From a Specialty Pharmacy Liaison:  On Thursday I received an urgent call from the wife of a current specialty pharmacy patient. She explained she had to retire early, forcing her to change health insurance providers. Because she depends on a monthly check that doesn't cover the cost of her specialty medications, she was wondering if we could provide the same amazing care that we provide her husband.

I told her we most certainly would help her out any way we could, and she began to cry. She said her local pharmacy told her a newly prescribed heart medication would cost her more than $400 per month, and her new insulin out-of-pocket cost would be more than $700 per month. I told her not to worry because we would take care of her.

After hanging up, I wanted to verify whether or not she had secondary insurance, and thankfully she did. So I requested that all her medications be transferred into the Hospital's Specialty Pharmacy. While some of her medications had high copays, her secondary insurance reduced those out-of-pocket costs. I called her back to tell her what I had discovered and that I contacted the appropriate offices to advise of some new prior authorizations that were needed before we could fill her prescriptions. I also let her know we could dispense a free 30-day trial of her heart medication, and it would be delivered the next day. The patient said, "I can't believe people like you exist! The care you provide is out of this world."