The Role of Specialty Pharmacies in Treating Multiple Sclerosis

 Melville, New York, resident Ellen Scharaga holds a bachelor's degree in pharmacology from St. John's University. Since 2014, she has been an operational consultant at Alegria Specialty Pharmacy. In this role, Ellen Scharaga helps develop and provide specialty medications for managing chronic conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS).

Multiple sclerosis, a chronic autoimmune condition, impacts the central nervous system. It leads to coordination issues, limb weakness, visual difficulties, and in severe cases, immobility or disability. Doctors diagnose MS using imaging tests, lab analysis, and clinical evaluation. Treatment usually involves therapies, medications, or disease-modifying treatments to manage symptoms and slow progression.

Patients with MS can benefit from specialty pharmacies that offer specialized medication and support services for conditions like MS. Besides providing high-cost medication, these pharmacies offer patient education, medication management, and monitoring. Given the complexity of biological medications for MS, having the necessary expertise and resources for safely storing and transporting them is crucial.

Specialty pharmacy care is also valuable for patients with MS since it allows them to optimize their treatment. Skilled specialty pharmacists have direct contact with these patients to assess and monitor them proactively and address any concerns. Research shows that patients with MS receiving specialty pharmacy care experience fewer relapses than those utilizing community pharmacies.

Steven G. Avey Award - Recognizing Managed Care Pharmacy Professionals

 An operational consultant at Alegria Specialty Pharmacy, Ellen Scharaga has served in numerous leadership roles within the pharmaceutical industry. With over 30 years of experience, she has offered services in multiple diagnostic and treatment centers within the New York metro area. Ellen Scharaga maintains membership with numerous professional organizations, including the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy.

Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) seeks to boost patient health by ensuring patients can access high-quality treatment and medications at an affordable cost. AMCP achieves its mandate through its philanthropic wing, the AMCP Foundation, which nurtures leaders in the managed care pharmacy industry. An honor granted by the AMCP Foundation, the Steven G. Avey Award seeks to recognize outstanding health care professionals who’ve demonstrated commitment and excellence in their contribution to the managed care pharmacy practice.

The award is named in honor of Steven G. Avey, a respected managed care pharmacy leader who made significant industry contributions. Since its inception in 2001, the award acknowledges visionary individuals who have contributed immensely to areas of research, clinical practice, public policy and education, and administration.

Areas of excellence considered for the award are professionalism, research, innovation, advocacy, and collaboration. Nominees are also expected to share Steven G. Avey’s worthy personal qualities, which included a passion for integrity, vision, and volunteerism. To be eligible for the award, candidates shouldn’t be current AMCP board directors, AMCP and AMCP Foundation employees, or AMCP Foundation trustees. Considered the industry’s highest honor, the Steven G. Avey Award is presented annually as part of the foundation’s mission to improve the collective understanding about the evolving nature of patient care.

A Brief Look at Sustainable Urban Planning

 Based in San Diego, California, Douglas Austin is an architect with several years of experience. He is also the chairman and CEO of AVRP Studios in San Diego. Douglas Austin studied urban retail planning at Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

As the effects of climate change become more apparent, there is a need to ensure that land, water, and living spaces are put into sustainable use. The United Nations, in its 1987 report, defined sustainability as any form of development that addresses present needs and does not reduce the chances of future generations meeting their own needs. Therefore, sustainable urban development is a form of urban development that prioritizes protecting the environment and conserving environmental resources so that future generations can access them.

With sustainable urban development, cities are planned in ways that are friendly to the environment. Fewer funds will be spent on massive infrastructure like highways. Instead, the government will spend money constructing walkways, bike lanes, recreational parks, etc. Furthermore, the government will prioritize infrastructures like metro systems, underground railways, and electric trolleybuses.

What Causes Multiple Sclerosis?

 A graduate of St. John's University with a BS in pharmaceutical sciences, Ellen Scharaga has worked for many pharmaceutical businesses over the course of her career. Ellen Scharaga serves as an operational consultant with Alegria Specialty Pharmacy, where she helps the company develop and deliver innovative specialty medications for chronic illnesses like HIV, hepatitis C, and multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease that originates in the brain and spinal cord but is caused by a malfunctioning immune system. The immune system in a healthy person fights infection by attacking foreign invaders (bacteria or other harmful cells) before they can cause health complications or illnesses. In multiple sclerosis, the immune system attacks and destroys the protective layer around brain cells (neurons). This protective layer is called the myelin sheath.

The myelin sheath is not a foreign invader - rather, it is an integral element in the nervous system that helps brain cells communicate with each other. Cells that are abnormally deprived of these sheaths lose the ability to relay information across the brain and spinal cord. The consequence of this phenomenon is a reduced level of function in the brain and the areas of the body the brain communicates with.

The signs and symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) vary in type and intensity. Often, multiple sclerosis is presented with a combination of two or more symptoms that may include muscle paralysis, chronic fatigue, vision loss, loss of balance and coordination, and sexual dysfunction. In some people, MS results in cognitive decline and bladder problems. At present existing treatments for MS focus on managing the symptoms, since the disease cannot be cured.