STOUGHTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Shields Health Solutions (Shields), the premier specialty pharmacy accelerator in the country, recently published its latest patient outcomes in key disease states such as hepatitis C, HIV, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and multiple sclerosis (MS). Through collaboration with its health system partners nationwide, these industry-leading patient outcomes further illustrate the effectiveness of Shields’ integrated care model.
“We are thrilled to reinforce our reputation as the nation’s leading specialty pharmacy partner through our exceptional outcomes in various complex disease states,” said Brian S. Smith, PharmD, Chief Pharmacy Officer at Shields. “This continues to show Shields’ unwavering commitment to patients and their overall wellbeing.”
Shields has proven the efficacy of its specialty pharmacy programs in the following ways:
Hepatitis C
- Shields patients have a 97% cure rate for hepatitis C compared to the national average of 95%.
- 98% of Shields patients completed a full course of therapy (typically around 8-12 weeks) to treat hepatitis C, while the benchmark is 87%.
- Many patients cannot receive hepatitis C treatment due to the high cost and lack of adequate insurance; Shields patients have access to affordable treatment, with an average copay of $4.
HIV
- On average, 93% of Shields HIV patients reach viral suppression, compared to the national average (65%).
- The CDC estimates the lifetime treatment cost for an HIV diagnosis is approximately $379,668, while Shields patients pay an average copay of $3 per month.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
- While adherence rates for RA treatment reported in the literature are low and variable (ranging from 30-80%), the proportion of days covered for RA medications in the Shields population is 91%, indicating that patients receive and take their medications on time. Furthermore, 93% of Shields patients reported their condition improved or stabilized since receiving care through the network of integrated health system specialty pharmacies.
- 52% of RA patients improved their RAPID3 score resulting in positive treatment outcomes and indicating low disease activity or near remission.
- Although management of RA is a challenging process that includes a combination of clinical exams, laboratory work, and medication regimens, 79% of Shields patients reported no missed days of planned activity, school, or work.
Multiple Sclerosis
- The national average copay for MS treatments is over $3,000, while Shields patients pay an average of $5 per month.
- Shields MS patients have access to financial assistance services, which facilitate access to external medication funding sources, ultimately helping to lower out-of-pocket medication expenses by nearly $54M annually.
- Shields patients ARR (Annualized Release Rate) is 0.18, a key metric in reducing the number of flares over time that can delay the progression of disability and neurologic dysfunction.
Through collaborations with leading health systems across the U.S., Shields has built and accelerated specialty pharmacy programs that provide patients with complex, chronic conditions access to specialized pharmacy services designed to lower costs, expand treatment options, enhance medication management, and improve overall health. Shields’ nationwide footprint of over nearly 80 health systems and more than 850 hospitals represents more than 1 million patients across 44 U.S. states.
Shields will be attending this year’s National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) Annual Meeting & Expo, where they will be sharing more details on the patient outcomes data and presenting nine research posters.
About Shields Health Solutions
Shields Health Solutions (Shields) is the premier specialty pharmacy accelerator in the country. The Shields Performance Platform, an integrated set of solutions, services and technology, is intentionally designed to elevate payer and drug access for specialty pharmacies, elevate health outcomes for complex patients, and elevate growth throughout the entire health system. As the foremost experts in the health system specialty pharmacy industry, Shields has a proven track record of success including access to over 80 percent of all limited distribution drugs (LDDs) and most (health insurance) payers in the nation; and a clinical model proven to lower total cost of care by 13%. In partnership with more than 70 health systems across the country through national-scale collaboration, Shields has a vested interest in delivering measurable clinical and financial results for health systems. For more, visit our blog and follow us on social media, @ShieldsRX, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube. Shields Health Solutions is a wholly owned subsidiary of Walgreens Boots Alliance and employs nearly 2,000 people across the country.
