Saint Peter's Healthcare System Announces Plan to Open First Specialty Pharmacy; Partnership with Clearway Health to Provide Access to Medications for Managing Complex Medical Conditions
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., March 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Clearway Health, based in Boston, and Saint Peter's Healthcare System, based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, announced a new strategic plan to open and operate a specialty pharmacy. Targeted to open in late 2025, the specialty pharmacy will ensure Saint Peter's patients have equitable access to vital specialty medications and the ongoing care and support needed to manage complex medical conditions such as cancer and hepatitis C. Additionally, the partnership will improve patient access to new medications currently limited by manufacturers or payors.
To strengthen medication management, adherence and improve overall clinical outcomes for patients on specialty medication therapies, certified pharmacists and skilled specialty pharmacy patient liaisons will be embedded directly into the care teams in several of Saint Peter's outpatient practices, including gastroenterology, rheumatology, and adult and pediatric endocrinology, as well as pulmonary, infectious disease and pediatric neurology. This team will work to proactively identify patients, assess barriers that may prevent care and streamline medication delivery to the patient.
Specialty pharmacies provide a higher level of patient support, including providing medications not typically available at retail pharmacies. In addition, specialty pharmacy staff have more expertise in these medications and provide enhanced personalized patient education, treatment assessments, patient monitoring, and consistent communication with patient's caregivers, treating physicians, and other healthcare providers.
The program will also give valuable administrative support to the hospital's providers and clinical care teams, helping them to secure prior authorizations for prescriptions.
"Specialty pharmacies play a vital role in healthcare today," said Garrick Stoldt, chief financial officer at Saint Peter's Healthcare System, parent company 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."
"Bringing specialty pharmacy services to our organization has been my vision for more than five years," said Fatimah Muhammed, MPH, FHFMA, director of 340B pharmaceutical services and drug replacement at Saint Peter's University Hospital. "Providing these services for our patients, providers, care teams and our community will create a legacy here at Saint Peter's, further demonstrating our commitment to integrated care that optimizes patient outcomes and enhances the patient experience."
"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. Together, we will transform specialty pharmacy and improve the health of their patients and communities," said Allison Arant, senior vice president of client development and marketing at Clearway Health.
About Clearway HealthClearway Health's specialty pharmacy services create sustainable assets and build lasting legacies for hospitals and health systems, providing a service that every patient deserves. Our team began at Boston Medical Center Health System, improving access to care and managing the complex medication needs of vulnerable patient populations. Equipped with this unique experience to solve challenges, Clearway Health partners with other hospitals and health systems to provide transformative specialty pharmacy services that put patients first. Our strategic partnerships build and strengthen the infrastructure for specialty pharmacy programs through improving operational workflows, implementing clinical programs, hiring and embedding skilled pharmacists and patient liaisons into the clinical team, providing proprietary software technology, unlocking drug access and leading accreditation processes. Clearway Health delivers a clinically driven service that eliminates barriers to medication access, improves the health of patients and communities, grows revenue at healthy margins for health systems and reduces costs for patients. To learn more, visit www.clearwayhealth.com.
About Saint Peter's Healthcare SystemSaint Peter's Healthcare System is the parent company of Saint Peter's University Hospital, a 478-bed acute-care teaching hospital sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Saint Peter's, which received its sixth consecutive designation as a Magnet® hospital for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2020, is also a state-designated children's hospital and a regional perinatal center, and is a regional specialist in diabetes, gastroenterology, genetics, head and neck surgery, oncology, orthopedics, and women's services. Saint Peter's is the recipient of the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for the adult intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, cardiac progressive care unit and the pediatric intensive care unit. Visit saintpetershcs.com.
SOURCE Clearway Health; Saint Peter’s Healthcare System