3-Ways a Specialty Pharmacy Can Save Storage Space

with the MaxPlus PharmaPack SP™

Direct-to-patient specialty medication delivery has grown significantly over the last several years, and the specialty pharmacy market is projected to grow by 8% annually through 2025.* Specialty pharmacies ‘specialize’ in managing complex medical conditions requiring a more in-depth level of patient management. Ensuring the patients understand how to administer the medication correctly, know the specific storage requirements, and are closely monitored for any adverse reactions to the drug.

Due to the increased level of patient management required for specialty medications, integrated specialty pharmacies within the prescribing physician’s practice are becoming more popular. Embedding a specialty pharmacy within the practice provides a more personalized experience for the patient and allows for direct communication between the patient and the care team. Enabling the prescribing physician to get vital medications to their patients quickly, closely monitor their experience, and easily modify treatments as needed.

The Challenge: Minimal Storage Space in Physician Practice

While clinic-to-patient shipping is a monumental step in streamlining this process for providers and patients, it comes with several challenges. 

• Selecting a specialty pharmacy packaging provider
• Conducting packaging performance qualification (PQ) testing for seasonality
• Storing selected packaging and packing materials

Specialty pharmacy medications must be kept within strict temperature ranges to remain effective, requiring qualified thermal packaging solutions to transport to the patient. Specialty pharmacy packaging solutions often include thick insulation, coolants or gel packs, and other packing materials such as bubble wrap or craft paper to protect the product and maintain the required temperature range while transporting it to the patient’s home.

As the demand grows, specialty pharmacies need more storage space for packaging materials, so it is common for a physician clinic or their newly embedded specialty pharmacy to face the same challenge. Most specialty pharmacy packaging manufacturers: 

• Require a minimum order quantity
• Only ship packaging containers on pallets

This results in an additional hurdle as many physician clinics and offices need to be equipped to receive pallet shipments or have enough storage space in the clinic to store the minimum order quantity of packaging required.

Customer Success

In 2022, while a private practice was closing loose ends in implementing a specialty pharmacy dispensing program, they experienced similar challenges when searching for a specialty pharmacy packaging provider to meet their operational requirements. Learning that the MaxPlus PharmaPack SP would meet their needs was encouraging.

The Solution: MaxPlus PharmaPack SP

The MaxPlus PharmaPack SP addressed the practice’s requirements due to the system’s small form factor, low minimum order quantity, and flexible storage options. This flexibility allows the practice to order packaging as needed and provides peace of mind knowing that their patient’s specialty medication is protected. 

At-a-Glance:

• Qualified systems for 36 and 48-hour refrigerated transport
• Compact and lightweight to reduce shipping costs 
• Saves storage space and reduces courier reloads 
• Meets all URAC 5.0 requirements 
• Low minimum order quantity 
• Flexible purchasing, storing, and implementation options

At MaxQ, our goal is to help simplify transporting temperature-sensitive specialty medication for our customers so they can provide quality products and service to their patients. The MaxPlus PharmaPack SP is a thermal-controlled specialty pharmacy packaging solution for expedited or local transport of direct-to-patient medications. Delivering quality performance in a compact container, the MaxPlus PharmaPack SP is up to 75% smaller and 50% lighter than current specialty pharmacy packaging solutions. The MaxPlus PharmaPack SP system’s small form factor results in significant shipping cost savings (both inbound and outbound), extra space in the pharmacy, and increased operational efficiency.

References: *“Outlook for Health System-Based Specialty Pharmacy in 2022 and Beyond.” Pharmacy Times, 20 Jan. 2022