Enhancing Care in Health Systems

With a leading market position in specialty pharmaceuticals, AmerisourceBergen creates a marketplace where manufacturers can ensure providers and their patients have access to critical therapies.

The State of Specialty: Growth in Health Systems

Specialty therapies were once the future of pharmaceutical-led care. But more and more, they're becoming the present. This new reality is perhaps most evident in the health system setting, which represents the fastest-growing segment of specialty pharmacy. Here are a few facts that may be familiar:

47.1% of hospitals with 600+ beds operate a specialty pharmacy (ASHP data)
1 in 5 hospitals report having internal specialty pharmacy capabilities (CSI Specialty Group's 2017 State of Specialty Pharmacy Report)

What does this growth mean for how health systems access specialty products, and how can manufacturers ensure their therapies are available where patients are presenting for treatment?

The Challenge

Even though health systems are establishing specialty pharmacies in record numbers, they're often unable to access specialty products.

The Impact

Manufacturers who choose limited specialty pharmacy networks and unintentionally eliminate access for large health systems ultimately leave behind large patient populations and key providers. Unintentionally creating access barriers doesn't just negatively impact patients. It also drives down product uptake, which may impact the longer-term success of the product.

“Health system specialty pharmacies may be growing, but challenges of being included in manufacturer and payer networks remain."

Kristin Chambers, Vice President, Strategic Development, AmerisourceBergen

The Trade-off

Many manufacturers believe that broader specialty pharmacy networks mean disparate data sets that limit the ability to cull key insights and identify product trends. But do we really have to choose between patient experience and product insights?

The Solution

Enter AmerisourceBergen. Our unique position in the healthcare ecosystem means we understand the access hurdles sites of care face. But we know manufacturers need access, too—access to patients and data. That's why we offer data aggregation solutions, provider education and patient support.

Video: Our Experts Share How to Access Health Systems

How manufacturers can work with their distributor to enhance patient care and improve uptake in health systems.

Learn more about how health systems and manufacturers can work together to improve care. Read Caring for the Whole Patient.

ThinkLive Trade 2020: going virtual to connect creators and caregivers

What did ThinkLive look like in 2020? A recap of AmerisourceBergen's annual manufacturer summit, where we connect face-to-face with our manufacturer partners to share business updates and perspective on the ever-changing healthcare industry.

How does the BRx Catalog work?

Our solutions help pharmacists raise awareness of your products and aid in removing cost barriers for patients. Learn how the BRx Catalog from AmerisourceBergen helps manufacturers deliver product messaging to the right audience at the right time.