• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Centric Health Resources Leads Focus on Specialty Pharmaceutical Distribution and Patient-Centered Health Management(R) for Ultra-Orphan Disorders

Posted on: Wednesday, 6 August 2008, 12:00 CDT

Centric Health Resources, Inc. (www.centrichealthresources.com), a new generation health services organization focused on improving the quality of life for people nationwide with rare, ultra-orphan and chronic genetic disorders, is taking the lead in connecting patients and their families with specialty pharmaceuticals and personalized, patient-centered health management. Centric's suite of services, combined with a turnkey product distribution model, offers flexibility for manufacturers and generates better long-term health outcomes for patients.

"With a deep understanding of the value of personalized relationships, Centric has pioneered patient-centered health management, helping biotech and pharmaceutical manufacturers to better serve this targeted market niche, which is typically defined as relatively small patient populations of less than ten thousand," says Craig Kephart, president and CEO of Centric Health Resources, the company he co-founded in 2004 following decades of experience in specialty pharmacy management and distribution including Express Scripts, Inc. and Quantum Health Resources, Inc.

Manufacturers turn to Centric for stand-alone services, including product launch and commercialization, product distribution, and ongoing health management, as well as other support services that include intake hub services, data collection and reporting, nursing utilization, quality oversight, and custom information technology (IT) capabilities.

In this segment, Centric stands as the sole innovator of this comprehensive health management model for ultra-orphan disorders. To further extend its market position, Centric is partnering with patient advocacy organizations to promote health education. By working with commercial and government payers, Centric ensures optimal reimbursement and sets distribution standards of excellence for manufacturers facing the challenges and special requirements of bringing ultra-orphan drugs to market.

Centric currently provides services for thousands of patients with rare chronic disorders, including Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, hemophilia, primary immune deficiencies, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP), pemphigus, post-liver transplant hepatitis-B patients, and others. Poised for growth and expansion, Centric boasts a development team of healthcare professionals who are experienced in rare chronic disorders. The company's centralized areas of operation, services, supply management, and data reporting promote a vertically integrated best-in-class offering that maximizes opportunities for consistent patient experiences.

"Centric strives to meet the complicated needs of the market with a flexible menu of services that can be delivered in both a bundled or unbundled platform," Kephart says, adding that with its ongoing focus on meeting and exceeding customer expectations, Centric provides a broad range of programs and supports clinical trials all the way through distribution. "Both patients and manufacturers regard Centric's supply management platform as truly amazing, with a successful track record for keeping patients on service - at home or on the road," adds Kephart. "Patient compliance and loyalty to Centric's programs lead to an improved return on investment for our client manufacturers."

Centric fosters a culture of caring and a conviction that patients with chronic disorders require more than just clinical therapy. "By focusing on the patient and aligning incentives, this comprehensive approach addresses every aspect of a patient's life and results in positive behavior change that benefits all constituents involved in the delivery of care - patients, manufacturers, payers and physicians," says Kephart.

Centric is fundamentally a patient relationship management company, as Kephart concludes, "We are confident in our ability to replicate this current level of success for virtually any manufacturer of specialty drugs for small markets. The stronger the Centric relationship is with the patient, the greater the value for all our stakeholders."

About Centric Health Resources

Centric Health Resources, Inc. is a nationwide, patient-centered health management organization, serving patients with rare, ultra-orphan disorders. Biotech and pharmaceutical manufacturers maximize value by aligning with Centric for streamlined coordination and flexible service offerings that include reimbursement expertise, delivery of specialty pharmaceuticals, peer health coaching, and clinical support from registered nurses. Centric connects physicians, nurses, health benefit payers, patient advocacy groups, biotech/pharmaceutical companies and families together in partnership for improved service and health outcomes for these specialized populations. Visit www.CentricHealthResources.com.

Source: Business Wire

More News in this Category