Kmart Pharmacy to offer specialty medicine

Kmart Pharmacy is working with Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy to give Kmart customers and Shop Your Way members access to specialty medications, bringing specialized support for a variety of patient conditions, including but not limited to: HIV, Crohn's disease, anemia blood modifiers and Hepatitis C.



By 2018, specialty medications are projected to account for more than 51% of sales within the top 100 prescription products. Through this new agreement with Diplomat Pharmacy, an industry leader in patient care, Kmart offers a new level of service and convenience to meet the needs of the growing specialty medication population.



"We understand that when patients are dealing with a chronic or complex health condition they need an extra level of care," said Mark Panzer, president of pharmacy for Sears Holdings. "By partnering with Diplomat Pharmacy, Kmart Pharmacy is able to provide a highly trained team to support medication therapy and comprehensive care management to better serve our specialty pharmacy members."



In addition to HIV, Crohn's, anemia and Hepatitis C, Kmart Pharmacies will also offer specialty medications to treat conditions such as cystic fibrosis, growth hormone, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, renal, rheumatoid arthritis, and transplants. In addition, patients will have access to patient care coordinators familiar with their medical files, specialized injection training (for patients requiring this service), and manufacturer co-payment support cards for eligible patients.



"Working with Kmart Pharmacies means millions more will have access to specialty drugs through the convenience of their local Kmart pharmacy," said Ela Lourido, director of retail specialty network for Diplomat. "It also means patients will have access to teams of specialists who understand their unique needs. The big winner in this is the specialty drug patient who now has a full team of healthcare professionals at their disposal, working together to ensure the best outcome."



There are more than 800 Kmart Pharmacy stores across the country.



Michigan-based Diplomat, founded in 1975, serves patients nationwide as the country's largest privately held specialty pharmacy and focuses on complete medication management programs for patients with serious and chronic conditions.