HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart Pharmacy is working with Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy to give customers and loyalty program Shop Your Way members greater access to a wider range of medications.

The move means Kmart, which has more than 800 pharmacies across the country, will be offering a new level of service and convenience to meet the needs of the growing specialty medication population.

The medications will bring specialized support for a variety of patient conditions, including HIV, Crohn’s disease, anemia blood modifiers and hepatitis C.

It is estimated that by 2018 specialty medications will account for more than 51% of sales within the top 100 prescription products.

“We understand that when patients are dealing with a chronic or complex health condition they need an extra level of care,” said Mark Panzer, president of pharmacy at parent company Sears Holdings Corp. “By partnering with Diplomat Pharmacy, Kmart Pharmacy is able to provide a highly trained team to support medication therapy and comprehensive care management to better serve our specialty pharmacy members.”

Kmart pharmacies will also offer specialty medications to treat conditions such as cystic fibrosis, need for growth hormone, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, renal disease, rheumatoid arthritis and transplants.

As part of the expanded service, patients will have access to patient care coordinators familiar with their medical files, specialized injection training and manufacturer co-payment support cards for eligible ­patients.

“Working with Kmart pharmacies means millions more will have access to specialty drugs through the convenience of their local Kmart pharmacy,” said Ela Lourido, director of Diplomat’s retail specialty network. “It also means patients will have access to teams of specialists who understand their unique needs. The big winner in this is the specialty drug patient who now has a full team of health care professionals at their disposal, working together to ensure the best outcome.”