Specialty drugs are typically newer, complex, high-value medications that are rapidly becoming standard treatment for many rare and chronic conditions. According to Information Medical Statistics (IMS) Health, United States specialty net spending rose from 24.7% in 2008 to 46.5% in 2017. Specialty medicines are rapidly approaching half of total drug spend. Across all settings, specialty medicines treat relatively few patients and have costs far higher per patient than traditional medicines.
In this paper, myMatrixx will identify the significant patient populations where specialty drugs are the treatment of choice, including injured workers who have undergone orthopedic surgery, workers who have been exposed to HIV or hepatitis C, patients with conditions such as ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis as well as other key groups. Since these treatments also require enhanced clinical monitoring and medication management to ensure successful outcomes, this report will also cover the important role that pharmacy benefits managers play in this process.