What Makes a Drug “Special?” — Defining Specialty Medications

Webinar Recorded on Feb. 18, 2021

Download Presentation

Specialty medications make up a significant portion of pharmaceutical spending but only a small proportion of total prescriptions. A consistent definition of “specialty” medications remains elusive, but certain characteristics help identify these medications. This student pharmacist session will describe the characteristics of specialty medications and some of the unique aspects of this category, including a discussion on biosimilars, benefit design challenges, and introductory specialty channel management.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the session the attendee will be able to:

1. Determine the characteristics that classify drugs as specialty medications
2. Explain the roles of specialty pharmacies
3. Describe basic benefit design and channel management strategies for specialty medications
4. Discuss various aspects of biosimilars, including naming mechanisms and limitations to market uptake

Speaker:

• Steven Kheloussi, PharmD, MBA
  Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
  Wilkes University