Montefiore Einstein Premieres Its New State-of-the...
Montefiore Einstein Premieres Its New State-of-the-Art Specialty Pharmacy in Westchester, Accelerating Access to Life-Altering Medications
The 17,000 square foot facility is one of the largest and most technologically advanced hospital-owned specialty pharmacies in the region. Setting a new standard of care, the facility provides complex medications to Montefiore Einstein patients with rare and chronic conditions while tackling financial barriers.
May 13, 2024
Montefiore Einstein premiered its new Montefiore Specialty Pharmacy in Westchester, one of the largest and most technologically advanced hospital-owned specialty pharmacies in the tri-state area. The 17,000-square-foot facility provides complex and high-cost medications to people with rare and chronic conditions and is tackling financial barriers—establishing a new standard of care in the region.
Specialty pharmacies provide medications that have specific requirements for medication storage, dosing and management. First emerging in the 1970s, specialty pharmacies have experienced tremendous growth in recent years, with increasing rates of chronic conditions and intricate treatments that may require unique refrigeration and compounding capabilities.
Montefiore Specialty Pharmacy comprises a dedicated pharmacy team who advocates for patients, ensuring timely prescription fulfillment and medication management for individuals with a wide range of conditions, including cancer, rheumatologic, neurologic and immune disorders as well as gastrointestinal and other inflammatory diseases.
Key factors that distinguish Montefiore Specialty Pharmacy include:
Convenient options to fulfill prescriptions, including direct shipping to the patient’s home or easy in-person pick-up
A multidose packaging system with a camera counter that confirms prescription amounts for quality control
A best-in-class refrigerator room to safeguard temperature-sensitive medications
Access to a pharmacist 24/7 via phone to support both patients and providers
Low average copays for patients, approximately $13 compared to the industry benchmark of $131
“When we build and open a facility like this, it is not just simply another building or another opening. It is a mark of our investment in serving the evolving needs of a community.”
Philip O. Ozuah, MD, PhD
Philip O. Ozuah, MD, PhD
This new site is Montefiore’s second specialty pharmacy location. Its first specialty pharmacy, located at the Montefiore Einstein Moses Division in the Bronx, opened in 2019.
“Our new specialty pharmacy is designed to be an extension of a patient’s care team,” said Steven Tuckman, PharmBS, MBA, Director, Community and Specialty Pharmacy Operations, Montefiore Einstein. “Before dispensing medications, our clinical pharmacists communicate with our patients to help ensure they understand their treatment regimens and possible side effects. This same team follows up to confirm that medications are taken as prescribed, and by having a 24/7 answering service, we can be a resource at any hour.”
Steven Tuckman, PharmBS, MBA
Tuckman projects that nearly 100,000 prescriptions will be filled in the first year, primarily from the patients in the Bronx and Westchester, with plans to expand.
Focused on improving access to care and treatments, last year Montefiore Einstein helped secure $45.7 million in financial assistance for patient prescriptions by identifying programs available from outside organizations.
“We’re always searching for opportunities across the health system to better support the community,” said Susan Green-Lorenzen, RN, MSN, System Senior Vice President, Operations, Montefiore Einstein.
Susan Green-Lorenzen, RN, MSN
“Just because someone has cancer does not mean their other chronic illnesses like heart disease or inflammatory diseases go away. This new specialty pharmacy brings us one step closer toward making sure people with the most complicated conditions get the very best and most comprehensive care, easier and faster than ever before.”
Susan Green-Lorenzen, RN, MSN
This state-of-the-art specialty pharmacy would not exist without the participation and collaboration of partners who helped create and will participate in the functioning of this high-level pharmacy.
Shields Health Solutions is an accelerator for organizations to assist in building and optimizing a specialty pharmacy program. Shields integrates personnel into practice locations to assist patients, staff and providers with the complex nature of the specialty pharmacy business. They assist with obtaining prior authorizations and financial assistance for patients and provide ongoing patient monitoring and therapy compliance.
From left, Matt Conway, Chief Commercial Officer, Shields; Ann Moloney, Chief People Officer, Shields; Stephen West, CEO, Shields; Frank Sosnowski, PharmBS, MS, Senior Director, Pharmacy Services, Montefiore Einstein; Philip Manning, MS, Director, Specialty Pharmacy Strategy, Montefiore Einstein; and Jack Gaynor, Vice President, Business Development, Shields
From left, Michael Ham, COO, Shields; Colleen Blye, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Montefiore Einstein; David Menashy, Vice President, Finance, Montefiore Einstein; and Stephen West, CEO, Shields
Diker Contracting managed construction of the pharmacy.
From left, Angelo Cannarella, Principal, Diker Contracting, and Edward Pfleging, PE, Senior Vice President, Facilities and Real Estate, Montefiore Einstein
The Craneware Group provides 340B Program software, a platform which optimizes savings and revenue management for prescription medicines used in specialty and contract pharmacies.
Zion Robinson, Vice President, Strategic Accounts, and Lidia Rodriguez-Hupp, Chief Customer Officer, The Craneware Group
ScriptPro, led by Michael E. Coughlin, President, CEO and CFO, provided the robotic filling and packaging machines, the conveyor system and the workstations as well as software to manage the prescription processes.
