Our Commitment
4 big benefits you get with Novant Health pharmacies, and how they’re making one man’s life better
Susan Miller
Staff Writer
Published Aug. 29, 2024
Navigating a chronic, rare or difficult medical diagnosis can be overwhelming. And when complex prescription medications are involved, it can complicate matters even more. Considerations like cost, availability, drug interactions, dosage schedule, side effects, correct storage and more can all come into play.
These are often more than what an everyday pharmacy can handle. And out-of-state specialty pharmacies can fall short when it comes to working with your physician.
Enter Novant Health specialty pharmacies: they’re here to simplify complex prescriptions by providing tailored cost-saving benefits, free home delivery and 24/7 personalized support.
“Specialty medications are very complex and can require special storage, handling and administration,” said Amy Wenker, director of Novant Health specialty pharmacy services. “We provide patient counseling for all specialty medications, including medications prescribed for rare and ultra-rare diseases.”
Novant Health specialty pharmacies. Affordable. Fast. Convenient.
Fill or transfer your specialty medications today: Ask your doctor to send your prescription to Novant Health Specialty Pharmacy.
Your doctor can e-prescribe to NCPDP 3460312 or call 855-307-6868.
Novant Health specialty pharmacies differ from standard pharmacies because they not only dispense specialty medications, but also provide services to customize and enhance patient care. Going above and beyond to help patients, Novant Health specialty pharmacies have a 93% patient satisfaction rating.
How can you, or a family member, benefit from using a Novant Health specialty pharmacy? Here are four ways.
1. Round-the-clock access for phone consultations.
We all know the feeling of leaving the doctor’s office, getting a prescription filled at a nearby pharmacy, then thinking, “Now what did my doctor say about this again?”
Novant Health specialty pharmacists work to educate each patient about how their medications work and provide counseling for correct handling and use. They also follow up to ensure your medications are working and to monitor for any possible side effects.
“Your health care team extends to your pharmacist,” Wenker said. “We can help ensure you have the most efficacious medication at the best price.”
Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and medication management specialists are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. If you need help after hours, Novant Health clinical pharmacists are on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer your questions about your specialty medication. Just call the phone number on your prescription label.
“Call us any time and let us walk you through any questions or concerns you might have,” Wenker said.
Evidence shows that when patients receive this level of care and assistance with their medications, their outcomes improve.
2. Get the best price possible.
Specialty medications can be prohibitively expensive, a serious concern for patients who are prescribed specialty medications for conditions like multiple sclerosis, cancer, hyperlipidemia, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, hepatitis C and HIV.
Novant Health specialty pharmacies have the goal to make each medication affordable. Dedicated medication management specialists work to make sure your insurance coverage and copays are correct, and help with the prior authorization process between your insurance and doctor.
“Our medication management specialists are experts in benefits investigation and out-of-pocket cost reduction,” Wenker said. “They work tirelessly to ensure we are exploring all avenues for patient assistance and attaining the best price for the patient.”
For uninsured patients, Novant Health specialty pharmacies offer financial assistance services to help qualifying patients access foundations, grants and manufacturers’ free drug programs.
‘They made me feel comfortable’ when prescribed a complex medication
Harold Ward, 68, has had two stents implanted in his heart to help prevent the narrowing of his arteries. But during a recent appointment with his Novant Health cardiologist, he learned his LDL, also known as “bad” cholesterol, was higher than optimal. His cardiologist recommended a medication to help decrease the risk of heart disease.
The next day, Ward received a phone call from a medication management specialist at Novant Health Specialty Pharmacy - Elizabeth.
“I certainly didn’t expect a phone call from them,” Ward said. “They took the extra step to explain everything so that I would understand.”
Ward learned the medicine is an injectable, delivered in a method similar to an EpiPen, so the call helped him feel comfortable with storing and administering the injection himself, at home. The pharmacy arranged for the medication to be delivered to his home in Cornelius, North Carolina. What’s more, Ward said, is the team identified a way for him to lower the cost of his prescription.
“You wouldn’t get that at most pharmacies,” Ward said.
Ward said this level of care is what he and his wife, Debbie, have come to expect from their Novant Health care team.
“Across the board, they are good, down-to-earth people,” he said. “Everybody’s got their jobs and they do it well. We wouldn’t want to go anywhere else.”
3. Obtain rare medications.
Novant Health specialty pharmacies provide medications that are often not kept in stock by standard pharmacies because they aren’t commonly prescribed. These may include medications that are administered by a health care clinician, or those that require special storage and handling.
Some common medications available include:
- Biktarvy
- Dabrafenib Mesylate - Tafinlar
- DescovyEnbrel Mini/Sureclick
- Skyrizi
- Epidiolex
- Humira
- Xolair
- Imbruvica
- Infliximab - Remicade
- Kesimpta
- Norditropin FlexPro
- Orencia ClickJect
- Otezla
- Prolia
- Revlimid
- Rinvoq
- Stelara
- Teriflunomide - Aubagio
- Tremfya
- Xeljanz XR
- And many more
4. Gain local support and access.
Oftentimes a prescription for a rare medication means a patient’s only option is to receive the medication through a mail-order service. These services don’t include local support.
Novant Health has specialty pharmacies in Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Wilmington with pick-up service. Free home delivery is available in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
If your doctor or clinician has prescribed a specialty medication for you, Novant Health’s pharmacy team works directly with them to ensure your medications are carefully monitored. You also don’t have to be a Novant Health patient to use Novant Health specialty pharmacies.
Novant Health specialty pharmacy locations:
Charlotte:
- 8401 University Executive Park Drive, Suite 127, 704-316-5900
- 125 Queens Road, Suite 180, located inside Novant Health Weisiger Cancer Institute, 704-316-4180
Winston-Salem:
- 1381 Westgate Center Drive, 855-307-6868
Wilmington:
- 2131 South 17th Street, located inside Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, 910-667-5180
- 2250 Shipyard Blvd., Suite 12, 844-662-7780
Not sure which location to use? Connecting with us is simple: Just ask your doctor to send your prescription to Novant Health Specialty Pharmacy. Your doctor can e-prescribe to NCPDP 3460312 or call 855-307-6868.
Novant Health specialty pharmacies: complex prescriptions made affordable, convenient and simple
Q- What is the difference between a regular pharmacy and a specialty pharmacy?
A- Specialty pharmacies play an active role in a patient’s care, offering a higher-touch experience than standard pharmacies.
“The biggest role that specialty pharmacists play is treating the whole patient,” said Rebekah Lester, the pharmacist in charge at the Novant Health Specialty Pharmacy - Elizabeth in the Charlotte region.
Specialty pharmacies work with you on every aspect of your medication, counseling on how to use medications safely, and following up to ensure they are working effectively.
Novant Health patients also have the advantage of their lab results and clinical records being accessible to their Novant Health specialty pharmacist.
“We're able to work with our clinic doctors and nurses to make sure that we can get all the information we need to dispense our medications safely to our patients. … So it makes it much quicker and easier to get the patient the medication they need in a timely fashion,” Lester said.
Q- What is a specialty medication?
A- Specialty medications treat complex, chronic, and/or rare conditions. They often require special handling, storage and/or administration.
Q- How can Novant Health specialty pharmacies help me or my loved one with medications?
A- Novant Health specialty pharmacists are available to provide counseling, assistance and support for you, either in person or by phone. We also have pharmacy technicians dedicated to helping you identify and access patient financial assistance services and programs.
Q- What medical conditions make me a good candidate for services from a specialty pharmacy?
A- The following are examples of conditions Novant Health specialty pharmacies provide medications for:
- Infectious diseases: hepatitis C, hepatitis B, HIV
- Neurological conditions: multiple sclerosis, movement disorders
- Inflammatory conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease
- Cancer and benign hematology conditions: sickle cell anemia, hemophilia,
- Respiratory conditions: cystic fibrosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), asthma
- Dermatologic conditions: psoriasis, eczema
- And many more
