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McKesson Specialty Health and RelayHealth Pharmacy Solutions to Administer Approved REMS Program in Pain ManagementOctober 12, 2011 |
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McKesson and RelayHealth continue their success in retail REMS solutions to ensure safety and access for cancer patients The Woodlands, Texas (Oct. 12, 2011) - Cephalon, Inc. (Frazer, PA), has chosen McKesson Specialty Health to administer its U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved FENTORA® (fentanyl buccal tablet) [C-II] and ACTIQ® (oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate) [C-II] Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) programs for management of breakthrough pain in cancer patients. Building on an established track record as the “go-to” REMS administrator, McKesson Specialty Health will administer the newly-approved Cephalon REMS programs which will replace the prior risk management programs for these medications. Through McKesson Specialty Health’s sister-organization, RelayHealth, patients can have their prescriptions filled at any local retail pharmacy enrolled in the ACTIQ and FENTORA REMS programs. “As innovators in end-to-end REMS solution, we’re building on a live, proven model in the market place today that works within pharmacy and prescriber management workflow systems to ease the administrative burden on providers,” said Heather Morel, vice president and general manager, Reimbursement, Access and Safety Services | AccessMED, McKesson Specialty Health. “We are very pleased to collaborate with Cephalon to enable safe access to medications that play an important role in patients’ cancer treatment.” Today, McKesson Specialty Health and RelayHealth administer several FDA-approved REMS with Elements to Assure Safe Use (ETASU) in the retail pharmacy setting making it now possible to help ensure all safe-use conditions are met within the pharmacist workflow rather than increasing the burden on stakeholders or moving REMS products out of the retail channel. “McKesson Specialty Health’s experience in end-to-end solutions for complex REMS, combined with RelayHealth’s innovative pharmacy network solutions, bring together the right expertise and infrastructure to support the goals of this important REMS program,” said James Ottinger, vice president, Worldwide Regulatory Affairs, Cephalon. “By leveraging our partnerships with retail pharmacies across the country and existing pharmacy technology in place today, we will help ensure not only safe, but timely, access to Cephalon’s important pain medications,” said Jeff Felton, president, RelayHealth Pharmacy Solutions. McKesson Specialty Health has extensive experience in designing and administering comprehensive REMS solutions with ETASU for both specialty and retail channels and is the only REMS administrator with multiple active retail-based REMS with ETASU programs that integrate with pharmacy practice management systems in the market today. As part of McKesson Corporation, McKesson Specialty Health and RelayHealth bring a comprehensive, unmatched set of REMS assets and solutions to all stakeholders in healthcare. About McKesson Specialty Health About RelayHealth About Cephalon, Inc. PR Contact
Lynne Durham
Claire Crye |
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