Pharmacy Accreditation – How it can help set your pharmacy apart from the crowd
Whether your pharmacy is a traditional community pharmacy, a specialty pharmacy, or a combination of both, accreditation should be on your radar for consideration. Although accreditation was, at one point, a unique way to differentiate between pharmacies, the process is now a requirement for most specialty pharmacy contracts – and the more accreditations you have, the better!
Why Accreditation?

Aside from differentiating your pharmacy from other non-accredited pharmacies, accreditation can help your pharmacy increase its chances to win more contracts. In fact, if your pharmacy desires to have access to limited-distribution products and payer coverage, accreditation is near mandatory. Recently, payers have made it known that specialty pharmacy accreditation demonstrates a pharmacy’s focus on improved patient outcomes, quality, cost containment, and proper utilization of services.
While standards may vary from one accrediting organization to the next, all pharmacies are held to a minimum standard. Some of these standards include an ability to provide exceptional, consistent, and reliable patient care – in all areas of a pharmacy’s services. Some of those areas include:
- Therapy management
- Clinical management
- Customer service
- Operations
- Data collections
- Reporting
While there are some exceptions due to established best practices, pharmacies are free to create and install their own policies and procedures in order to meet these requirements.
Accountability
Accreditation helps to hold your pharmacy to higher standards. The accrediting body you choose will evaluate your programs for effectiveness, making sure that your pharmacy follows through on expectations and promises. Accreditation ensures your pharmacy is providing the optimal experience in care for your customers.
Setting Your Pharmacy Apart from Others
We know you want to stay competitive in your market. The accountability accreditation will bring your pharmacy is another tool to help you stay relevant while maintaining your market advantage.
Whether your pharmacy is dedicated to providing specialty pharmacy services to patients with rare and/or ultra-rare disease states, serving a broader specialty market, focusing on innovative approaches, or is more reliant on customer service approaches such as taking the initiative with preventative care, you’re a vital part of your community, and it is far past time to consider accreditation for your organization to help keep the edge you’ve worked so hard to create.
For more information on accreditation, visit ACHC.org or contact your AlliantRx representative.
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