Prime Therapeutics taps Inovalon to enhance specialty pharmacy through cloud-based tech

Prime Therapeutics has tapped Inovalon and its cloud-based tech to enhance its Magellan Rx specialty pharmacy, the Blues-backed pharmacy benefit manager announced Monday.

The PBM and Inovalon have entered into a multiyear partnership to deploy the tech company's ScriptMed cloud platform in its specialty pharmacy business, according to the announcement. The platform will allow Prime to offer its members a better digital experience with streamlined, simplified support.

Specialty pharmacy is an increasingly critical area for PBMs and the payer space broadly. Prime noted that these drugs account for 55% of total drug spend, and that's only expected to rise.

Integrating the ScriptMed platform will allow for self-service of refill requests, including tracking and delivery, as well as a more streamlined process for coverage determinations, the companies said.

"Prime and Magellan Rx offer next-generation pharmacy solutions and a truly differentiated patient experience," said Nathan Downhour, senior vice president of healthcare services at Prime, in the release. "Adopting the ScriptMed platform for our specialty pharmacy enables us to enhance the patient experience throughout their health care journey using a data driven, holistic approach."

In addition, the platform will provide members seeking financial assistance with additional support and will "enhance digital engagement," according to the announcement.

ScriptMed arms the Magellan Rx specialty team with advanced analytics, greater opportunity for data visualization and real-time connectivity.

"Our partnership with Prime Therapeutics and Magellan Rx is built on our shared commitment to providing specialty care to patients with a seamless and integrated pharmacy experience," said Eron Kelly, president of Inovalon, in the release. "By combining our expertise in data analytics, cloud technology, and pharmacy management with a forward-thinking company like Prime, we can deliver more coordinated and cost-effective specialty care at scale with the power of ScriptMed Cloud from Inovalon."