Specialty infusion meds require more care planning, research finds 

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – More than 70% of the tasks of home infusion pharmacists for specialty infusion medications are dedicated to patient care, according to new research published in the NHIF Infusion Journal. Care planning and patient assessments accounted for 42.45% of pharmacist tasks related to specialty therapies. “This study is the first to systematically quantify and categorize the professional work of home infusion pharmacists caring for specialty infusion medication patients,” the research states. “The results emphasize the substantial commitment of pharmacist time to clinical care, underscoring the complexity of specialty infusion medications and their management in home settings.” This new research compares to a similar study of traditional home infusion therapies that showed 21% of pharmacist tasks are dedicated to patient care, suggesting that specialty medications, coupled with their insurance and coordination challenges, increase the need for detailed care planning and close patient monitoring. Other findings from the research: 

• Pharmacists spend nearly equal amounts of time on tasks regardless of whether the medication is delivered by infusion or injection, suggesting that the intricacies of managing specialty medications require consistent levels of attention across different administration methods. 
• Pharmacists devoted a higher percentage of time to clinical tasks like care planning and patient assessment for self-injectable medications, suggesting that the nature of the medications and patient needs demand a more focused clinical approach. 
• Nearly one-third of total tasks were dedicated to drug preparation, a task that requires precision and care, especially for fragile medications like monoclonal antibodies. 

The research was funded by contributions to the NHIF, a nonprofit affiliate of the National Home Infusion Association.