The pharmacy industry will soon have a new resource.

The National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP), a new organization dedicated to giving a stronger voice to pharmacists dealing with specialty medications, plans to focus on education and networking efforts as it prepares for its launch.

Why the need? Pharmacists working in specialty medicine must deal with high costs and need specialized knowledge when working with such products and the patients who use them, say pharmacy professionals.

NASP “will fill the pressing need for the specialty pharmacy industry,” said Ray Tancredi, the vice president of specialty pharmacy development at Walgreen, in a statement. “The landscape continues to evolve rapidly, and NASP will be there to guide, educate, and report on the most exciting aspects of pharmacy today and in the future.”

The new association, whose website launches on October 3, joins the Specialty Pharmacy Certification Board, which started in July and is focused on certification programs. That group announced its board of directors last week.

(TMG archive photo)