IRVING, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vizient announces that it is collaborating with Civica Rx to help reduce the impact of drug shortages. By providing insights into purchasing patterns and provider needs through its industry-leading analytics and data capabilities, Vizient will help Civica anticipate gaps in drug availability and affordability.
“Vizient fully agrees with and embraces Civica’s mission to ensure that essential generic medications are available and affordable to everyone,” said Dan Kistner, PharmD, senior vice president, pharmacy services at Vizient. “It really is true that ‘a rising tide lifts all boats.’ Their mission aligns perfectly with the mission of our pharmacy program and is what has driven our efforts to serve our members for many years.”
“We applaud Vizient for helping to find innovative ways to reduce drug shortages through their analytics and data expertise,” said Martin VanTrieste, Civica President and CEO. “The more people collaborating to solve the nation’s drug shortage problem the better. We thank Vizient for prioritizing hospital patients by taking action to help them have timely access to the treatments they desperately need on a day-to-day basis.”
“Our experience tells us that there are many different reasons for drug shortages – so it will take a wide variety of solutions to fully solve the problems. We look forward to working with Civica to help reduce and eventually eliminate drug shortages,” said Kistner.
Vizient currently uses its analytics and data insights, in combination with Vizient’s private label Novaplus pharmacy program, to serve the needs of its own member health care organizations and mitigate the effects of drug shortages and lower rising drug costs. As an example, the Novaplus program provides Vizient members improved access to more than 760 NDCs (including most of the drugs regularly listed as “short”).
This collaboration with Civica Rx is the latest effort by Vizient to improve accessibility and lower costs of pharmaceuticals. Other strategies include the Vizient Drug Shortage Task Force, a collaborative effort with its member health care organizations, to pursue a broad range of activities to support greater stability of the supply chain, particularly for the injectable generic products that are so critical to our members. Vizient is also exploring additional innovative strategies to expand its Novaplus program to further help members avoid the difficulties and consequences of drug shortages that challenge the provision of high quality cost effective care. Finally, Vizient continues its advocacy efforts to promote legislative solutions in Washington, DC.
Vizient is the nation’s largest health care performance improvement company serving a diverse membership that includes academic medical centers, pediatric facilities, community hospitals, integrated health care delivery networks and non-acute health care providers.
About Vizient, Inc.
Vizient, Inc. provides solutions and services that improve the delivery of high-value care by aligning cost, quality and market performance for more than 50% of the nation’s acute care providers, which includes 95% of the nation’s academic medical centers, and more than 20% of ambulatory providers. Vizient provides expertise, analytics and advisory services, as well as a contract portfolio that represents more than $100 billion in annual purchasing volume, to improve patient outcomes and lower costs. Vizient has earned a World’s Most Ethical Company designation from the Ethisphere Institute every year since its inception. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Vizient has offices throughout the United States. Learn more at www.vizientinc.com.
