ArticleHealth affairs scholar2026
Scope and characteristics of patients filling medications through specialty pharmacies by ownership type.
Article in Health affairs scholar, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Association between integrated specialty pharmacy care model and pharmaceutical access and costs.Health affairs scholar · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: Arkansas recently prohibited pharmacy ownership by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), with similar proposals emerging nationally. Little evidence describes which patients rely on specialty pharmacies by ownership type or how divestiture policies may affect access. Methods: Using Colorado all-payer claims linked to National Council for Prescription Drug Programs pharmacy information, we identified specialty pharmacy users among all patients' insurance coverage. Pharmacies were categorized as PBM-owned, insurer-owned, or non-vertically integrated. Patient demographics, Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) scores, and prescription utilization were compared across groups. Results: Among eligible patients, 0.8% used a specialty pharmacy. Specialty pharmacy users were older, more often female, with higher SVI scores and greater prescription utilization. Vertically integrated specialty pharmacies accounted for a substantial share of fills, and their users exhibited higher social vulnerability and greater medication needs compared with users of nonintegrated pharmacies. Conclusion: Specialty pharmacy users disproportionately include more vulnerable individuals with complex therapy needs. Legislation banning PBM or insurer ownership of specialty pharmacies may disrupt access for these high-need groups, underscoring the need for careful policy design.
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Registered trials
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