---
title: What is a Specialty Pharmacy
description: The model of care and the types of services it provides to its patients is what defines a specialty pharmacy; not the site of care.
---

[Patient Education ](https://www.senderrarx.com/education)

# [What is a Specialty Pharmacy](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/what-is-a-specialty-pharmacy)

 Written by [Senderra](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/author/senderra) | Apr 17, 2023 9:20:42 PM

The model of care and the types of services it provides to its patients is what defines a specialty pharmacy, not the site of care.

In this blog, we will cover what makes and defines a specialty pharmacy.

1. [What is a Specialty Pharmacy](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/what-is-a-specialty-pharmacy?hs_amp=true#what-is-a-specialty-pharmacy)
2. [How do Specialty Pharmacies Work](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/what-is-a-specialty-pharmacy?hs_amp=true#how-does-it-work)
3. [Examples of Specialty Pharmacy](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/what-is-a-specialty-pharmacy?hs_amp=true#examples)
4. [Specialty Medication](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/what-is-a-specialty-pharmacy?hs_amp=true#specialty-medication)

## What is a Specialty Pharmacy

People with chronic diseases and complex disorders use specialty pharmacies, as they focus on high cost, high touch medication therapy. ([Click here](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/what-is-a-specialty-pharmacy?hs_amp=true#specialty-medication) to skip to specialty medication section.)

[Specialty pharmacy](https://www.senderrarx.com/specialty-pharmacy) definition:

*“Specialty pharmacies are distinct from traditional pharmacies in coordinating many aspects of patient care and disease management. They are designed to efficiently deliver medications with special handling, storage, and distribution requirements with standardized processes that permit economies of scale. Specialty pharmacies are also designed to [improve clinical](https://www.dripivco.com/news/start-your-own-iv-therapy-clinic-with-drip-iv-consulting) and economic outcomes for patients with complex, often chronic and [rare conditions](https://www.acadianadentalspecialists.com/), with close contact and management by clinicians. [Health care](https://www.dripivco.com/news/proactive-health-care-whos-talking-about-nad) professionals employed by specialty pharmacies provide patient education, help ensure appropriate medication use, promote adherence, and attempt to avoid unnecessary costs. Other support systems coordinate sharing of information among clinicians treating patients and help patients locate resources to provide financial assistance with out-of-pocket expenditures.”*

*- [The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy](https://www.amcp.org/) (AMCP)*

## How do Specialty Pharmacies Work

A [specialty pharmacy](https://www.senderrarx.com/specialty-pharmacy) does more than just fill prescriptions. These pharmacies serve members with complex or [chronic conditions](https://www.senderrarx.com/en-us/specialties) who need a higher level of medical care, including an array of therapies that are often not covered by their insurance providers or may be too expensive for them to afford alone.

So *how* do specialty pharmacies work?

Specialty pharmacies help [patients](https://www.senderrarx.com/patients) with the following:

- Copay and financial assistance
- Medication management
- Patient support and education, like [foods to avoid](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/prurigo-nodularis-foods-to-avoid-for-relief)
- Specialty pharmacist consultations
- 24/7 access to support
- Free overnight medication delivery
- Refill reminders
- Fast approval and pre-authorization

Specialty pharmacies help [doctors](https://www.acadianadentalspecialists.com/), [nurses](https://www.senderrarx.com/prescriber-education/how-specialty-pharmacy-technology-is-freeing-nurses-time) and physicians with the following:

- The use of a physician portal to manage and automate daily tasks, documents and communication. E-prescribe, check patient status, submit [prior authorizations](https://www.senderrarx.com/prescriber-education/are-you-handling-prior-authorizations-yourself) and reduce turnaround time.
- [Medication adherence](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/measuring-the-success-of-medication-adherence)
- Improve [patient outcomes](https://www.senderrarx.com/prescriber-education/senderras-carepath-platform-covers-all-patient-requests)
- [Save nurses time](https://www.senderrarx.com/prescriber-education/how-specialty-pharmacy-technology-is-freeing-nurses-time) with admin tasks
- [Writing biologics](https://www.senderrarx.com/prescriber-education/3-ways-senderra-saves-you-time-writing-biologics)
- Approvals and denials

### Specialty Pharmacist Types

There are many different settings in which a specialty pharmacist may work in.

#### Specialty Medication Products

Specialty pharmacists that work in settings only dedicated to specialty medications may perform tasks such as dispensing, medication therapy management, patient advocacy and therapy compliance.

#### Health Systems

Involvement with in-patient care to ambulatory care through an institution or health system is another way that a specialty pharmacist can be involved in a specialty pharmacy.

#### Retail

Working with an affiliated specialty pharmacy provider, or another practice site, allows for a specialty pharmacist to focus on certain specialty, chronic disorders and disease state medications so they can be dispensed.

## Examples of Specialty Pharmacy

Specialty pharmacies in the U.S. are licensed by state, and could either be part of a hospital or health system, or your insurance provider may appoint one to you.

Most specialty pharmacies operate by phone and mail order, instead of going into a building to purchase your medications.

Some traditional pharmacies may also run specialty pharmacies. Your physician or medical team will help guide you in the right direction.

Some examples of specialty pharmacy in the U.S. include Senderra Specialty Pharmacy, CVS, Alliance, Optum and more.

## Specialty Medication

In order to treat rare or chronic disorders, specialty pharmacies provides specialty medications to treat those with complex health problems. Due to these costly medications being used scarcely, most local pharmacies can't keep these medications stock.

Specialty medication definition:

*"A specialty medication is a prescription drug that is either a self-administered (non-diabetic) injectable medication; a medication that requires special handling, special administration, or monitoring; or, is a high-cost oral medication."*

*- [Michigan Medicine](https://www.uofmhealth.org/conditions-treatments/specialty-pharmacy-services/specialty-medications-condition#:~:text=A%20specialty%20medication%20is%20a,a%20high%2Dcost%20oral%20medication.)*

Specialty medications can range from oral medications to cutting edge injectable, IV therapy, and [biologic products](https://www.senderrarx.com/news-events/humira-biosimilar-products-are-available-to-patients-nationwide), treating a range of disorders and diseases, such as:

- [Asthma & Respiratory](https://www.senderrarx.com/asthma-respiratory-conditions?hsLang=en) conditions
- [Chronic Asthma](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/treatment-for-chronic-asthma?hsLang=en)
- [CRSwNP](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/what-is-crswnp)
- [Dermatologic disorders](https://www.senderrarx.com/dermatologic-disorders?hsLang=en) and [dermatologic cancer](https://www.senderrarx.com/dermatologic-cancer-specialty-pharmacy)
- [Multiple Sclerosis](https://www.senderrarx.com/multiple-sclerosis?hsLang=en)
- [Lupus nephritis](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/treatment-for-lupus-nephritis)
- [Guillain-Barre syndrome](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/how-to-treat-guillain-barre-syndrome?hsLang=en)
- Infantile Spasms
- Nephrotic syndrome
- [Psoriasis](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/what-helps-psoriasis)
- [Psoriatic Arthritis](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/a-guide-to-biologics-specialty-pharmacies-for-psoriatic-arthritis)
- [Rheumatoid Arthritis](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/rheumatoid-arthritis-vs-osteoarthritis)
- [Rheumatologic disorders](https://www.senderrarx.com/rheumatologic-disorders?hsLang=en)
- [Sarcoidosis](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/what-is-sarcoidosis-disease?hsLang=en)
- Celiac Disease
- [Crohn's Disease](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/reducing-inflammation-is-key-to-controlling-crohns-disease)
- Diverticulitis
- [Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)](https://blog.neuromendcenter.com/gut-health)
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- [Hepatitis C](https://www.senderrarx.com/hepatitis-c?hsLang=en)
- [Ulcerative Colitis](https://www.senderrarx.com/ulcerative-colitis?hsLang=en)
- [Headaches](https://www.neuromendcenter.com/ketamine-infusion-therapy-treatment-for-chronic-migraines)
- [Epilepsy and Seizures](https://www.neuromendcenter.com/spravato-ketamine-treatments)
- [ALS: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis](https://blog.neuromendcenter.com/how-ketamine-can-relieve-als)
- Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia
- Parkinson's Disease

Learn more about [immunology](https://www.senderrarx.com/immunology), [autoimmune disorders](https://www.senderrarx.com/autoimmune-disorders), [dermatology](https://www.senderrarx.com/dermatology) and [specialty pharmacies](https://www.senderrarx.com/specialty-pharmacy).

## Why Senderra Specialty Pharmacy

[Why choose Senderra Specialty Pharmacy?](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/why-choose-senderra-specialty-pharmacy) As a [national specialty pharmacy](https://www.senderrarx.com/accreditations), Senderra offers [specialized treatments with our ](https://www.dripivco.com/news/what-is-a-nad-drip)[new state-of-the-art facility](https://www.senderrarx.com/news-events/senderra-expands-production-opening-a-new-distribution-facility)<https://www.dripivco.com/news/what-is-a-nad-drip> and funding assistance for patients with severe, chronic conditions. We leverage our unique technological platform, [CarePath](https://www.senderrarx.com/products), to work with patients and physicians to ensure a streamlined and simplified process, exceeding top standards and providing reliable services to our [patients](https://www.senderrarx.com/patients), [prescribers](https://www.senderrarx.com/prescribers), and [partners](https://www.senderrarx.com/pharma).

#### [About Senderra](https://www.senderrarx.com/contact-us)

[Senderra](https://www.senderrarx.com/) is a national [specialty pharmacy](https://www.senderrarx.com/en-us/specialties?hsLang=en), serving [patients](https://www.senderrarx.com/patient-journey?hsLang=en) with challenging and ongoing medical conditions through provision of [specialty medications](https://www.senderrarx.com/en-us/specialties?hsLang=en), [clinical expertise](https://www.senderrarx.com/accreditations?hsLang=en) and [support services](https://www.senderrarx.com/patients?hsLang=en).

We dedicate ourselves to designing and executing a model to serve the needs of our [patients](https://www.senderrarx.com/patients?hsLang=en) and partners ([Prescr](https://www.senderrarx.com/prescribers?hsLang=en)[ibers](https://www.senderrarx.com/finding-a-form), [Pharma](https://www.senderrarx.com/pharma?hsLang=en) and [Payers](https://www.senderrarx.com/payor?hsLang=en)) in order to make a [difference](https://www.dripivco.com/news/we-love-our-drip-iv-members-check-out-your-new-perks) and [effect positive outcomes](https://www.bluemargin.com/ttd/yes-healthcare-employees-keep-score).

[View full post](https://www.senderrarx.com/education/what-is-a-specialty-pharmacy)

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