Information for Pharmacy Patients
Contact information and hours
The Home Care Specialty Pharmacy team can be reached by phone at 267-425-8888 (option 3, option 0)
For non-urgent issues, you can also send a MyCHOP message to CHOP Specialty Pharmacy. A pharmacy staff member will respond to your message within 3-5 business days.
Our regular business hours are: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. EST.
We are closed on weekends and all major holidays, including New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Clinical staff can be reached 24 hours a day, year-round, at 267-425-8888.
When to contact us
- You have any questions or concerns about your medication
- When you suspect a reaction or allergy to your medication
- A change has occurred in your medication use
- Your contact information or delivery address has changed
- Your insurance information or payment source has changed
- You need to check the status of your delivery
- You need to reschedule or change your delivery
- You have any questions or concerns about our specialty pharmacy service
- You have a question about an order delay
We look forward to providing you with the best service possible. We know you have many options and we thank you for choosing Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Home Care Specialty Pharmacy.
Important information about our services
Patient management program
As a patient of our specialty pharmacy program, we monitor your medications and progress through a disease specific patient management program.
The Patient Management Program provides benefits such as managing side effects, increasing adherence to drug therapies, and overall improvement of your health. The program is most effective when you are willing to follow directions and are compliant to therapy.
The program is provided to you at no cost, and your participation is voluntary.
If you wish to opt out of the program, please call and speak to our pharmacy staff.
Financial information and assistance
Before your care begins, a staff member will inform you of your financial obligations that are not covered by your insurance or other third-party sources.
These obligations include but are not limited to: out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles, co-pays, co-insurance, and annual and lifetime co-insurance limits.
Co-payments are due at the time of shipping or pickup. We accept all major credit cards and can maintain your credit card information on file in a secured environment.
We have access to financial assistance programs to help with co-payments and ensure there are no financial barriers to starting your medication. These programs include discount coupons from drug manufacturers and assistance from various disease management foundations. We will assist you in enrollment into such programs.
Insurance claims
We will submit claims to your health insurance carrier on the date your prescription is filled. If the claim is rejected, a staff member will notify you, as necessary, so that we can work together to resolve the issue. If, based on your health benefit plan, we are out of network, we will provide you with the cost of your medication in writing.
Refills
You will be contacted by a team member 7-10 days prior to your refill date. If you would like to contact us for a refill, you can call and speak to a member of the specialty pharmacy team to process your refill requests. If needed, we will assist you with a process to refill a prescription which would otherwise be limited by your prescription benefit plan.
Prescription transfers
If our pharmacy cannot provide you with the prescribed medication, we will consult with your provider and a pharmacist will transfer your prescription to another pharmacy, if necessary. We will inform you of this transfer of care.
If you feel that our pharmacy is unable to meet your needs, we can transfer your prescription to the appropriate pharmacy of your choice. Please contact us.
Adverse drug reactions
If you are experiencing adverse effects to your medications, please contact your doctor or the pharmacy as soon as possible.
Drug substitution protocols
Our pharmacy will always use the most cost-efficient option for you. From time to time, it is necessary to substitute generic drugs for brand name drugs. This could occur due to your insurance company preferring the generic be dispensed or to reduce your copay. If a substitution needs to be made, a member of the specialty pharmacy staff will contact you prior to shipping the medication to inform you of the substitution. When available, our pharmacy will default to generic to save you money. We will use brand name medication at your or your prescriber’s request.
Proper disposal of sharps
A sharps container will be provided to you if you are prescribed an injectable medication. All needles, syringes and other sharp objects should be placed in the sharps container for proper disposal.
Proper disposal of unused medications
For instructions on how to properly dispose of unused medications, check with your local waste collection service. You can also check the following websites for additional information:
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration — Where and How to Dispose of Unused Medicines
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration — Disposal of Unused Medicines: What You Should Know
- rxdrugdropbox.org
Drug recalls
If your medication is recalled, the specialty pharmacy will contact you, with further instructions, as directed by the FDA or drug manufacturer.
Emergency disaster information
In the event of a disaster in your area, please contact our pharmacy to instruct us on how to deliver your medication. This will ensure your therapy is not interrupted.
Concerns or suspected errors
We want you to be completely satisfied with the care we provide. If you or your caregiver have any issues, please contact us directly and speak to one of our staff members. Patients and caregivers can do so by phone, fax, writing, or email. We will address your concern within 5 business days.
- URAC Complaint Info: Visit website or email grievances@urac.org
- Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy: Visit website, call (717) 783-7156, or email ST-PHARMACY@PA.GOV
Patient bill of rights and responsibilities
As a patient receiving care through Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Home Care Specialty Pharmacy, you should understand your role, rights and responsibilities.
As our patient, you have the right:
- To express concerns, grievances
- To receive information about product selection, including suggestions of methods to obtain medications not available at the pharmacy where the product was ordered
- To request and receive complete and up-to-date information relative to your condition, treatment, alternative treatments, risk of treatment or care plans
- To receive information on how to access support from consumer advocates groups
- To receive information to assist in interactions with the organization
- To receive information about health plan transfers to a different facility or Pharmacy Benefit Management organization that includes how a prescription is transferred from one pharmacy service to another
- To receive pharmacy health and safety information to include consumers rights and responsibilities
- To know the philosophy and characteristics of the patient management program
- To have personal health information shared with the patient management program only in accordance with state and federal law
- To identify the program’s staff members, including their job title, and to speak with a staff member’s supervisor if requested
- To speak to a health professional
- To receive information about an order delay, and assistance in obtaining the medication elsewhere, if necessary
- To receive information about the patient management program
- To receive administrative information regarding changes in or termination from the patient management program
- To decline participation, revoke consent or disenroll from the patient management program at any point in time
As our patient, you have the responsibility:
- To notify your physician and the pharmacy of any potential side effects and/or complications
- To submit any forms that are necessary to participate in the program to the extent required by law
- To give accurate clinical and contact information and to notify the patient management program of changes in this information
- To notify your treating provider of your participation in the patient management program, if applicable