Launched in 2019, NABP’s Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation was created to accredit pharmacies providing advanced levels of pharmacy services and disease management tools for patients taking medications that require special handling, storage, and dispensing requirements. In addition, this accreditation is ideal for pharmacies that provide pharmacist coordinated patient education and training, such as promoting adherence and appropriate medication use. Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation is a cost-effective, 3-year accreditation program that demonstrates the success of your pharmacy’s outcome-based patient care programs and services for specialty medications. NABP has performed over 3,500 regulatory compliance inspections with more than 450 inspections occurring at specialty pharmacy practice settings.
NABP’s Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation is based on a comprehensive set of practice Standards designed to help you deliver optimal pharmacist-provided patient care services, quality, and safety. As we evaluate your pharmacy’s compliance to our comprehensive practice standards, NABP confirms operational regulatory requirements and licensure are in place, and reviews adherence to minimal clinical requirements and medication handling that promote high quality patient care. NABP’s Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation standards focus on four performance areas: patient management, quality management, drug supply chain, and regulatory compliance.
NABP Specialty Pharmacy Application Process
Earning the Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation is a 5-step process.
- Application
Submit the online application and payment, and NABP reviews the application. A Policy & Procedure (P&P) assessment is sent to you to help prepare and organize your documents for submission. This tool outlines what NABP is reviewing to confirm compliance with the Standards.
- Pre-Survey Preparation
You submit the completed P&P Assessment, and NABP reviews and provides a detailed response. The P&P review and remediation cycle continues until it is deemed complete and you are ready for an onsite survey. You will also meet with our team to review your business model and scope of services.
- Onsite Survey
For specialty pharmacies, NABP schedules an announced, onsite, 2-day survey and sends you a survey notice and agenda. The onsite survey will be conducted by a registered pharmacist.
- Post-Survey Remediation
NABP presents to you a post-survey letter where the survey findings are given. You will provide a response addressing each action item, and NABP will review the response and remediation until the process is deemed complete.
- Accreditation
Upon approval, the first year of your 3-year accreditation begins, and compliance reviews are performed annually at the second and third anniversary.
How does NABP reaccreditation work?
Prior to the expiration date of your current 3-year accreditation, we will contact you to begin the reaccreditation process and will provide guidelines to help you with the process. Before your reaccreditation, NABP recommends you conduct a final check to see if there have been any updates to the Standards. The Standards are updated as needed due to NABP research, trends we see in pharmacies, customer feedback, or major legislative changes at the state or federal level. All changes are given to applicants and accredited facilities to give them time to make any necessary adjustments.
Can Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation be bundled with other NABP programs?
NABP’s core accreditation Standards enable a streamlined process when applicants pursue Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation simultaneously with other pharmacy accreditations. This helps reduce paperwork with one streamlined application process across multiple accreditations. Many customers often create a compliance package combining Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation with Digital Pharmacy Accreditation, Healthcare Merchant Accreditation, or Verified Pharmacy Program (VPP), and with informational tools like the Survey of Pharmacy Law and NABPLAW Online.
What benefits does the Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation give your business?
NABP’s Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation signifies to patients, payers, and providers that your pharmacy is recognized for providing specialized, advanced pharmacy services for patients. Optum Rx recognizes NABP’s Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation as an accrediting organization for pharmacies participation in its Specialty Pharmacy Network. Additional entities may recognize NABP’s Specialty Accreditation for network participation.
Additionally, NABP offers educational resources such as free and low cost webinars on industry topics, blogs, newsletters from the states to their licensees, and weekly and biweekly email newsletters.
Through the application process, our team will be there to answer questions and support you on your path to accreditation. Start your Specialty Pharmacy application today!
