Access Olympics: Navigating Barriers in Specialty Pharmacy

Newark, DE US
March 6, 2026

This activity will provide an overview of specialty pharmacy and how it differs from traditional retail pharmacy. Participants will review common barriers to access for specialty medications, including challenges experienced by patients and specialty pharmacies. The session will summarize current literature on access barriers and evidence-informed strategies to address them and will highlight solutions ChristianaCare has implemented or is considering to improve medication access and patient support.

Target Audience

  • Pharmacists
  • Pharmacy Technicians
  • Other Healthcare Professionals

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, Pharmacists should be able to:  

  • Discuss how specialty pharmacy differs from traditional retail pharmacy.
  • Identify key barriers that patients and specialty pharmacies face in gaining access to medications.
  • Discuss solutions and innovations ChristianaCare has implemented—or could implement—to improve specialty medication access and care coordination.
  • Apply the content to a patient case to identify access barriers and develop a plan to support timely therapy initiation/continuation

 

 

At the conclusion of this activity, pharmacy technicians should be able to:  

  • Describe specialty pharmacy and how it differs from traditional retail pharmacy, including the technician’s role in the access process.
  • Identify common process barriers that delay specialty medication access and recognize workflow strategies to reduce delays.
  • Apply the content to a patient case to identify process barriers and outline next steps for coordinating access.
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 ACPE Pharmacist
  • 1.00 ACPE Pharmacy Technician
Course opens: 
03/06/2026
Course expires: 
05/05/2026
Event starts: 
03/06/2026 - 12:00pm CST
Event ends: 
03/06/2026 - 1:00pm CST
Add to calendar: 
Newark Campus Ammon Back Auditorium
4755 Ogletown -Stanton Road
Newark, DE 19718
United States

FACULTY & PLANNERS

Faculty
Caroline Keegan, PharmD      
PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Resident                   
ChristianaCare 
Planning Committee
Caroline Keegan, PharmD      
PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Resident                   
ChristianaCare 
 
Samantha Landolfa, PharmD, BCPS    
Director, Ambulatory & Specialty Pharmacy Services                   
ChristianaCare 
 
Marilu Kelly, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CHCP
Director, Continuing Education       
Vizient, Inc.
 
Kim Bentley, CHCP   
CE Programs Manager              
Vizient, Inc.
 
 

DISCLOSURE

As an accredited provider of continuing education, Vizient, Inc. is dedicated to ensuring this activity presents learners with only accurate, balanced, scientifically justified recommendations, and is free from promotion, marketing, and commercial bias. In accordance with The Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, all planners, faculty, and others in control of the educational content have disclosed the absence or existence of all financial relationships (of any dollar amount) with ineligible companies within the past 24 months.
 
Ineligible companies – those companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
 
It is Vizient’s policy that owners and employees of ineligible companies, and any individuals who refuse to disclose the absence or existence of financial relationships with any ineligible companies are disqualified from participating as planners or faculty.
 
Disclosure Statements
 
Absence of Relevant Financial Relationships
 
None of the planners, faculty, or others in a position to control content for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
 
 
 
Statement of Content Validity
 
Vizient, Inc. educational activities are intended to assist healthcare teams advance their professional responsibilities in accordance with the definition of continuing education. It is the policy of Vizient, Inc. to review and ensure that all content and recommendations for patient care within accredited CE is evidenced-based, based on current science and clinical reasoning while ensuring the content is fair and balanced. All recommendations must conform to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Vizient, Inc. does not permit accredited continuing education if it advocates for unscientific approaches to diagnosis or therapy, or if the education promotes recommendations, treatment, or manners of practicing healthcare that are determined to have risks or dangers that outweigh the benefits or are known to be ineffective in the treatment of patients.
 
FDA Off-Label Use
 
Faculty presenters are also expected to disclose any discussion of (1) off-label or investigational uses of FDA approved commercial products or devices or (2) products or devices not yet approved in the United States.
 
 
Disclaimer
The education provided through this activity is for continuing education purposes only. The views and opinions expressed in this activity are those of the faculty/presenters and do not necessarily reflect the views of Vizient, Inc.

 

Joint Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Vizient, Inc. and ChristianaCare. Vizient, Inc. is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

 

Designation Statement(s)

 

Pharmacists (CPE)

 
Vizient, Inc. designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.00 contact hours for Pharmacists.
 
Universal Activity Number:   JA0006103-9999-26-012-L04-P
 
Pharmacy Technicians (CPE)
 
Vizient, Inc. designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.00 contact hours for pharmacy technicians.
 
Universal Activity Number: JA0006103-9999-26-012-L04-T
 
 
Other Healthcare Professionals (General CE Credit)
 
Vizient, Inc. will award all other healthcare professionals who successfully complete the activity a Certificate of Participation.  Various state license boards and credentialing bodies accept certificates of participation from accredited CE activities to meet CE requirements for license renewals and re-certification. It is the responsibility of the participant to contact their state licensing board and/or certifying body for verification on credit eligibility reciprocity.

 

 

Available Credit

  • 1.00 ACPE Pharmacist
  • 1.00 ACPE Pharmacy Technician
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