ORLANDO, Fla. —  AllianceRx Walgreens Prime has renewed its sponsorship of accredited, web-based continuing education (CE) customized for members of the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP), which includes AllianceRx Walgreens Prime pharmacists. The CE content is accredited, managed and delivered through ProCE, a nationally recognized provider of CE for healthcare professionals.

“We are proud to again collaborate with NASP and ProCE. In 2019, more than 10,000 hours of specialty pharmacy-focused CE credit was awarded to our pharmacists as a result of the relationship,” says Rick Miller, vice president, clinical and professional services, at AllianceRx Walgreens Prime. “This shows our team members are committed to continual learning and want to provide the best possible care and support for specialty pharmacy patients.”

Sheila Arquette, executive director of NASP, says the renewed agreement helps ensure NASP members have access to best-in-class CE programs intended to help elevate and promote the practice of specialty pharmacy. The courses are provided by NASP, the only nonprofit national trade association representing specialty pharmacy, and serving as both the leading educational resource and national advocate for specialty pharmacy healthcare professionals and patients.

Arquette says the program is refreshed each year “to ensure the content offered is reflective of this rapidly changing and evolving industry.” This year, the program will include updated information addressing new treatment guidelines, algorithms, and FDA-approved medications for patients and disease states managed by specialty pharmacy, NASP annual meeting program content, COVID-19 patient and pharmacy personnel education and management, and specialty pharmacy technician-specific programs.

“In working with NASP, we continue to develop new content to meet the educational needs of AllianceRx Walgreens Prime specialty pharmacists,” says Miller. AllianceRx Walgreens Prime’s on-demand CE courses cover a range of rare and chronic disease states managed within specialty pharmacy. New courses include Human Immunodeficiency Virus Treatment Strategies; Contemporary Practice Pearls for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension; Specialty Pharmacy Pipeline Product Update; and Flu Vaccine Prophylaxis and Treatment Updates for Pharmacists. Modules on gene and cell therapy are currently in development for future release.

Developed in 2016 by NASP’s Board of Directors and Education Committee and powered by ProCE, NASP’s Center for Specialty Pharmacy Education (CSPE) is a virtual, professionally managed, online learning platform. The center provides accredited continuing pharmacy education (CPE) activities, examinations, and credit tracking for specialty pharmacists seeking advanced training and recognition for their enhanced knowledge and experience to improve patient care.

“Both AllianceRx Walgreens Prime and NASP devote significant resources to the continuing professional development of specialty pharmacists,” says Richard Lewis, Pharm.D., president and CEO of ProCE. “As a CE provider, we are thrilled to see the dedication to patient care through professional education.”

As a benefit of membership, NASP members have free access to NASP Education Center, which was designed to provide specialty pharmacists with clinical and management education to improve patient care and help prepare for the certified specialty pharmacy (CSP) exam. Through the partnership, AllianceRx Walgreens Prime pharmacists also have free access to the educational offerings through the education portal on its intranet.