As a five-time MMIT Patient Choice Award Winner with a portfolio of 25+ rare programs, PANTHERx attributes much of our success to our ability to hire and cultivate talent while simultaneously investing in state-of-the-art proprietary technology systems. With the expected surge of FDA rare medication approvals over the next decade, talent and technology will become increasingly crucial in order to continue to serve this growing patient population. To successfully complete, pharmacies will be required to adapt and scale their operations, expanding their knowledge and experience while keeping patient care front of mind.

Click here to read our latest article A Best-in-Class Approach from PANTHERx Rare: Harnessing Talent and Technology to Improve Service to Patients Living with Rare Disease as authored by our Trade Relations and Data Analytics Manager, Marissa Puc, Pharm.D.

Change has been a constant in the specialty pharmacy industry since its inception over two decades ago. New medications are routinely launched, more patient populations receive treatment, and public awareness of rare diseases has increased. Additionally, industry players and their specialty pharmacy management strategies have evolved to meet the needs of increasingly complicated treatments and the patients they serve.

Click here to read the latest article from PANTHERx Specialty Pharmacy Channel Strategy Evolves as Rare Disease Drug Launches Become More Prevalent as authored by our Vice President of Rare Markets, Justin Smerker, Pharm.D., MPBA.

The History of Rare Disease Day

On February 29^th, 2008, EURORDIS, a non-profit patient alliance of now nearly one thousand organizations from 73 countries, celebrated the first Rare Disease Day with its Council of National Alliances across Europe. Leap Day was specifically chosen for this special designation as it is a “rare” day that occurs only once every four years. Although advocating for rare diseases is a constant determination, setting aside a special day for combined efforts provides an avenue for patients, specialists, policy makers, activists, and support organizations across the world to amplify the voice of the rare disease community.

Over the last fourteen years, the final day of February has been a day of hope, celebration, and awareness for people and families living with the daily repercussions of rare diseases. This globally coordinated movement has played a critical part in building the rare disease community to the force it is today, working towards equity in social opportunity, healthcare, and access to diagnosis and therapies for people living with a rare disease.

Rare Disease Day provides an energy and focal point that enables rare diseases advocacy work to progress on the local, national, and international levels, through people and organizations that are multi-disease and diverse, but united in purpose.

Defining Rare Pharmacy

PANTHERx was founded with the mission to transform lives by delivering medical breakthroughs, clinical excellence, and access solutions to people living with rare and devastating conditions. Since our founding, PANTHERx has grown to dispense 25+ rare and orphan medications while supporting tens of thousands of patients across the country through our proprietary RxARECARE® programs and SWFT® technology systems.

“Rare Disease Day is a chance for us to celebrate the lives improved, the research performed, the medications launched, and the hope created, with our patients, associates, partners, and the rare disease community we serve,” said Rob Snyder, President of PANTHERx. “We are immeasurably proud of the role that PANTHERx and our associates have played in the health journeys of patients and families across the country. We are constantly evolving to meet the needs of new patient populations and expanded indications, while taping into elevated technology, and prioritizing the varying personal goals and preferences of the patients who are at the center of all we do. The passion and purpose of Rare Disease Day helps to fuel the fire for organizations like ours to continue to fervently pursue improved health outcomes for our patients.”

PANTHERx offers dozens of enhanced fully customizable services to our patients and partners ranging from rapid refill capabilities and patient text notifications to custom fulfillment and shipping solutions, and tailored data analytic suites. Our clinical and technical capabilities shine in each of our programs, but it is our personal touch, our ethos of sincere care, that sets PANTHERx apart.

Showing Your Support

Everyone, including individuals, families, caregivers, healthcare professionals, researchers, clinicians, policy makers, industry representatives, and the general public, can participate in raising awareness and taking action today for people living with rare diseases. Visit rarediseaseday.org to find information about the thousands of events happening around the world in celebration of rare diseases. Follow PANTHERx on social media and like, comment on, and repost our Rare Disease Day posts to spread the word about this important day with your family, friends, and connections.

To download your own digital and printable media, please visit https://www.rarediseaseday.org/downloads/ We always love to hear from you – tag us in your posts!

About PANTHERx Rare

PANTHERx Rare is one of the largest and fastest growing rare pharmacies in the United States. PANTHERx transforms lives by delivering medicine breakthroughs, clinical excellence, and access solutions to people living with rare and devastating conditions. Although the overall incidence of rare diseases is as common as diabetes, less than 7% of the 7,000 known rare and devastating disorders have an FDA-approved therapy. Changes in federal policy and advances in science have led to a surge in FDA orphan drug approvals, providing tremendous hope to the rare disease community.

PANTHERx was recently awarded Specialty Pharmacy of the Year by the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) and earned the inaugural Accredited Distinction in Rare Diseases and Orphan Drugs from the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). PANTHERx is a four-time winner of the prestigious MMIT Patient Choice Award, including the 2021 honor. PANTHERx is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, licensed in all 50 states, and holds accreditations from URAC, NABP, and ACHC.

What is Rare Disease Day?
As scientific breakthroughs have emerged and modern forms of communication have connected patients, specialists, policy makers, activists, and support organizations across the word, the Rare Disease Community has grown and so has its passion to raise awareness in support of rare disease research and patient advocacy. In 2008, EURORDIS, a non-profit patient alliance of now nearly one thousand organizations from 73 countries, wanted to set aside a special day for combined efforts to raise awareness about the prevalence of rare diseases. Leap Day was specifically chosen for this special designation as it is a “rare” day that occurs only once every four years.

The first Rare Disease Day was celebrated on February 29th, 2008 by EURORDIS and its Council of National Alliances across Europe. The tradition quickly spread around the world, amplifying the voice of the rare disease community. Over the last thirteen years, the final day of February has been a day of hope, celebration, and awareness for people and families living with the daily repercussions of rare diseases. It is a chance for advocates, policy makers, and healthcare organizations to celebrate the wins; the research performed, the medications launched, and the patients who have received hope and the chance to live a more healthy life; while recognizing that there is much more research to perform, many more medications to launch, and still many more patients who are living with rare diseases desperate for answers.

PANTHERx Rare: Where Every Day is Rare Disease Day
PANTHERx Rare, now a part of Centene’s Envolve Pharmacy Solutions, is the one of the largest and fastest growing rare pharmacies in the United States. We dispense nearly two dozen rare and orphan medications while supporting tens of thousands of patients across the country through our proprietary RxARECARE® programs and SWFT® technology systems.

“We are constantly evolving, reimagining old programs and creating new ones for the benefit of our patients and their families,” said Rob Snyder, President of PANTHERx Rare. “We have cultivated teams of people who understand operations, business, leadership, and most importantly, rare diseases. Our associates provide every PANTHERx patient with a unique combination of clinical knowledge and personal empathy. We are so invested in the lives of our patients that their wins are our wins—at PANTHERx, every day is Rare Disease Day and we celebrate it.”

PANTHERx offers dozens of enhanced fully customizable services to our patients and partners ranging from rapid refill capabilities and patient text notifications to custom fulfillment and shipping solutions and tailored data analytics suites. Our technical and clinical capabilities shine in each of our programs, but it is our personal touch, our ethos of sincere care, that sets PANTHERx apart.

Rare Disease Day: Participate with PANTHERx
Visit rarediseaseday.org to find information about the thousands of events happening around the world on the last day of February. Follow PANTHERx on social media and like, comment on, and repost our Rare Disease Day posts to spread the word about this important day with your family, friends, and connections.

To download your own digital and printable media, please visit https://www.rarediseaseday.org/downloads/

We always love to hear from you – tag us in your posts!

About PANTHERx Rare
PANTHERx Rare, a Centene Envolve Pharmacy Solutions company, transforms lives by delivering medicine breakthroughs, clinical excellence, and access solutions to patients afflicted with rare and devastating conditions. Although the incidence is as common as diabetes, less than 7% of the 7,000 known rare and devastating disorders have an approved therapy. Changes in federal policy and advances in science have led to a surge in FDA orphan drug approvals, providing tremendous hope to the rare disease community.

PANTHERx was recently awarded Specialty Pharmacy of the Year by the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) and earned the inaugural Accredited Distinction in Rare Diseases and Orphan Drugs from the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). PANTHERx is a three-time winner of the prestigious MMIT Patient Choice Award, including the 2020 honor. PANTHERx is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, licensed in all 50 states, and holds accreditations from URAC, NABP, and ACHC.

PANTHERx is pleased to announce the receipt of another Pittsburgh Business Times Best Places to Work Award, adding to a history of success.

PANTHERx is not afraid to break molds, be nimble, and reimagine programs for better outcomes. This flexibility has always served the organization well, but it is particularly crucial during this time, when communication and teamwork are more essential than ever. Although many associates have been working remotely, PANTHERx continued to foster a positive working environment and collaborative culture, while delivering the same level of exceptional care to our patients. Winning this award is a clear indication that the associates continue to feel a strong sense of community and are pleased with our cumulative efforts in the face of the pandemic.

PANTHERx takes pride in the stated company values and is dedicated to living them every day. The positive-mindset culture fosters the building of relationships in remote work environment while developing skills as both individuals and teams. As a ultra-fast-growing company, PANTHERx will continue to adapt so that employees feel constantly supported and respected. At PANTHERx the #1 priority is making sure our patients are fully satisfied, and the best way to do that is by taking care of the people that directly impact rare patients; the PANTHERx associates.

About Best Places to Work
The Best Places to Work Award provides employees with an opportunity to consider, rate, and comment on the culture of their companies. Consideration for this award is afforded to companies whose employees undergo a detailed survey process and subsequent response review. The companies that receive the highest scores are recognized as having positive workplace environments and cultures. Awards for the 2020 Best Places to Work winners will be announced during a virtual ceremony held by the Pittsburgh Business Times on December 3rd, 2020.

About PANTHERx® Rare Pharmacy
PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy, the largest independent and fastest growing specialty pharmacy in the United States, transforms lives by delivering medicine breakthroughs, clinical excellence, and access solutions to patients afflicted with rare and devastating conditions. Although the incidence is as common as diabetes, less than 7% of the 7,000 known rare and devastating disorders have an approved therapy. Changes in federal policy and advances in science have led to a surge in FDA orphan drug approvals, providing tremendous hope to the rare disease community.

PANTHERx was recently awarded Specialty Pharmacy of the Year by the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) and earned the inaugural Accredited Distinction in Rare Diseases and Orphan Drugs from the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). PANTHERx is a three-time winner of the prestigious MMIT Patient Choice Award including the 2020 honor. PANTHERx is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, licensed in all 50 states, and holds accreditations from URAC, NABP, ACHC, and CPPA.

Smart Business Magazine has announced that Dr. Gordon J. Vanscoy, Chairman & CEO of PANTHERx Rare & RareMed Solutions, was selected as a 2020 Smart 50 Award honoree. Since 2014, the Pittsburgh Smart 50 Awards have recognized the top executives from the 50 smartest companies in the Greater Pittsburgh region. Honorees are selected for their ability to effectively build and lead successful organizations, and for their exemplary performance in the areas of innovation, impact, and sustainability. This is Dr. Vanscoy’s second appearance on the Smart 50 list. He was previously honored as an awardee in 2016.

With Pittsburgh’s advances in the industries of health care, education, and software engineering in recent decades, our city has become a hub of innovation. Companies in our region are paving the way for green initiatives, inclusive management structures, unique leadership styles, and positive corporate cultures. This year’s Smart 50 Program was incredibly rigorous with nearly 100 applicants.

“I am humbled to be named a 2020 Smart 50 Honoree,” said PANTHERx & RareMed’s Chairman & CEO, Dr. Gordon J. Vanscoy. “The award is a cause for celebration in the midst of tumultuous times and for recognizing my incredible leadership teams, and all of the associates at both PANTHERx Rare and RareMed Solutions. I am proud to lead two Pittsburgh-based national companies that are innovatively affecting positive change, not only in the Pittsburgh region, but on the broad rare disease community.”

Gordon will be celebrated during a special virtual event on November 19, 2020. All 50 honorees will be introduced, and three organizations will be singled out to win specialty awards for their achievements in the categories of impact, innovation, and sustainability. Additionally, all guests will have the opportunity to hear from this year’s keynote speaker about what it takes to lead a successful “smart” company.

Click here to learn more about the Smart 50 Awards & the Virtual Event on November 19th, 2020.

Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) announced today that Dr. Gordon J. Vanscoy, Chairman & CEO of PANTHERx Rare & RareMed Solutions, was named a 2020 Entrepreneur of The Year® East Central Award winner. As a regional award winner, Dr. Vanscoy is eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur of The Year National Awards, to be announced in November during a virtual awards gala. The Entrepreneur of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur of The Year™ Award in June 2021.

Entrepreneur of The Year is a preeminent competitive award programs for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. The nominees are evaluated based on six criteria, including overcoming adversity; financial performance; societal impact and commitment to building a values-based company; innovation; and talent management. Since its launch, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries around the world.

Entrepreneur of The Year Award winners become lifetime members of a global, multi-industry community of entrepreneurs, with exclusive, ongoing access to the experience, insight and wisdom of program alumni and other ecosystem members in over 60 countries.

Follow PANTHERx & RareMed on our blogs and through our social media channels to learn about Dr. Vanscoy’s ongoing participation in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America and the Kauffman Foundation.

In East Central, sponsors also include PNC Bank, VRC, Morgan Lewis, Oswald Companies, and Smart Business.

About Entrepreneur of The Year^®

Entrepreneur of The Year^® is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. Winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur of The Year™ title. ey.com/en_us/entrepreneur-of-the-year-us

About EY Private

As Advisors to the ambitious™, EY Private professionals possess the experience and passion to support private businesses and their owners in unlocking the full potential of their ambitions. EY Private teams offer distinct insights born from the long EY history of working with business owners and entrepreneurs. These teams support the full spectrum of private enterprises including private capital managers and investors and the portfolio businesses they fund, business owners, family businesses, family offices and entrepreneurs.

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, strategy, transaction and consulting services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/en_gl/legal-and-privacy. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

In May of 2020 PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy shared the news that we had been officially recognized as a prestigious US Best Managed Company for overall business performance and sustained growth. The US Best Managed Company designation, sponsored by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal, was, and is, the preeminent distinction for privately owned and managed businesses in the United States, based on criteria such as management abilities in the areas of strategy, execution, culture, financials, and overall business practices.

The leadership that earned us this award is the same leadership that has led us through the pandemic. We continue to look for ways to improve the employee, patient, and partner experience as we navigate work from home, digital communication, expanded technology, and our ever-present desire to maintain that human touch.

Recently, PANTHERx has had more reasons to celebrate, more reasons for our associates to feel proud, more reasons to believe that the measures we have taken during this global crisis were the right measures for our PANTHERx family.

Since May of 2020 we have:

• Graduated our 2020 Fellowship Class and brought on our 2021 Fellowship Class, the largest yet
• Added three unique rare medications to our portfolio
• Achieved the exclusive “Honor Roll Status” as an Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Company in America for a 5^th Consecutive Year
• Celebrated the achievements of our Chairman & CEO, Dr. Gordon J. Vanscoy, as a 2020 East Central Award Finalist in EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Program

Just last week PANTHERx was named a 2020 Top Workplace by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. PANTHERx was the only pharmacy named as a top place to work across all three categories (large, midsize, and small). We were also the #1 rated health care company in the midsize category. PANTHERx was further named a winner of the Manager Award in the specialty award category, receiving top marks for the criteria, “My manager helps me learn and grow, my manager makes it easier to do my job well, my manager cares about my concerns.”

Each of the awards that PANTHERx earns brings tremendous gratification to our organization, the latest recognition from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette holds even greater meaning as it was earned through the feedback from our employees.

PANTHERx Rare is proud to announce that it has been awarded a 2020 Top Workplaces by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Awardees are determined by associate feedback to an anonymous survey facilitated by Energage. The survey measures 15 identified drivers of engaged cultures and successful organizations, including alignment, execution, and connection. This year PANTHERx is one of only 93 companies to make the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s List of Top Workplaces.

“PANTHERx has a rich history of success with ‘Top Workplaces Awards’. It is an immense point of pride for our organization and its leaders that our associates are happy to work at PANTHERx,” said Dr. Gordon J. Vanscoy, Chairman & CEO of PANTHERx Rare. “The deep roots of our culture and laser focus of our social mission has allowed PANTHERx’s workplace atmosphere to thrive, even during these times where we cannot be physically present with each other in the same capacity that we used to be. It is amazing that PANTHERx’s culture truly transcends the walls of our offices, and instead lives in each of our associates as they carryout their duties for the benefit of our rare disease patients.”

PANTHERx Rare will be recognized among other Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Top Workplace honorees at a virtual event in the coming weeks.

About PANTHERx Rare
PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy, the largest independent and fastest growing specialty pharmacy in the United States, transforms lives by delivering medicine breakthroughs, clinical excellence, and access solutions to patients afflicted with rare and devastating conditions. Although the incidence is as common as diabetes, less than 7% of the 7,000 known rare and devastating disorders have an approved therapy. Changes in federal policy and advances in science have led to a surge in FDA orphan drug approvals, providing tremendous hope to the rare disease community.

PANTHERx was recently awarded Specialty Pharmacy of the Year by the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) and earned the inaugural Accredited Distinction in Rare Diseases and Orphan Drugs from the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). PANTHERx is a three-time winner of the prestigious MMIT Patient Choice Award, including the 2020 honor. PANTHERx is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, licensed in all 50 states, and holds accreditations from URAC, NABP, and ACHC.

About Energage
Energage offers a fully unified SaaS platform, plus support and professional services, to help organizations recruit and retain the right talent. As a B-Corporation founding member, Energage has committed itself to the purpose of making the world a better place to work together. Based on 14 years of culture research, the engine behind 51 Top Workplaces programs across the country, and data gathered from over 20 million employees at 60,000 organizations, Energage has isolated the 15 drivers of engaged cultures that are critical to the success of any business, and developed the tools and expertise to help organizations measure, shape and showcase their unique culture to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. For more information, please visit energage.com.

Celebrating the unstoppable entrepreneurs whose ambitions transform our world

Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) announced today that Dr. Gordon J. Vanscoy, Chairman & CEO of PANTHERx Rare, was named an Entrepreneur of The Year^® 2020 East Central Award finalist. Now in its 34th year, the Entrepreneur of The Year program honors entrepreneurial business leaders whose ambitions deliver innovation, growth and prosperity as they build and sustain successful businesses that transform our world. Dr. Vanscoy was selected as one of 26 finalists from nearly 100 nominations by a panel of independent judges.

Award winners will be announced through a special virtual event on October 7, 2020 and will join a lifelong community of esteemed Entrepreneur of The Year alumni from around the world. This year, unstoppable entrepreneurs who have provided extraordinary support for their communities, employees and others during the COVID-19 crisis will also be recognized for their courage, resilience and ingenuity.

Entrepreneur of The Year is one of the preeminent competitive award programs for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. The nominees are evaluated based on six criteria, including overcoming adversity; financial performance; societal impact and commitment to building a values-based company; innovation; and talent management. Since its launch, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries around the world.

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur of The Year National Awards, to be announced in November during a virtual awards gala. The Entrepreneur of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur of The Year™ Award in June 2021.

Entrepreneur of The Year Award winners become lifetime members of a global, multi-industry community of entrepreneurs, with exclusive, ongoing access to the experience, insight and wisdom of program alumni and other ecosystem members in over 60 countries.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America and the Kauffman Foundation.

In East Central, sponsors also include PNC Bank, VRC, Morgan Lewis, Oswald Companies, and Smart Business.

About Entrepreneur of The Year^®

Entrepreneur of The Year^® is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. Winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur of The Year™ title. ey.com/us/eoy

About EY Private

As Advisors to the ambitious™, EY Private professionals possess the experience and passion to support private businesses and their owners in unlocking the full potential of their ambitions. EY Private teams offer distinct insights born from the long EY history of working with business owners and entrepreneurs. These teams support the full spectrum of private enterprises including private capital managers and investors and the portfolio businesses they fund, business owners, family businesses, family offices and entrepreneurs.

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, strategy, transaction and consulting services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.