Niches help independent pharmacies amid growing chain competition

“Independents that survive today find a niche,” said Nicholas M. Saraniti, chief executive
officer of Commcare Pharmacy, with locations in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Miami.
Commcare specializes in prescription drugs. It doesn’t sell novelties or over-the-counter drugs. Its niche also includes dialysis, hepatitis and organ transplant management programs and other services for high-risk patients.
While business is up, profits remain the same. “We’re having to do more to make the same money,” Saraniti said.

SENIORS MISLED BY DRUG CARDS

Many independent and specialty pharmacists contend they have lost business from seniors who thought they had to go to the stores listed on their membership cards.
“Absolutely, positively,” said Nicholas Saraniti, owner CommCare Pharmacy in Fort Lauderdale, which specializes in HIV/AIDS medicine. “I hear that time and time again.”

Drugstores’ dilemma is Walgreens opportunity

Nicholas Saraniti, director of operations at ComCare Pharmacy in Fort Lauderdale, got Walgreens’ scouting letter through a fellow independent pharmacist. He said they were both incensed by its opening sentence, which refers to “today’s challenging pharmacy environment of Medicare and Medicaid changes, pharmacist shortages and shrinking margins.”

Questions raised about promising HIV vaccine trial results

Nick Saraniti, CEO and director of operations of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based specialty pharmacy Commcare Pharmacy, is also skeptical. He noted that the results indicate patients who took the vaccine contracted HIV 31.2% less than those who didn’t, but the question remained as to whether they were also 31.2% less exposed to the virus

Clinical trial results boost possibility of HIV vaccine

“Realistically, it doesn’t put them much closer to a vaccine than they were two years ago,” said Nick Saraniti, CEO and director of operations of Commcare Pharmacy, a specialty pharmacy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “It gives us the hope to keep trying.”

Promoting Independence

Nick Saraniti, Commcare Pharmacy, Fort Lauderdale. This group has worked to finalize the mission, vision and goals of the Florida Independent Pharmacy Alliance and I thank them for all of their efforts.

Annual DSN roundtables draw record crowd

Specialty pharmacy provider panelists included Jeanne Ann Stasny of Walmart Specialty Pharmacy, Nick Calla of Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy, Tim Kaplan of Amber Pharmacy, Anthony Davino of Armada Healthcare, Sharon Ferrer of BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy, Robert Roose of Bioscrip, Nick Saraniti of Commcare Pharmacy, Albert Thigpen of CVS Caremark, Phil Hagerman of Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy, John Musil of The Apothecary Shops, Burt Zweigenhaft of OncoMed and Lee Merritt of MedfusionRx.

Specialty Pharmacy News Roundtable

NICK SARANITI, COMMCARE: I come from probably the worst- paying Medicaid state and … especially in that HIV space, on drugs like Selzentry or Fuzeon, we’ve seen the state put prior authorization and other hurdles in place across the Medicaid program mandating that genetic testing be conducted and the requirements of the PI be met.

South Florida Business Leader

South Florida Business Leader Commcare Pharmacy #10, Nicholas Saraniti Top Executive

Commcare scores high on customer service

Commcare Pharmacy Chief Executive Officer, Nicholas Saraniti, stated that “Commcare’s High-Touch Patient-Centric Model is what differentiates our company from other Specialty Providers. It’s great to know our model is working by having it re-affirmed by the people whom count the most; our patients”.