Human-Centered Digital Transformation in Specialty Pharmacy

As specialty pharmacy continues to grow in complexity, stakeholders are rethinking how patients engage with care. At Asembia’s AXS26 Summit, speakers Jennie Iverson, PhD, vice president of product and clinical strategy, AcariaHealth Specialty Pharmacy; Peter Bergen, PharmD, MBA, vice president of pharmacy clinical operations, AcariaHealth Specialty Pharmacy; and William A. Romero, vice president of billing and service operations, AcariaHealth Specialty Pharmacy, examined how digital tools, artificial intelligence (AI), and workflow redesign can improve the patient experience—while preserving the human touch that remains essential to specialty care.¹

Closing Communication Gaps in Specialty Pharmacy

Iverson opened the discussion by contrasting modern consumer engagement with the traditional specialty pharmacy model. Patients today receive constant updates from schools, banks, retailers, and travel apps, yet many specialty pharmacy journeys remain fragmented and reactive.

“I think it’s really imperative that we build this specialty pharmacy engagement with patient-centric mindsets; that's very much a focus on how a patient wants to be engaged with, when they want to be engaged with, and not just pushing digital engagement their way where it doesn't make sense to do so,” said Iverson.

That need is especially acute for patients starting complex therapies. Iverson described how a patient with Parkinson disease may receive a diagnosis and then wait months before the next provider appointment, with little communication in between. In that gap, specialty pharmacies can play a more connected role by coordinating outreach, education, and support.

Reducing Administrative Burden Through Digital Tools

The panel demonstrated a digital onboarding scenario in which a digital pharmacist communicated with a patient through secure messaging before therapy initiation. Rather than asking the patient to repeat information already documented in the medical record, the digital pharmacist could immediately focus on concerns such as pump use, showering, and swimming.

“It would typically, on average, take about 45 minutes to get all of this information over the phone from a patient,” explained Iverson. “It ranges depending on therapy [and] it ranges depending on the specialty pharmacy, but you do see an extended call on that therapy start.”

Additionally, a digital model reduces unnecessary burden while improving quality of interaction, according to Bergen. He also added that the approach gives pharmacists a documented record of counseling points, captures patient concerns in real time, and creates materials that can be revisited later.

The session also focused on refill management, a frequent pain point in specialty pharmacy. In another example, a patient needed to update an address and ask a clinical question during a refill interaction. Rather than navigating transfers and call queues, the patient was able to resolve both issues through a personalized digital workflow.

“It frees up that time to really be more empathetic in our interactions with our patients and have that focus and attention to detail and the intangibles that really matter and build that connection that also drives adherence,” said Romero.

Expanding Access While Preserving Oversight

The panelists also highlighted after-hours access. In one scenario, a patient noticed redness at an infusion site at 1:00 AM on a Sunday. Instead of waiting until Monday or navigating an automated phone tree, the patient could connect digitally, share images, and receive timely guidance.

Bergen noted that having the clearest clinical picture before the interaction allows pharmacists to immediately ask the right questions to prioritize their needs while ensuring nothing gets lost between pharmacy, nursing, and prescriber teams.

Still, speakers repeatedly cautioned against viewing technology as a cure-all. When asked about AI chatbots giving dosing advice for high-risk specialty medications, the panel largely deemed the concept problematic without strong oversight.

“The theme here is it's about connection,” said Bergen. “It's about clinical oversight, and removing that clinical decision-making or oversight or creating an opportunity for interpretation that's inappropriate would be problematic.”

Industry Momentum Supports a Hybrid Future

Instead, the group said AI may be better suited for administrative functions such as scheduling, reminders, and triaging simple requests—freeing clinicians to focus on nuanced patient needs.

A 2025 report published in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy found that a digital refill questionnaire maintained strong engagement, generated more than 14,000 patient responses, and reduced technician workload by an estimated 2,185 hours annually while preserving pharmacist oversight.²

For specialty pharmacies facing rising demand, growing therapy complexity, and workforce strain, that message may define the path forward: use technology to remove friction, so clinicians can spend more time doing what matters most—caring for patients.¹

“Digital engagement isn't about replacing that human care; it's about protecting it,” said Bergen. “It's about having clinicians, team members, humans working at the top of their license or the top of their ability to have an impact for that patient who's either [had] a rough diagnosis or continuing a really challenging course of therapy… The human piece is what matters, and driving towards possible outcomes for patients in ways that are responsible is again the mission.”

References

1. Iverson J, Bergen P, Romero WA. From clicks to connection: reimagining specialty pharmacy in the digital era. Presented at: AXS26; April 27-30, 2026; Las Vegas, NV.

2. Dale JR, Murray RL, Levet CM, et al. Beyond the call: implementing a patient-first digital refill solution in a health-system specialty pharmacy. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2026;83(5):e227-e234. doi:10.1093/ajhp/zxaf192