Montefiore Einstein has recently opened a new Specialty Pharmacy in Westchester, one of the largest and most technologically advanced hospital-owned specialty pharmacies in the tri-state area. The 17,000-square-foot facility provides complex and high-cost medications to people with rare and chronic conditions and is tackling financial barriers—establishing a new standard of care in the region.
Specialty pharmacies provide medications that have specific requirements for medication storage, dosing and management. First emerging in the 1970s, specialty pharmacies have experienced tremendous growth in recent years, with increasing rates of chronic conditions and intricate treatments that may require unique refrigeration and compounding capabilities.
Montefiore Specialty Pharmacy comprises a dedicated pharmacy team who advocates for patients, ensuring timely prescription fulfillment and medication management for individuals with a wide range of conditions, including cancer, rheumatologic, neurologic and immune disorders as well as gastrointestinal and other inflammatory diseases.
Key factors that distinguish Montefiore Specialty Pharmacy include:
- Convenient options to fulfill prescriptions, including direct shipping to the patient’s home or easy in-person pick-up
- A multidose packaging system with a camera counter that confirms prescription amounts for quality control
- A best-in-class refrigerator room to safeguard temperature-sensitive medications
- Access to a pharmacist 24/7 via phone to support both patients and providers
- Low average copays for patients, approximately $13 compared to the industry benchmark of $131
This new site is Montefiore’s second specialty pharmacy location. Its first specialty pharmacy, located at the Montefiore Einstein Moses Division in the Bronx, opened in 2019.
“Our new specialty pharmacy is designed to be an extension of a patient’s care team,” said Steven Tuckman, PharmBS, MBA, Director, Community and Specialty Pharmacy Operations, Montefiore Einstein. “Before dispensing medications, our clinical pharmacists communicate with our patients to help ensure they understand their treatment regimens and possible side effects. This same team follows up to confirm that medications are taken as prescribed, and by having a 24/7 answering service, we can be a resource at any hour.”
Tuckman projects that nearly 100,000 prescriptions will be filled in the first year, primarily from the patients in the Bronx and Westchester, with plans to expand.
Focused on improving access to care and treatments, last year Montefiore Einstein helped secure $45.7 million in financial assistance for patient prescriptions by identifying programs available from outside organizations.
“We’re always searching for opportunities across the health system to better support the community,” said Susan Green-Lorenzen, RN, MSN, System Senior Vice President, Operations, Montefiore Einstein.
ScriptPro, led by Michael Coughlin, President, CEO and CFO, provided the robotic filling and packaging machines, the conveyor system and the workstations as well as software to manage the prescription processes.
