At this year’s NASP and IgNS conferences, Jon Love, VP of Pharmacy Services, and Lee Pratt, Business Development and Operations Manager, from Prochant had the opportunity to discuss one of the biggest challenges in specialty pharmacy today: scalability. Specialty pharmacies are experiencing a period of significant growth—taking on more patients, managing more therapies and expanding the range of services offered to meet rising needs. Yet, expanding sustainably in this environment requires careful planning and an adaptable infrastructure.
Specialty pharmacies often face the dual pressure of increasing patient volumes and a steady stream of complex therapies. Each new drug, therapy and service carries distinct requirements—administrative, operational and clinical—that can quickly become overwhelming without the right systems in place. It’s not just about growing quickly; it’s about ensuring your infrastructure, staff and workflows are equipped to scale without sacrificing quality or efficiency.
Considerations for Scaling Your Specialty Pharmacy Operations
- Identify Processes That Can Be Streamlined or Automated
Many of the bottlenecks in scaling come from repetitive or manual processes, particularly in areas like eligibility verification and prior authorization (EVPA). Specialty pharmacies need to evaluate where workflows can be automated to reduce manual workload. Automating these processes doesn’t only improve efficiency, it frees up staff to focus on more complex, patient-centered tasks, which are crucial as patient volumes increase.
Think about workflow automation as a way to reduce administrative burdens that scale with each new patient or therapy. Automating repetitive tasks can smooth out potential bottlenecks and allow your team to manage larger workloads with greater ease.
- Plan for Flexibility in Staff and Workflows
Not every task in specialty pharmacy can be streamlined, so flexibility in how and where staff are allocated is essential. As patient numbers and therapy offerings grow, roles and workflows may need to evolve. Being proactive about cross-training staff on multiple processes or having adaptable workflows in place can help pharmacies adjust to growth without needing to immediately expand headcount.
Consider implementing systems that allow staff to transition between roles or tasks, as needed. This can ensure that teams are equipped to handle fluctuations in workload and that each staff member’s skills are used to their fullest.
- Leverage Real-Time Analytics to Guide Decision-Making
Growth can be unpredictable, especially when it comes to taking on new therapies or adjusting to seasonal changes in patient volume. Real-time analytics offer critical insights into current operations, helping pharmacy leaders pinpoint where resources are most needed. By monitoring KPIs, such as task completion rates capacity, clear visibility into workload trends and operational thresholds is visible. These KPIs enable proactive capacity adjustments, ensuring resources align with demand before any slowdowns occur. This real-time insight helps teams stay agile and maintain peak efficiency, even as volume scales.
Data-driven decisions not only improve scalability but also support long-term operational resilience. By understanding how workflows perform under varying levels of demand, pharmacies can allocate resources in ways that prevent operational strain.
- Prioritize Strategic Growth Over Rapid Expansion
It can be tempting to onboard new therapies or take on additional patients to fuel growth, but doing so without a clear plan can lead to operational strain. Specialty pharmacies should assess the potential impact of new therapies on current workflows and staff bandwidth. Growth that aligns with the strengths and resources of your current team will be easier to manage and more sustainable.
Think about growth in phases. Start by incorporating therapies that align with your existing capabilities and expand incrementally. This phased approach allows you to evaluate the operational impact of each new addition and refine processes as you grow.
Conversations from NASP and IgNS made it clear that the ability to scale sustainably is a central concern for specialty pharmacies today. Leaders in the field are beginning to look beyond immediate growth, focusing on ways to build resilient, adaptable operations that can support future demands. For those in specialty pharmacy, it’s crucial to create an infrastructure that can not only meet today’s demands but also adapt to new challenges in the years to come.
For many specialty pharmacies, outsourcing parts of their operations—such as revenue cycle management or EVPA processes—can be an effective way to scale sustainably. By partnering with a provider like Prochant, pharmacies can access specialized expertise and real-time analytics that make it easier to manage growth without overwhelming internal teams. Outsourcing allows staff to focus on patient care while a dedicated team handles the administrative and operational tasks that accompany growth.
If you’re interested in learning more about how outsourcing can support your scalability goals, Prochant is here to help. Contact us to learn more.