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Better Overall Performance
Infusion pharmacy is a rapidly growing area of specialty pharmacy services that can deliver substantial value to patients as well as payers, health systems and manufacturers. This growth is fueled by new drugs and therapies alongside an aging population. In addition, as CMS and other payers have sought lower costs, in-home infusion therapy services have flourished, bringing along added services such as enteral nutrition therapy, inhalation therapies, disease state services and care management services. And the COVID pandemic only increased the need for in-home services.
With this accelerated expansion comes the need for infusion pharmacy organizations to implement a comprehensive assessment of their standards and practices while meeting CMS and third-party payer accreditation requirements.
To assure the highest quality care, URAC, the nation’s leading health care accreditation authority, works collaboratively your team to offer two accreditations. The standards for these two programs are the same, and many pharmacies pursue both accreditations simultaneously. T
- Infusion Pharmacy Accreditation — Addresses infusion therapy standards for all payers (except Medicare) and sites of administration
- Medicare Home Infusion Therapy Supplier Accreditation — Has Medicare-deemed status and covers practice management, consumer safety, complete care service and practice standards, guidelines and protocols
Long-Lasting Benefits
While Infusion Pharmacy Accreditation is voluntary, infusion pharmacies and home infusion therapy suppliers who meet URAC’s stringent accreditation standards, receive numerous advantages, including:
- Validates best practices in patient care and safety with complex medications and nutritional products, which assures optimized access, outcomes and costs efficiencies
- Demonstrates coordinated patient care via a multidisciplinary team, with comprehensive assessments, care planning and monitoring and patient/caregiver education
- Better prepared to meet specialized reporting requirements, monitor therapy-related safety protections and other ongoing specialty considerations
PLUS 5 more benefits:
- Elevates contracting power, credibility and differentiation over competitors as payers and stakeholders are assured of organizational competency
- Provides a practical roadmap for ongoing improvement with operational and clinical infrastructure, processes and efficiencies
- Delivers risk management peace-of-mind with standards that prevent, protect and manage liabilities
- Inspires innovation through a non-prescriptive approach that support your specific business and clinical operations
- Validates compliance with all state and federal regulations, licensing and other regulatory requirements
Download our Infusion Pharmacy Standards-at-a-Glance.
URAC Accreditation Process: What to Expect
Over the course of six months or less, URAC will collaborate with your team to create a flexible framework for continuous improvement without prescribing how to meet those accreditation standards. URAC’s approach stimulates innovation across the continuum of care through email, conference calls and web conferencing.
Who May Apply
Eligibility is open to pharmacy-based infusion therapy suppliers in good standing located in the United States. Infusion Pharmacy Accreditation applies to all payers and sites except Medicare home infusion suppliers. Those who have already achieved or are seeking URAC Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation or are seeking URAC Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation are encouraged to apply.