LearnSomething's SpecialtyRxAdvisor™ Program Signs PANTHERx Specialty Pharmacy as Consultant

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., July 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --LearnSomething, distributor of the SpecialtyRxAdvisor program, has announced an exclusive partnership with PANTHERx Specialty Pharmacy. SpecialtyRxAdvisor delivers online mini-courses on specialty pharmacy drugs and services to retail pharmacy professionals.

Under the agreement, PANTHERx will advise LearnSomething on the content for SpecialtyRxAdvisor programs and introduce the education programs to manufacturers who dispense specialty drugs.

"SpecialtyRxAdvisor couldn't be timelier for retail pharmacies," says Dr. Gordon J. Vanscoy, associate dean and professor of pharmacy and therapeutics at the University of Pittsburgh, and chairman and CEO of PANTHERx Specialty Pharmacy. "Growth of specialty drugs is outpacing traditional medications and within a few years will account for 40 percent or more of pharmaceutical manufacturer sales. These are complex medications needing extensive management to support patient safety and adherence. It was easy for us to see how important a partnership with SpecialtyRxAdvisor can be in this growing market."

Pharmacy professionals access SpecialtyRxAdvisor mini-courses using the same networks they currently use for compliance education, so integrating the program is seamless.

"We have become experts at building the infrastructure and platform to provide online education to pharmacy professionals, with 85 percent penetration in retail pharmacies," says Steve Roden, president and CEO of LearnSomething. "Our Advisor programs for traditional medications depend on pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide expert content on their drugs. But specialty pharmacy is a rarified world that requires PANTHERx's experience and insight, and we couldn't be happier to join with them in providing this valuable service."

The LearnSomething-PANTHERx partnership has already produced value for doctors and patients. "During our discussions, we became aware that it's difficult for doctors to recommend retail pharmacies and pharmacists to patients who need specialty drugs and medication counseling," explains Roden. "So we agreed that pharmacists who complete our specialty drug courses will earn certificates. The certificates will help doctors identify qualified pharmacists and confidently recommend these pharmacists to their patients."

The partnership with PANTHERx comes on the heels of LearnSomething's agreement with the Specialty Pharma Education Center (SPEC). Under that agreement, LearnSomething will build and maintain the educational portal that supports SPEC's national certification program in specialty pharmacy. The strategic partnerships with PANTHERx and SPEC are part of LearnSomething's focused effort to grow its role in providing specialty pharmacy education.

About LearnSomething

LearnSomething (www.learnsomething.com) is the leading provider of eLearning solutions for the drug, health care and food industries. For more than 15 years LearnSomething's products and custom development services have helped retailers, manufacturers and professional associations meet training objectives through flexible online, blended and instructor-led programs. LearnSomething's Advisor Information Networks are used by pharmaceutical, CPG and other manufacturers to provide retailers with essential information for satisfying compliance and performance needs. The company's Learning Creation and Management System (LCMS), Learner Community, simplifies developing, deploying and tracking eLearning products and programs.

About PANTHERx Specialty Pharmacy

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LearnSomething's SpecialtyRxAdvisor™ Program Signs PANTHERx Specialty Pharmacy as Consultant