Limited Distribution Drugs 101 Podcast Episode

In this episode of IPD's Drug & Clinical Review, our Executive Clinical Pharmacy is back to add more insight on limited distribution drugs and their networks. As the specialty drug landscape has expanded, payers and providers have struggled to stay up to date on shifting limited distribution networks, making it harder to provide these critical medicines to patients. IPD's team discusses this complexity and why it's important to track limited distribution networks.

Topics included in this episode:
-Understanding Limited Distribution Networks and Why they Exist
- Specialty Pharmacies
- Manufacturers and Specialty Drug Launches
- Tracking Limited Distribution Networks
- Limited Networks versus Specialty Drug Distributors

"So, we all know that specialty medications can be complex, require special handling, are very costly, can be limited to certain patient types, and have various administration needs. A limited distribution drug network can provide greater scrutiny for all of these things, as well as the ability of adding even more infrastructure to support a single drug. Some of the things that limited distribution drug networks can handle are additional clinical services (and this can include drug administration, drug dispensing, and nursing services), ensuring that the REMS programs requirements for higher-risk drugs are met, helping to decrease waste of these expensive medications, and providing additional patient education.

Another thing that a limited distribution drug network can do is strictly adhere to the special storage and handling needs that these medications require. They also typically have a better understanding of the disease state and the patient's needs. They can provide better service knowing much more about the disease state, the medication’s uses and effects, and in addition, limited distribution drug networks can provide data and reporting consolidation to payers and providers. Some of this data includes outcomes, results, side effects, and adverse effects — all of which can potentially improve utilization of the drug and the experience for the patient."