Identification of specialty drugs

1. A method comprising:

a computer processor assigning, a drug attribute A score to a drug based on a characteristic level of specialized clinical services associated with patient understanding of a condition that the drug is used to treat, self management of the condition that the drug is used to treat, or both the patient understanding and the self management of the condition that the drug is used to treat;

a computer processor assigning, a drug attribute B score to the drug based on a characteristic level of specialized requirements for intensive patient training specific to the administration of the drug or specialized requirements for administration of the drug;

a computer processor assigning, a drug attribute C score to the drug based on a characteristic level of specialized requirements for clinical monitoring required because of toxicity of the drug and to monitor for therapeutic effect;

a computer processor assigning, a drug attribute D score to the drug based on a characteristic level of an extent of specialized requirements for compliance assistance by a patient associated with the drug to facilitate therapeutic goals;

a computer processor assigning, a drug attribute E score to the drug based on a characteristic level of an extent of specialized requirements for handling, preparation, and storage of the drug;

a computer processor assigning, a drug attribute F score to the drug based on a characteristic level of a distribution channel of the drug;

a computer processor determining, total value score for the drug based on the drug attribute A score, drug attribute B score, drug attribute C score, drug attribute D score, drug attribute E score, and drug attribute F score;

a computer processor determining, a cost attribute for the drug based on location of a cost of the drug within a cost range of a plurality of cost ranges;

a computer processor identifying, a numerical threshold value score based on the cost attribute of the drug; and

a computer processor comparing, the total value score of the drug against the numerical threshold value score to identify the drug as a specialty drug.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the drug attribute A score comprises:

assigning the drug attribute A score to the drug at a first characteristic level when highly specialized clinical expertise is required to support patient understanding, management, or both patient understand and management of the complex and rare condition of the patient;

assigning the drug attribute A score to the drug at a second characteristic level when specialized clinical expertise is required to support patient understanding, management, or both patient understand and management of the complex or rare condition of the patient; and

assigning the drug attribute A score to the drug at a third characteristic level when general clinical expertise is required to support patient understanding, management, or both patient understanding and management of the condition of the patient.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the drug attribute B score comprises:

assigning the drug attribute B score to the drug at a first characteristic level when very intensive patient training is required specific to medication administration of the drug or when highly specialized requirements for drug administration by a healthcare professional is required;

assigning the drug attribute B score to the drug at a second characteristic level when moderately intensive patient training is required specific to medication administration of the drug or when moderately specialized requirements for drug administration by the patient is required; and

assigning the drug attribute B score to the drug at a third characteristic level when average level of patient training is required specific to medication administration of the drug or when no specialized requirements for drug administration by the patient is required.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the drug attribute C score comprises:

assigning the drug attribute C score to the drug at a first characteristic level when very intensive clinical monitoring is required, including during drug administration, due to highly toxic, commonly occurring, or both highly toxic and commonly occurring adverse drug reactions associated with the drug;

assigning the drug attribute C score to the drug at a second characteristic level when moderately intensive clinical monitoring is required, including during drug administration, due to moderately toxic, less commonly occurring, or both moderately toxic and less commonly occurring adverse drug reactions associated with the drug; and

assigning the drug attribute C score to the drug at a third characteristic level when average level of clinical monitoring is required to decrease potential for drug toxicity.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the drug attribute D score comprises:

assigning the drug attribute D score to the drug at a first characteristic level when compliance assistance is necessary in order to facilitate therapeutic goals;

assigning the drug attribute D score to the drug at a second characteristic level when compliance assistance is recommended in order to facilitate therapeutic goals; and

assigning the drug attribute D score to the drug at a third characteristic level when compliance assistance is optional in order to facilitate therapeutic goals.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the drug attribute E score comprises:

assigning the drug attribute E score to the drug at a first characteristic level when the drug has highly specialized requirements for product handling;

assigning the drug attribute E score to the drug at a second characteristic level when the drug has moderately specialized requirements for product handling; and

assigning the drug attribute E score to the drug at a third characteristic level when the drug has no specialized requirements for product handling.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the drug attribute F score comprises:

assigning the drug attribute F score to the drug at a first characteristic level when the drug is only available through limited distribution channels; and

assigning the drug attribute F score to the drug at a second characteristic level when the drug is only available through an open distribution channel.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the drug attribute A score comprises assigning the drug attribute A score to the drug a value of two when highly specialized clinical expertise is required to support patient understanding, management, or both patient understanding and management of the complex and rare condition of the patient, assigning the drug attribute A score to the drug a value of one when specialized clinical expertise is required to support patient understanding, management, or both patient understand and management of the complex or rare condition of the patient, and assigning the drug attribute A score to the drug a value of zero when general clinical expertise is required to support patient understanding, management, or both patient understand and management of the condition of the patient;

wherein assigning the drug attribute B score comprises assigning the drug attribute B score to the drug a value of two when very intensive patient training is required specific to medication administration of the drug or when highly specialized requirements for drug administration by a healthcare professional is required, assigning the drug attribute B score to the drug a value of one when moderately intensive patient training is required specific to medication administration of the drug or when moderately specialized requirements for drug administration by the patient is required, and assigning the drug attribute B score to the drug a value of zero when average level of patient training is required specific to medication administration of the drug or when no specialized requirements for drug administration by the patient is required;

wherein assigning the drug attribute C score comprises assigning the drug attribute C score to the drug a value of two when very intensive clinical monitoring is required, including during drug administration, due to highly toxic, commonly occurring, or both highly toxic and commonly occurring adverse drug reactions associated with the drug, assigning the drug attribute C score to the drug a value of one when moderately intensive clinical monitoring is required, including during drug administration, due to moderately toxic, less commonly occurring, or both moderately toxic and less commonly occurring adverse drug reactions associated with the drug, and assigning the drug attribute C score to the drug a value of zero when average level of clinical monitoring is required to decrease potential for drug toxicity;

wherein assigning the drug attribute D score comprises assigning the drug attribute D score to the drug a value of two when compliance assistance is necessary in order to facilitate therapeutic goals, assigning the drug attribute D score to the drug a value of one when compliance assistance is recommended in order to facilitate therapeutic goals, and assigning the drug attribute D score to the drug a value of zero when compliance assistance is optional in order to facilitate therapeutic goals;

wherein assigning the drug attribute E score comprises assigning the drug attribute E score to the drug a value of two when the drug has highly specialized requirements for product handling, assigning the drug attribute E score to the drug a value of one when the drug has moderately specialized requirements for product handling, and assigning the drug attribute E score to the drug a value of zero when the drug has no specialized requirements for product handling; and

wherein assigning the drug attribute F score comprises assigning the drug attribute F score to the drug a value of one, two, three, four, five, six, seven eight, nine, or ten when the drug is only available through limited distribution channels, and assigning the drug attribute F score to the drug a value of zero when the drug is only available through an open distribution channel.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of cost ranges include a first cost range of less than five hundred dollars per 30-day period, a second cost range of from five hundred dollars to one thousand dollars per 30-day period, and a third cost range of greater than on thousand dollars per 30-day period.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the numerical threshold value score is eight when the drug is in the first cost range, the numerical threshold is five when the drug is in the second cost range, and the numerical threshold is zero when the drug is in the third cost range.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the total value score for the drug comprises:

adding the drug attribute A score, the drug attribute B score, the drug attribute C score, the drug attribute D score, the drug attribute E score, and the drug attribute F score to obtain the total value score for the drug.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the total value score for the drug comprises:

respectively weighting the drug attribute A score, the drug attribute B score, the drug attribute C score, the drug attribute D score, the drug attribute E score, and the drug attribute F score; and

adding the weighted drug attribute A score, the weighted drug attribute B score, the weighted drug attribute C score, the weighted drug attribute D score, the weighted drug attribute E score, and the weighted drug attribute F score to obtain the total value score for the drug.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the total value score for the drug comprises:

multiplying the drug attribute A score, the drug attribute B score, the drug attribute C score, the drug attribute D score, the drug attribute E score, and the drug attribute F score to obtain the total value score for the drug.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cost of the drug is the average wholesale price (AWP) of the drug.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specialty drug is dispensed through a specialty pharmacy.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving drug identification of the drug through a user interface,

wherein assignment of the drug attribute A score is in response to receipt of the drug identification.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the following operations:

assign a drug attribute A score to a drug based on a characteristic level of specialized clinical services associated with patient understanding of a condition that the drug is used to treat, self management of the condition that the drug is used to treat, or both the patient understanding and the self management of the condition that the drug is used to treat;

assign a drug attribute B score to the drug based on a characteristic level of specialized requirements for intensive patient training specific to the administration of the drug or specialized requirements for administration of the drug;

assign a drug attribute C score to the drug based on a characteristic level of specialized requirements for clinical monitoring required because of toxicity of the drug and to monitor for therapeutic effect;

assign a drug attribute D score to the drug based on a characteristic level of an extent of specialized requirements for compliance assistance by a patient associated with the drug to facilitate therapeutic goals;

assign a drug attribute E score to the drug based on a characteristic level of an extent of specialized requirements for handling, preparation, and storage of the drug;

assign a drug attribute F score to the drug based on a characteristic level of a distribution channel of the drug;

determine total value score for the drug based on the drug attribute A score, drug attribute B score, drug attribute C score, drug attribute D score, drug attribute E score, and drug attribute F score;

determine a cost attribute for the drug based on location of a cost of the drug within a cost range of a plurality of cost ranges;

identify a numerical threshold value score based on the cost attribute of the drug; and compare the total value score of the drug against the numerical threshold value score to identify the drug as a specialty drug.