NASP Speciality Pharmacy Podcast

This special episode of the NASP podcast features MedAdvisor leaders Megan Butterfield, Vice President of Network Solutions and Vinod Subramanian, Chief Operating and AI Officer in conversation with Shelia Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, as part of a collaborative spotlight for MedAdvisor Solutions' Beyond the Script podcast series. They discuss how AI, when applied thoughtfully, can help us not only meet the demands of patients’ increasingly intricate care journeys, but do so in a way that enhances the human experience, facilitating personalized engagement, real-time education, empathy and trust, while keeping what's special about specialty pharmacy. 

In this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Jonathan L. Swichar, Partner and Chair of the Duane Morris Pharmacy Litigation Group, and Bradley A. Wasser, Partner, Duane Morris, LLP. They discuss the dramatically shifting legal and regulatory landscape facing non-PBM affiliated specialty pharmacies and recent federal efforts that are reshaping the ways specialty pharmacies do business.

In this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Jeffrey S. Baird, Esq., Chairman of the Health Care Group at Brown & Fortunato, P.C. and Bradley W. Howard, shareholder and director at Brown & Fortunato, P.C. In today’s environment, it is challenging enough to profitably run a specialty pharmacy. The pharmacy needs to avoid the additional challenge of inquiries, audits and investigations by governmental agencies and PBMs. This podcast will discuss the proactive steps the specialty pharmacy can take to lower the risk of inquiries, audits and investigations. This podcast will also set out steps the pharmacy can take to resolve inquiries, audits and investigations before they spin out of control. The podcast will focus on the following:• Corporate Compliance Program – The specialty pharmacy needs to implement a robust compliance program that is specific to the pharmacy’s business model. Such a program will head off many problems before they arise…and a compliance program will resolve problems, once arisen, before they spin out of control.• PBMs – A PBM is in a stronger negotiating position than that of the specialty pharmacy. At the end of the day, the PBM “possesses the pharmacy’s money.” This podcast will discuss the steps the pharmacy should take to establish a “win-win” relationship with a PBM. Doing so will eliminate uncertainty and prevent many problems from arising. However, if the PBM ends up bringing an inquiry, audit or investigation against the pharmacy, the podcast will set out the steps the pharmacy should take to resolve the inquiry, audit or investigation without it devolving into an adversarial action.• Governmental Agencies – There are a number of federal and state governmental agencies that a specialty pharmacy may have to deal with. These include (i) the Department of Justice, (ii) the Office of Inspector General, (iii) the DEA, (iv) the FDA, (v) state Attorneys General, and (vi) State Boards of Pharmacy. This podcast will discuss the steps the pharmacy should take when it is investigated by a governmental agency. As with working with PBMs, the pharmacy should strive to resolve a government investigation before it spins out of control. 

In this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Jessie Heaton, PharmD, MBA, CSP, Vice President of Specialty and Infusion at Maxor, and Michelle Mulgrew, PharmD, Vice President of Commercial Specialty Market Development at Maxor, about specialty pharmacy’s role in rare disease patient care management and how to empower patients, prescribers, and manufacturers to navigate complex clinical needs.
 

In this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Dean Erhardt, President & CEO of D2 Solutions. They discuss how specialty pharmacies can leverage technology and data analytics to navigate complex accreditation demands and automate high volume low value activity workflows so the expert clinicians can do what they do best - care for patients.

In this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Simone Colgan Dunlap, National Vice Chair of the Quarles' Health & Life Sciences Practice Group and Candace Lerman, JD, at Rare Candace. They discuss the current impacts of AI on the healthcare space and how those within specialty pharmacy may implement AI in ways that prevent detrimental outcomes, stay compliant with evolving regulations, avoid legal pitfalls, and ultimately benefit patients.

During this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Ketan Mehta, the visionary CEO of PrimeRx. They explore how the advancement of technology has changed the landscape of specialty pharmacy and ways digital integration can help specialty pharmacies achieve a patient-centric holistic ecosystem.

In this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Bridgette Kanz Schroader, PharmD, MPA, BCOP, Associate Director within the Medical Affairs Strategy & Publications team at Market Access & Healthcare Consulting, part of Cencora, and Laurie Fayzio, Head, Manufacturer Strategy, at FormularyDecisions. They explore the changing landscape of digital communication between biopharma companies and healthcare decision makers (HCDMs) and delve into 3 key topics that are crucial for effective engagement in the digital era with key decision makers: research on how HCDMs are utilizing digital resources and valuable insights into their preferences, how biopharma companies are adapting to meet the evolving needs of HCDMs in a post-pandemic peak era, and innovative strategies to optimize digital communications and the implications for stakeholder relationships.

During this episode of the NASP Podcast, Sheila Arquette, President & CEO of NASP, speaks with Amy Niles, the Chief Mission Officer of the PAN Foundation, about the impact of advocacy and education on enhancing access to care in the face of rising health care costs, the 2025 Medicare reforms and what NASP members need to know, as well as the many initiatives and tools the PAN Foundation employs to help patients who might otherwise walk away from the pharmacy counter. 
 

Perigon Pharmacy 360 Chris Antypas PharmDHarry Travis NASP 2024Jeff Wandzura KEEP LabsShawn Francis PharmD | Children's National HospitalRichard Brook President | Better Health WorldwideEric Huckins LumiceraHealth