At PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy we provide our patients with resources to support and streamline their health journeys. In addition to our 24/7 call services, PANTHERx has implemented a mobile messaging that offers onboarding messages, refill reminders, and shipment tracking information to our rare disease patients via text message.

Employing this texting platform has increased the effectiveness of our communication with our patients, allowing them to customize how they receive correspondence from us. The PANTHERx patients that have enrolled in the mobile messaging system find it to be a convenient way to receive reminders and stay on top of their medications. The platform has improved self-service success rates by simply delivering the specific tools and resources our patients need as part of their regular refill and shipping processes.

Becoming a user is simple. As a patient you’re able to enroll during your regularly scheduled refill calls. If you decline this mobile service at first and decide later that you would like to enroll, inform your Patient Care Coordinator at any time or during your next refill call. All of PANTHERx’s rare drug programs are currently eligible for enrollment in our texting program.

We want our patients to know that they are fully supported and that our services are able to be customized to fit their unique needs. PANTHERx feels strongly about guiding our patients through their health journeys and assisting them through multiple avenues of communication. Providing this mobile messaging service to our patients has allowed them to be more aware of their upcoming milestones and has also given our patients more flexible communication options.

For questions about PANTHERx’s mobile messaging service or to enroll in the program, please speak with your Patient Care Coordinator.

Yesterday, PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy celebrated the achievements of our 2020 fellowship class. Graduates, Marissa Puc, Pharm.D., and Brittany Albert, Pharm.D., delivered their final presentations and received their certificates in recognition of their completion of the PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy Fellowship Program. Under the guidance of program director Richard Faris, Ph.D., R.Ph. and program coordinator Pam Koerner, Pharm.D., BCPS, Dr. Puc and Dr. Albert underwent intensive training in Business & Pharmacy Operations, Quality Improvement, Clinical & Education, Pharmacy Analytics & Reporting, Business Development, Strategic Partnerships, and Managed Markets as part of their year long experience.

Upon completion of their fellowships, both Dr. Puc and Dr. Albert have accepted positions at PANTHERx Rare. We are pleased that they will continue to grow within our organization, drawing on the experiences afforded them by our transformational Fellowship Program.

About the PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy Fellowship

The PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy Fellowship is a one-year program that offers an estimated three years of rare pharmacy experience, enabling each fellow’s competence in the clinical, research, and business aspects of rare pharmacy leadership. PANTHERx®’s Fellowship Program has been growing in size and rigor since its inception in 2017. The 2021 Fellowship class is to be the largest yet, with enriching cross functional experiences and an increased focus on patient engagement, research, data-driven program design, precision medicine, and scientific publications.

For more information about PANTHERx’s Rare Pharmacy Fellowship Program please visit: https://www.pantherxrare.com/education/

Dr. Gordon Vanscoy, Chairman and CEO of PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy and RareMed Solutions, is honored to be headlining the April 2020 cover of Smart Business Magazine. The magazine features an interview that explores his approach to leadership, adaptability, and culture. Vanscoy discusses how these three qualities were vital to evolving the rare segment of the specialty pharmacy industry. The publication is timely as these qualities are essential to the proactive, nimble, and focused approach PANTHERx and RareMed have taken in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Both highly complex operations, PANTHERx and RareMed provide different services to people who are living with rare and devastating conditions. The companies’ cultures, built around clear missions and strong values, have been paramount in enabling Vanscoy and his team to adeptly pilot the companies through change. These cultures did not come about by accident, and they continue to need to be carefully nurtured and institutionalized. Vanscoy and his team encourage associates to embody values that support the fact that, no matter their role, their work ultimately contributes to saving lives.

As the coronavirus pandemic has escalated, it has been culture that has underscored the teams’ sense of responsibility to the patients they serve. This has resulted in uninterrupted dispensing of breakthrough medications, employees proactively taking on flexible schedules, and team members asking leadership what they can do to go beyond the call of duty to support the patients who rely on their services.

Vanscoy’s leadership, his embracing of managerial empowerment, and his passion for rare disease have resulted in two independent, disruptive, agile, savvy, and compassionate companies with strong corporate cultures. The article describes how his philosophies and guidance have created organizations poised to take on anything that comes their way, including lofty internal goals and external challenges.

Read Vanscoy’s cover story in Smart Business Magazine.

Look out for the print edition, available on April 1st.

A lot has changed since PANTHERx released our first public statement nearly a month ago and we have been incredibly busy staying ahead of the curve. In Pennsylvania (home to two of multiple licensed facilities), schools and businesses have been forced to close leaving many reacting and scrambling to survive. In PANTHERx’s case, we don’t have patrons, we have patients; we don’t have a business, we have a vital mission to serve those with rare and devastating disorders without interruption, without compromise. PANTHERx’s thousands and thousands of rare patients rely on us to deliver their life saving medications and the corresponding care and we will not disappoint.

When whisperings of the coronavirus extended beyond China and were forecast to the hit the US, PANTHERx’s emergency preparedness plan was activated. We took our patient responsibility seriously, and began to plan the specifics around COVID-19. As the planning unfolded into reality, it has made all the difference informing our patients proactively (before we received questions), establishing and enforcing staged safety protocols, expanding work from home policies and flexible hours for employees with children home from school, and communicating with our providers, partners, payers and suppliers in a timely manner so that they could focus on their contingency plans and not be concerned about PANTHERx. We have been reassured by our biopharma manufacturers that production and supplies of their breakthrough medications will not be an issue.

Due to the vital nature of our mission, PANTHERx is classified as “essential” and will remain open to service the patients that rely on the medications we dispense and the support services we provide. Thanks to our nimbleness, early planning, and dedicated associates PANTHERx is continuing to serve patients at the level that they have come to expect from our award-winning company. That’s not to say that operations appear “normal” in our facilities—many desks are empty as employees work from home. Once in the facility pharmacy workers adorn protective gloves and facemasks (from our original emergency preparedness plan), and cleaning solutions and hand sanitizer are everywhere for employees to disinfect work surfaces at minimum three times a day. PANTHERx’s flexibility and advanced technology has adapted to keep our associates safe as they service our patients. Advanced planning and committed employees have made a remarkable difference. We can confidently and calmly execute as One PANTHERx reacts to the evolving implications of COVID-19, armed with a comprehensive 5 Phase COVID-19 Plan that accounts for all anticipated scenarios. Now operating on Level 3, PANTHERx is prepared as the coronavirus pandemic develops and new rules/restrictions are put in place.

As the situation unfolds, PANTHERx remains diligent and continues to keep our patients and other constituents informed. You can read our up-to-the-minute plan for uninterrupted service by visiting our home page or by going directly to our COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Updates page.

At PANTHERx we often have the pleasure of getting to know not only our patients but also their families. Parents, children, and siblings can serve as caregivers and support to their loved ones who are living with rare conditions. Sometimes though our RxARECARE^® teams get to know families because these genetic diseases effect multiple members of the family who then share the roles of patient, caregiver, support system, and inspiration.

Dale has been living with Primary Periodic Paralysis (PPP) for over eight decades, but he has not let it slow him down. As a young man, Dale worked around his “weak spells” finding and excelling at jobs that began later in the day, so the morning effects of his PPP had time to wear off. With a zeal for travel, Dale and his wife have driven tens of thousands of miles around the country to visit friends and see new sites.

Now a great-grandfather, Dale is not the only person in his family living with PPP. Dale’s daughter Kim and his grandson Geoff share his diagnosis. Their family is honest about the struggles of growing up and living with familial PPP but they find comradery in their shared experiences.

PANTHERx, the exclusive provider of Dale, Kim, and Geoff’s medication, is proud to serve three generations of their extraordinary family. We provide individualized attention, and comprehensive medication coordination so Dale can plan his next road trip, Kim can focus on her advocacy initiatives, and Geoff can play with his young son.

Over the course of his life Dale has seen the rare disease community and the rare pharmaceutical industry form and grow. He and his family attended the first Primary Periodic Paralysis conference and have found joy in connecting with people who share their disease and in creating awareness around the many forms of PPP.

Dale’s full video and profile can be found on our Primary Periodic Paralysis (PPP) Rare Disorders page.

If you would like to be considered for a PANTHERx Patient Profile please contact Ally Ayoob, Marketing Specialist, at aayoob@pantherxrare.com.

The leadership at PANTHERx Rare has been closely monitoring the ongoing developments related to the concerns arising from the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19). Nothing is more important to us than insuring the uninterrupted care of our patients afflicted with rare and devastating disorders. As this possible pandemic is a fast evolving and dynamic event, we are actively putting contingencies in place to ensure the seamless treatment to our patients. To that end, we are finishing a comprehensive plan that includes both internal and external measures. Internally, we will service our patients with white-glove care while fostering a workplace environment designed to limit further spread of the contagion and protect our associates. These efforts include possible work from home options, restrictions for those exposed to the virus and protection for those working at our facilities. Additionally, all of our stakeholders (manufacturers, suppliers, shippers and payers) will be contacted by a member of our team to discuss how any disruptions in their individual operations could impact our patients. As we gather that additional information we will continue to build and execute appropriate contingency protocols and provide detailed updates as necessary.

PANTHERx Rare Chairman & CEO, Dr. Gordon Vanscoy, shares his experiences identifying opportunities, building businesses, and advancing the rare pharmacy industry on the podcast Going Deep with Aaron Watson.

Listen to learn more about the origins of PANTHERx Rare, how we are helping foster solutions for people living with rare diseases, and the astounding rate of growth of our company. Dr. Vanscoy also shares details about his background and the beginnings of his career in pharmacy that shaped the culture of PANTHERx Rare.

Going Deep with Aaron Watson

Listen: Episode 413 Building a Billion Dollar Company Treating Rare Diseases with Dr. Gordon Vanscoy

Also available on iTunes and Stitcher.

Serving patients with rare, orphan, and devastating conditions is the reason PANTHERx Rare exists. The launch of our new website has created a platform through which we are able to relay our patients’ disease experiences. These stories are meant to illustrate the day to day struggles and the joys of being able to overcome some of the burdens of living with a rare condition.

PANTHERx is pleased to share the first video in our Patient Profile Series, featuring Caitlyn, a young woman living with Hypophosphatasia (HPP). Caitlyn shares what it is like to grow up, navigate college, and plan her future while considering the implications of her diagnosis. Debbie, Caitlyn’s mother, offers a unique perspective on her experiences caring for a child with a rare disease. PANTHERx has been providing care and facilitating medication coordination for Caitlyn since she began taking medication for HPP. Our associates, particularly those in Caitlyn’s RxARECARE® Team, were delighted to meet her, ask questions about her experiences with HPP, and put a face to the name and the family that they have been supporting for many years.

As PANTHERx expands this series, it is our hope that the profile patients find empowerment in sharing their stories. We hope viewers feel inspired and that they are made more knowledgeable about every disease state that PANTHERx supports. For people who are diagnosed with these diseases or who care for someone with a rare disease, we encourage them to find hope in these stories and a connection with the people profiled who, like them, live with a rare disease every day.

PANTHERx looks forward to introducing our community to many more of our extraordinary patients as this series progresses.

Caitlyn’s full video and profile can be found at on our Hypophosphatasia (HPP) Rare Disorders page.

If you would like to be considered for a PANTHERx Patient Profile please contact Ally Ayoob, Marketing Specialist, at aayoob@pantherxrare.com.

PANTHERx is proud to congratulate our Controller, Tim Kelly, on his recognition as a 2019 Pittsburgh Business Times CFO of the Year honoree. Each year, The Pittsburgh Business Times recognizes financial professionals in western Pennsylvania for their outstanding performance as corporate financial stewards. The 2019 honorees represent the diversity of Pittsburgh’s industries and were chosen by an independent panel of judges.

The 2019 CFO of the Year award program will be held at a celebratory reception on November 6th at the Omni William Penn.

Click here to read more about Tim Kelly and his role at PANTHERx.

About PANTHERx Rare
PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy, The Rare Disease Specialty Pharmacy®, is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. PANTHERx Rare’s mission is to transform lives by delivering medical breakthroughs, clinical excellence, and access solutions to patients afflicted with rare and devastating conditions. Every day we Define RxARE®, by developing focused solutions, bold innovations, and novel clinical services associated with the life-transforming therapies that we deliver.
PANTHERx was awarded 2018 Specialty Pharmacy of the Year by the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy as well as the American Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance. Zitter Health Insights awarded PANTHERx the Specialty Pharmacy Patient Choice Award winner for both 2017 and 2018. As a quad-accredited pharmacy, PANTHERx holds accreditations from URAC, VIPPS, ACHC, and CPPA.

PANTHERx is delighted to announce that we are a winner of the 2019 Pittsburgh Business Times Best Places to Work Award.

Over the past year PANTHERx has experienced tremendous growth and change; opening a third location, reimagining our brand, and introducing new leadership to the team. Through all the restructuring, policy enhancements, and planned growth of the business, PANTHERx recognized that we never wanted to lose our unique identity. Instead, PANTHERx strengthened our values, focused on our mission, and created community within our company. Winning this award is a clear indication that our culture is strong and that our employees are happy at work.

“We are One PANTHERx,” explains PANTHERx Chairman & CEO, Dr. Gordon J. Vanscoy. “Although PANTHERx consists of hundreds of hard-working people from multiple locations, we are one company working toward one common goal: improving the health of our rare disease patients. This award validates that our associates not only understand our meaningful mission but have taken it on as their own and are thriving in the environment that PANTHERx has worked so hard to create.”

PANTHERx has always cultivated talent and encouraged growth inside our organization. Employees who are able to explore their interests and develop their careers, who are encouraged to treat colleagues as extended family, and who are proud of the work they do, naturally exude more positivity to colleagues, partners, and patients. PANTHERx takes pride in knowing that our culture benefits our associates and the people we serve.

About Best Places to Work
The Best Places to Work Award gives employees an opportunity to rate and comment about the environments fostered by their companies. After a detailed survey and review process, the companies that receive the highest scores from their employees are recognized as having uniquely positive company cultures. Awards for the 2019 Best Places to Work winners will be distributed on October 17th at a ceremony held by the Pittsburgh Business Times.

About PANTHERx
PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy, The Rare Disease Specialty Pharmacy®, is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. PANTHERx Rare’s mission is to transform lives by delivering medical breakthroughs, clinical excellence, and access solutions to patients afflicted with rare and devastating conditions. Every day we Define RxARE®, by developing focused solutions, bold innovations, and novel clinical services associated with the life-transforming therapies that we deliver.

PANTHERx was awarded 2018 Specialty Pharmacy of the Year by the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy as well as the American Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance. Zitter Health Insights awarded PANTHERx the Specialty Pharmacy Patient Choice Award winner for both 2017 and 2018. As a quad-accredited pharmacy, PANTHERx holds accreditations from URAC, VIPPS, ACHC, and CPPA.