Diplomat launches specialty benefit manager CastiaRx
Diplomat Pharmacy has introduced its CastiaRx specialty benefit manager in a move it said is responding to industry demand. The Flint, Mich.-based specialty pharmacy said it combines the PBM capabilities of its recently acquired LDI Integrated Pharmacy Services and National Pharmaceutical Services, as well as Diplomat’s infusion and specialty expertise to offer high-level patient support.
“The current PBM model wasn't designed to address the challenges that come with specialty drugs,” said Albert Thigpen, president and COO of CastiaRx. “While CastiaRx offers traditional PBM services, we also bring broader depth to address the intricacies of specialty pharmacy management — under both the pharmacy and medical benefit. With 24/7 patient support, advanced analytic capabilities, and clinical expertise founded on a centers-of-excellence approach, we can help patients achieve the best possible outcomes.”
The company also said that CastiaRx is designed to help manage specialty costs, which the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science recently projected would make up more than 50% of U.S. drug spend by 2020. CastiaRx tailors support based on a patient’s clinical status, communication preferences and illness stage with the goal of improving patient outcomes while increasing adherence and closing gaps in care.
“Managing specialty drug spend is part of our company's DNA,” Diplomat president Joel Saban said. “We saw tremendous synergies between Diplomat's longstanding efforts in this area and those of our PBMs. Uniting all this under CastiaRx can relieve the complexity of specialty drug management for small and midsize payers as we provide a true solution to help them prepare for what's ahead.”
“The current PBM model wasn't designed to address the challenges that come with specialty drugs,” said Albert Thigpen, president and COO of CastiaRx. “While CastiaRx offers traditional PBM services, we also bring broader depth to address the intricacies of specialty pharmacy management — under both the pharmacy and medical benefit. With 24/7 patient support, advanced analytic capabilities, and clinical expertise founded on a centers-of-excellence approach, we can help patients achieve the best possible outcomes.”
The company also said that CastiaRx is designed to help manage specialty costs, which the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science recently projected would make up more than 50% of U.S. drug spend by 2020. CastiaRx tailors support based on a patient’s clinical status, communication preferences and illness stage with the goal of improving patient outcomes while increasing adherence and closing gaps in care.
“Managing specialty drug spend is part of our company's DNA,” Diplomat president Joel Saban said. “We saw tremendous synergies between Diplomat's longstanding efforts in this area and those of our PBMs. Uniting all this under CastiaRx can relieve the complexity of specialty drug management for small and midsize payers as we provide a true solution to help them prepare for what's ahead.”