PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Today, the hospital system held a blessing ceremony for their new specialty pharmacy and integrated distribution center, the first of its kind in Central Illinois.
They’re providing patients with more affordable, specialty drugs and offering them all in one location at the Franciscan Prairie Building, 5901 West War Memorial Drive.
Patients can expect to get text and email reminders letting them know the status of their medicine and when it’s running low.
Sister Diane Marie McGrew knows first-hand what it’s like.
“I can speak from experience as I’m currently on a specialty drug,” McGrew says. “I have the experience of going through the process; to set up everything, arrange for that delivery of the medicine through a specialty pharmacy — and it was complicated.”
The mission partners in OSF’s pharmacy division and Medi-Park Pharmacy helped her navigate.
She says the groundbreaking resource will enable OSF caregivers to take even better care of their patients; and make it easier for everyone involved.
Jerry Storm, senior vice president of OSF Healthcare Pharmacy Services has seen specialty drugs costing more than a million dollars to treat a patient.
“We take that complexity away from the patient and put it on us,” says Storm. “And we also take it away from the provider’s offices and the nursing staff. They’re able to treat patients.”
He says this new pharmacy will allow a continuum of care.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a patient in the hospital, an outpatient fusion center, or (doctor’s) office,” Storm says they’ll be able to provide those specialty drugs.
