Central Jersey hospital plans, partners on 1st specialty pharmacy
Jessica Perry//March 10, 2025
Saint Peter’s Healthcare System and Boston-based Clearway Health will collaborate to establish and operate a new specialty pharmacy.
The partners announced the efforts March 4, with a targeted opening set for later this year. According to a spokesperson for Saint Peter’s, the specialty pharmacy will launch in one of the provider’s Somerset locations.
Working together, the outlet will ensure Saint Peter’s patients have equitable access to specialty medications as well as ongoing care and support to manage complex medical conditions, such as cancer and hepatitis C. The partnership will also improve patient access to new medications currently limited by manufacturers or payors, the collaborators said.
Specialty pharmacies focus on high-cost, high-touch medications for patients with multifactorial diseases. They typically provide a higher level of support for patients, according to the partners.
Under the partnership, certified pharmacists and skilled specialty pharmacy liaisons will embed directly into the care teams for several Saint Peter’s outpatient services, including:
- Gastroenterology
- Rheumatology
- Adult and pediatric endocrinology
- Pulmonary
- Infectious diseases
- Pediatric neurology
Additionally, the program will provide administrative support to hospital providers and clinical care teams, helping them to secure prior authorizations for prescriptions.
Dual benefits
“Specialty pharmacies play a vital role in healthcare today,” said Garrick Stoldt, chief financial officer at Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, parent of Saint Peter’s University Hospital. “Providing life-saving medications can be complex due to a variety of factors from the makeup of the drug itself to how it’s administered, management of side effects, disease implications, patient’s financial hardships, as well as patient access which may be restricted by the manufacturer, payor authorization or other conditions.
“Our partnership with Clearway Health offers dual benefits: supporting the patients who trust us with their care while also strengthening our organization’s financial performance and stability,” Stoldt continued.
Fatimah Muhammed, director of 340b pharmaceutical services and drug replacement at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, said adding specialty services has been a goal for more than five years.
“Saint Peter’s has long been a unique provider of personalized care to their community. We are honored to be chosen as their partner to overcome barriers, decrease the cost of medications and ensure that patients have timely access to the medications they need,” said Allison Arant, senior vice president of client development and marketing at Clearway Health.