Advancing Health Equity in Specialty Pharmacy | Asembia's AXS25 Summit

Health equity efforts and innovations in specialty pharmacy are becoming more important as healthcare organizations work to close gaps in patient care.

Leaders across the industry are developing new tools and approaches to better serve diverse populations and improve health outcomes.

Shawn Griffin, M.D., president and CEO of URAC, shared his insights into best practices for promoting health equity during the annual Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit in Las Vegas today.

Speaking alongside Joel Helle, vice president of Physician Services at CVS Health Specialty Pharmacy, Griffin highlighted the CVS pharmacoequity tool, a resource designed to address racial disparities and social determinants of health.

“I found their pharmacoequity tool to be very interesting,” he said. “I hadn’t seen anything like that, and they are rightfully very proud of that work.”

Griffin expressed that while large organizations such as CVS can invest in sophisticated tools, smaller specialty pharmacies can make impactful changes through practical steps like offering multilingual signage, community outreach and ensuring physical accessibility.

He also stressed the importance of diverse staffing within healthcare organizations.

Research shows that patients often respond better to care when providers share similar language skills, cultural backgrounds or lived experiences.

URAC’s community health worker program is one example of how organizations can use local leaders to connect isolated populations with healthcare resources and services.

“People generally receive care better from somebody who they have something in common with, whether that be language, whether that be look, whether that be background,” Griffin said.

Reflecting on his experience, he described Asembia as a major opportunity for URAC to engage directly with specialty pharmacies and gather valuable feedback.

Early conversations at past meetings have even shaped new URAC programs, such as creating a faster, more affordable accreditation process for smaller organizations.

Griffin concluded that specialty pharmacy is delivering outstanding care to communities nationwide and that health equity will continue to be a critical focus as the field evolves.