PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy is proud to have again earned the #1 ranking in the quarterly patient satisfaction survey conducted by MMIT, an independent national survey entity. For the fourth quarter of 2020, PANTHERx obtained the highest Net Promoter Score (NPS) among all pharmacies surveyed. Net Promoter Score (NPS) is compiled by asking patients, on a scale of 0 to 10, how likely they would be to recommend their specialty pharmacy to a friend or family member. With an NPS of 98 (out of 100), PANTHERx scored 42 points higher than the industry average.

“The MMIT Specialty Pharmacy Patient Satisfaction surveys are a way for our patients to actively and anonymously rate PANTHERx’s services and the level of care we provide. Our consistently high rankings are an immense source of pride for our company and an accomplishment celebrated by our associates. To have scored so excellently during 2020, a year fraught with challenges, shows the solid foundation of our company, our processes, our programs, and our people,” said Rob Snyder, President of PANTHERx Rare.

PANTHERx received perfect NPS scores from people living with Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome, Hypophosphatasia, and Infantile Spasms amongst others.

The PANTHERx team is proud to have earned such high marks from its patients, validating the team’s authentic dedication to white-glove rare patient care:

• PANTHERx ranked best when patients were asked if they would be unhappy if they were forced to switch to a different specialty pharmacy, with 96% saying they would be VERY Unhappy.
• 73% of patients reported monthly treatment outreach from PANTHERx, more than double the industry average.
• 100% of patients surveyed indicated that they are satisfied with the time it takes for PANTHERx to fill their prescription.
• 100% of patients surveyed indicated that they are satisfied with the amount of time it takes to speak with a live person when they call PANTHERx with a question.

About PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy
PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy, now part of Centene’s Envolve Pharmacy Solutions, is one of the largest and fastest growing rare pharmacies in the United States. PANTHERx Rare transforms lives by delivering medicine breakthroughs, clinical excellence, and access solutions to patients afflicted with rare and devastating conditions. Although the incidence of rare disease 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 Rare Pharmacy earns a spot on exclusive list as a Top 10 Specialty Pharmacy of 2019 as reported by Adam Fein, Ph.D., CEO of Drug Channels Institute. The list, based on specialty drug dispensing revenues, includes PBM-owned, hospital-owned, and independent specialty pharmacies.

“As the largest independent specialty pharmacy, PANTHERx Rare is proud to have secured a place on Drug Channels’ Top Specialty Pharmacies list,” said Dr. Gordon J. Vanscoy, Chairman and CEO of PANTHERx. “The PANTHERx team has earned the #1 position as fastest growing specialty pharmacy on the list. We remain steadfast to growing in a strategic, controlled, and organic manner that allows us to serve more patients afflicted with rare disorders without compromising our reputation for award winning patient satisfaction. By Defining Rare Pharmacy™, PANTHERx continues to exceed the expectations of our biopharma partners, simplify processes for providers, bring value to payors and provide people living with rare diseases unsurpassed care and personalized support services.”

Read the article on Drug Channels.

This year, the highly respected Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy (JMCP) celebrates its 25th anniversary. To mark this milestone, they are publishing a series of landmark articles documenting the changes to the specialty pharmacy industry since the journal began publishing in 1995. This month the featured pairing highlights the state, growth, and challenges of the specialty pharmacy industry through the eyes of a father and son team.

Dr. Gordon J. Vanscoy, Chairman & CEO of PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy, as well RareMed Solutions, contributed the first peer-reviewed article some twenty years ago, describing the emergence, challenges, and forecasted the potential of a new area specialty pharmacy, which was in its infancy. Since that publication in 2000, Dr. Vanscoy contributed to the realization of his predictions and has aided in reinventing specialty, revolutionizing pharmacy, and redefining care with a portfolio of successful biotech/healthcare companies, numerous publications, and significant industry influence. This past year Dr. Vanscoy led PANTHERx Rare into a new realm of specialty pharmacy; rare pharmacy, a step for the industry that was unimagined 20 years ago.

The pharmacy industry has undoubtedly felt the influence of Dr. Vanscoy and PANTHERx Rare as he and the company have raised the bar for quality patient care and advocated for educating the next generation of pharmacy leaders, among them Dr. Vanscoy’s son Gannon, RareMed Solution’s Director of Specialty Markets and a 2019 Pittsburgh Business Times 30 Under 30 Honoree.

In his accompanying article for JMCP, Gannon Vanscoy nods to the title of his father’s publication titling his The Reemergence of Specialty Pharmacy. His case for reemergence is centered around the growth and maturation of the specialty pharmacy industry as well as legislative changes, medical advancements, and a progressive approach by the FDA that has led to the increase in the number of specialty and orphan drugs available for people who have been suffering from unique diseases and desperate for answers and treatment options.

The perspectives of father and son are important as we measure our progress as an industry over the last 20 years while rearticulating our commitment to progress in faster strides than previously imagined. Everyday there are more targeted drugs to approve, more diseases to genetically research, and most importantly more people and more families to care for with highly advanced medicines and coordinated services.

For the Vanscoys’ the specialty pharmacy industry and the rare pharmacy subspecialty have always been uniquely challenging and a profoundly rewarding, but now as a “family business” it has taken on even greater personal significance. “In my life my family, followed by my career, have always held top ranks. To share passions with your children is gratifying, but when those collective passions help other families the feeling is extraordinary. I am proud of the advancements that specialty pharmacy has seen since the JMCP publication 20 years ago and I am energized for the impact that my family (both sons and daughter-in-law) and our companies will continue to have on this health industry in the years and decades to come.”

Read Dr. Gordon Vanscoy’s and Gannon Vanscoy’s publications in Volume 26, Issue 3 of The Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy.

Read more about Dr. Gordon J. Vanscoy.

Read more about Gannon Vanscoy.

PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy is proud to have again earned the #1 ranking in the quarterly patient satisfaction survey conducted by Zitter Health Insights, an independent national survey entity. For the fourth quarter of 2019, PANTHERx obtained the highest Net Promoter Score (NPS) among all independent specialty pharmacies surveyed. Net Promoter Score (NPS) is compiled by asking patients, on a scale of 0 to 10, how likely they would be to recommend their specialty pharmacy to a friend or family member. With an NPS of 91 (out of 100) PANTHERx scored 37 points higher than the fourth-quarter 2019 industry average of 54 points.

“Our rare focus sets PANTHERx apart in the specialty pharmacy space. While we continue to grow, we maintain the mindset that if we can serve more patients than we served yesterday, while having every patient feel they have our undivided attention, then we are fulfilling our mission. The Zitter Health Insights surveys reflects that every member of our team is wholly invested in the quality care, health, happiness, and satisfaction of our patients,” said Dr. Gordon J. Vanscoy, Chairman & CEO of PANTHERx.

PANTHERx received perfect NPS scores from patients living with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) and pulmonology, amongst others.

The PANTHERx team is proud to have earned such high marks from its patients, validating the team’s authentic dedication to white-glove rare patient care:

• PANTHERx ranked best when patients were asked if they would be unhappy if they were forced to switch to a different specialty pharmacy, with 94% saying they would be VERY Unhappy.
• 81% of patients reported monthly treatment outreach from PANTHERx, compared to 33% for the industry overall.
• 96% of patients surveyed indicated that they are satisfied with the existing telephone hold times at PANTHERx.

About PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy

PANTHERx RARE Pharmacy, the nation’s largest independent specialty pharmacy and only health entity with an accredited distinction (ACHC) in rare 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 the 2018 Specialty Pharmacy of the Year by the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy. Zitter Health Insights awarded PANTHERx the Specialty Pharmacy Patient Choice Award for two consecutive years. As a quadruple-accredited pharmacy, PANTHERx holds accreditations from URAC, VIPPS, ACHC, and CPPA.

The end of the decade brought with it an exciting and critical trend for people living with rare diseases. Over the last eight years, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) approved more than twice as many orphan drugs as in the previous eight years (see graph below).

It is often the case that people living with rare diseases face a long and difficult journey to diagnosis. During this time patients are going from doctor to doctor in search of answers, treatments, and hope that they are on the path the health. Too often patients go undiagnosed or, perhaps worse, are diagnosed and sadly informed that there is no treatment for their particular rare condition.

The number of annual orphan drug approvals are trending in favor of the rare disease community, but not as quickly as is necessary for the people suffering daily from the implications of their conditions. Every orphan drug approval is certainly a scientific advancement and the epitome of hope for patients and their families who have waited years, maybe decades for a viable treatment option. Unfortunately, the majority of people living with rare diseases (roughly 95%) are still waiting for the creation and approval of drugs to treat their conditions. While every new drug launch inspires hope in the rare disease community, each approval is also a reminder of the many treatments yet to be discovered and many people who are not yet able to rely on tailored medications for their complex health needs.

PANTHERx is proud of our contributions to the strides made in rare pharmacy over the last decade and we are committed to greater advancements in the decade ahead. We continue to support our rare disease community and work fervently with our industry leading partners to offer more breakthrough therapies, more care programs, and more hope to patients and their families who deserve the best level of care and quality of life that our world’s ever advancing medicines can provide.

New Drug Therapy Approvals 2019

FY 2019 Report from CBER’s Director

PANTHERx® Rare Pharmacy announces that it has been selected by Harmony Biosciences, LLC (Harmony) to distribute WAKIX® (pitolisant). PANTHERx is one of a select few specialty pharmacies providing nationwide access to the medication.

“We are excited to be a part of the WAKIX® distribution network as we work with Harmony,” said Dr. Gordon Vanscoy, Chairman and CEO of PANTHERx.
The WAKIX™ for You Support Program is available to help patients get started and stay on track with WAKIX. The program also provides educational resources, works with insurance providers to determine coverage, and offers financial support programs for eligible patients. Patients prescribed WAKIX can call 1-855-WAKIX4U to enroll in the support program.

About PANTHERx® Rare Pharmacy
PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy, the nation’s only health entity with an accredited distinction (ACHC) in rare 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. Zitter Health Insights awarded PANTHERx the Specialty Pharmacy Patient Choice Award winner for two consecutive years. As a quad-accredited pharmacy, PANTHERx holds accreditations from URAC, VIPPS, ACHC, and CPPA.

September 6, 2019 – Pittsburgh, PA

PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for a Pharmacy Management System (PMS) that would replace the current digital operational environment and database structure. The RFI specifically seeks to provide PANTHERx Rare with the understanding of available marketplace solutions to enable pharmaceutical services in rare and orphan populations. The breadth of these interests and needs include operational workflow, revenue cycle management, patient record management, inventory control, shipping interfaces, prescription processing, communication capabilities, and custom data reporting. October 31st, 2019, is the current posted due date.