OREANDA-NEWS. September 17, 2015. Care Advantage, McKesson Specialty Health’s national specialty pharmacy, received full Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation from URAC, a Washington, D.C.-based healthcare accrediting organization that assesses quality standards for the healthcare industry. URAC’s Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation provides a symbol of excellence for organizations to showcase their validated commitment to quality and accountability.

“URAC accreditation demonstrates a commitment to quality, validating Care Advantage’s excellence in the specialty pharmacy marketplace and McKesson Specialty Health’s commitment to continuous operational improvement,” said Layne Martin, VP & GM of Specialty Distribution for McKesson Specialty Health.

Care Advantage provides patients with convenient home delivery of oral therapies and the additional support necessary for safe and supervised use of these oral therapy treatments. The pharmacy’s team of experts, including pharmacists, oncology-certified nurses, and patient access coordinators, provides critical patient support that includes proactive monitoring of patient compliance, supporting adherence through education, helping with side effect management, and helping them access co-pay assistance through financial-assistance programs. Care Advantage provides more than 70 therapies and is currently authorized to distribute in all 50 states, districts and territories in the U.S.

“We applaud Care Advantage on achieving full URAC Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation,” said URAC President and CEO Kylanne Green. “In today’s healthcare market, URAC accreditation provides a mark of distinction for organizations to demonstrate their commitment to quality healthcare.”

URAC promotes a high standard of pharmacy quality and patient care through the standardization of processes and a drive for continuous quality improvement. Accreditation reinforces best clinical and organizational practices for ensuring appropriate and safe medication use and optimal patient outcomes. Evidence of therapy counseling, disease education, care coordination, comprehensive patient education, and adherence management are critical for assuring successful patient medication therapy management and safety – and all are standards evaluated for URAC’s Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation.

“This accreditation involved a rigorous, transparent and comprehensive review of the processes and performances of the Care Advantage specialty pharmacy,” said Shawn Seamans, SVP of Sales & Operations for McKesson Specialty Health. “We have best practices for helping cancer patients manage the cost and complexities of their oral oncology therapies. We work hard and strive for the highest quality service. This URAC accreditation is quite an accomplishment, and we are extremely proud of the many people who have been dedicated to making this achievement a reality.”

About McKesson Specialty Health

McKesson Specialty Health, a division of McKesson Corporation, empowers the community patient care delivery system by helping community practices advance the science, technology and quality of care. Through innovative clinical, research, business and operational solutions, facilitated by integrated technology systems, we focus on improving the financial health of our customers so they may provide the best care to their patients. For more information, visit www.mckessonspecialtyhealth.com.

About URAC

For 25 years, URAC has been the independent leader in promoting health care quality through accreditation, education, and measurement. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking products that reflect the latest changes in health care and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to showcase their validated commitment to quality and accountability. URAC’s evidence-based measures and standards are developed through inclusive engagement with a broad range of stakeholders committed to improving the quality of health care. For more information, visit www.urac.org.