Specialty Pharmacy Expected to Open Late This Year at Saint Peter's in New Brunswick
NEW BRUNSWICK – Saint Peter’s University Hospital will team with Boston-based Clearway Health to create a specialty pharmacy in New Brunswick that is expected 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.
The team will work to 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 patients' 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 health care 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 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. “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.”
Clearway Health’s specialty pharmacy services create sustainable assets and build lasting legacies for hospitals and health systems, providing a service that every patient deserves. The Clearway team began at Boston Medical Center Health System, improving access to care and managing the complex medication needs of vulnerable patient populations.
“Saint Peter’s has long been a unique provider of personalized care to their community,” said Allison Arant, senior vice president of client development and marketing at Clearway Health. “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 pharmacies and improve the health of their patients and communities.”