit in early 2021. The interprofessional summit will feature focused discussions on market trends, partnerships with manufacturers, emerging specializations from accreditors, and the impact on affordability, accessibility, and outcomes related to specialty pharmacy and patient care.

The newly launched survey is intended for directors and managers of hospital and health-system based specialty pharmacies. If your specialty pharmacy program did not receive an online survey invitation, please submit your information.