Study shows patients benefit from participation in CVS Health program

CVS Health Research Institute has released a study that shows substantial progress in specialty medication given to their patients who are enrolled in a pilot study that assesses Specialty Connect.

Specialty Connect is CVS Health’s advanced specialty prescription services program. The pilot study showed that 17.5 percent of patients who were new to the program picked up their first refill at their local CVS store. Patients who enroll in the specialty program prior to the study had an 11.4 percent increase according to the study published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.

The Specialty Connect program was tested on a trial basis in 115 CVS Pharmacies before it was released nationwide. Patients had the option of picking up their medication at their local CVS Pharmacy or have it delivered to their doctor’s office or home. Also offered in the program is specialized clinical and pharmacy support from CVS Specialty and CVS Health. More than half of the 100,000 patients who have used the service since it was launched opted to pick up their specialty prescriptions at a CVS retail store.

Specialty medications are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and hepatitis C.