Specialty pharmacy GPO on the growth track

Looking for discounts in specialty drugs? If so, consider Armada Health Care. A group purchasing organization for specialty pharmacies formed two years ago, the Short Hills, N.J., firm already has more than 300 members across the country. According to Armada CEO Lawrence Irene, R.Ph., manufacturers are regarding specialty pharmacy as a separate class of trade and are offering discounts for the 15-plus disease states the GPO covers. Irene said he got into this business back in the '80s, when he helped his father with drug purchasing for his long-term care pharmacy, called Automated Pharmaceutical Services. "Specialty pharmacy is a lot like long-term care pharmacy 10 years ago," Irene told Drug Topics. The GPO has also set up a network of specialty pharmacies for payers called the Armada Specialty Pharmacy Network.

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