Behind the Scenes at Accredo: Spotlight on an Extraordinary Team
Our Commitment to Clinical Excellence
At Accredo, we take great pride in our commitment to clinical excellence, delivering highly specialized care that guides our patients through the complexities of their condition. Our overarching objectives are to ensure the utmost precision in dispensing specialty medications, enhance the accessibility and affordability of life-saving therapies, and provide steadfast support to our valued partners and patients throughout the healthcare ecosystem. To attain these objectives, we rely on an exceptional team of tenured individuals who dedicate themselves daily to revolutionizing the landscape of specialty pharmacy.
To highlight the remarkable contributions of Accredo’s leaders and team members, we are embarking on a series of posts to illuminate the unsung heroes who operate behind the scenes. Through the series, we will delve deeper into their motivations, their daily inspirations, and the profound “why” that fuels their commitment to their work.
In today’s featured spotlight, we turn our attention to Meghan Pasicznyk, a prominent leader at Accredo who holds the position of vice president of product development. Join us as we explore how Meghan masterfully harmonizes her expertise in the realms of business and clinical acumen.
Meghan Pasicznyk, PharmD, combines her clinical expertise with strong business acumen, striking a perfect balance in her approach
Q: How long have you been with Accredo?
MP: It’s hard to believe, but I joined Accredo nearly 13 years ago. My journey began with the first half of my tenure dedicated to sales and account management, and the latter half immersed in product development. However, my focus throughout has remained centered around specialty.
Q: What inspired you to pursue your career at Accredo?
MP: From a young age, I had a passion for both pharmacy and business. This drove me to select a school offering a unique program allowing me to pursue my PharmD while simultaneously completing an MBA. Upon graduation, I had a clear vision of joining a pharmaceutical manufacturer. However, my enthusiasm waned shortly after joining. Instead of flexing my clinical knowledge, I found myself immersed in vendor management. I soon realized that this wasn’t my long-term destination.
A mentor of mine, whom I maintained close ties with after pharmacy school, introduced me to Accredo. I was intrigued by the mission and found that taking an account management role there would promise a closer connection to patients than my current corporate position. It allowed for broader patient impact I was searching for, without the physical act of dispensing medication or bedside care. I decided to take a leap of faith and pursue the role which has evolved over time and has allowed me to continue to nurture my passion for specialty pharmacy.
Q: Tell me more about your current role.
MP: At Accredo, we view product development as an entity that extends its impact to all stakeholders—patients, payers, prescribers, and specialty manufacturers. Our goal is to strike the right balance among the diverse needs of these groups. Often, this involves finding common ground or solutions that cater to various interests. We also emphasize cost-effectiveness and sustainability for our operations teams. In essence, our product team serves as the central hub or quarterback, orchestrating the intricate dance of balancing these needs and fostering collaboration with our partners across the enterprise. Ultimately, we are the conduit, ensuring that all internal partners can successfully achieve their goals.
Q: Tell me about the work that your team does which impacts Accredo’s Therapeutic Resource Centers (TRCs).
MP: Absolutely. My team’s responsibilities impact the TRCs from both a business and clinical perspective, affording us a remarkable opportunity to continuously shape and refine our patient experience for the better. This extends not only to the disease level, but down to the granularity of individual drug therapies.
We often direct our focus towards innovative initiatives; Accredo’s OneAdherence program is a good example. This groundbreaking model leverages Smart Sharps Bin™ in collaboration with specialty manufacturers, combined with our best-in-class adherence support model. The bins serve the dual purpose of enabling patients to track their medication adherence while alerting Accredo to potential deviations. For instance, if a patient fails to place another injector pen in the container within the expected timeframe, Accredo is prompted to intervene. This intervention can take various forms, such as reaching out to understand the reasons behind the lapse, whether it’s due to travel, side effects, or affordability issues. Using this approach empowers us to proactively support our patients.
My team is not only spearheading new initiatives, but also effectively managing the allocation of resources and assessing the benefits of existing practices. In this capacity, they work closely with finance and operations teams to strike the right balance between investment and returns. Likewise, our direct impact extends to our clinical team. Within this sphere, we have what we refer to as “clinical architects” who meticulously design the specific experience for patients at the drug therapy level. These architects determine the necessary assessments, timing, and anticipate potential side effects or risks based on clinical trials. This knowledge informs the creation of intervention schedules and assessment plans customized to the unique requirements of each therapy.
In both scenarios, we are highly specialized and product-focused to customize the patient experience. Our processes are intricately designed and closely coordinated with our operational partners, who are responsible for executing the experiences.
The term “balance” truly underscores our approach. While we occasionally stumble on solutions that benefit all stakeholders, more often than not, venturing into uncharted territory requires financial investments. Striking that delicate balance is key. It’s all about finding equilibrium in the pursuit of innovation and improvement.
Q: What motivates you to get up and come to work every day?
MP: What truly motivates me, day in and day out, are the exceptional individuals that I have the privilege to work alongside. Accredo, for me, is about the remarkable people and the enduring relationships we’ve forged. The passion that permeates every corner of the organization is truly amazing. When I began in my current role about a year ago, I embarked on a mission to connect individually with everyone in my department – nearly 100 team members strong. What struck me was the incredible tenure among our team members. My 13-year term pales in comparison to the extensive records of those on my team. Many had started their Accredo journey in entirely different roles, yet their commitment remains resolute, mirroring my own.
Q: What is your favorite professional quote?
MP: Setting aside any personal sentiments about Jeff Bezos, one of his quotes deeply resonates with me: "Be stubborn on vision, but flexible on details." The significance of adhering to your vision while remaining adaptable regarding the specifics is a concept that is particularly challenging for me. It requires intentional effort to step back and explore alternative approaches, drawing upon the diverse ideas and perspectives of both my team and external collaborators to identify the best course of action.
This quote is a reminder for me to stay consciously aware of my tendencies, such as prematurely settling on solutions or becoming overly attached to initial ideas. It also emphasizes the importance of trusting your instincts and drawing upon your expertise and experience to define your vision. While there are undoubtedly multiple paths, this is where your team comes into play and fills in the gaps to bring the vision to life.
Q: Tell me an interesting fact about you.
MP: One interesting fact about me is that I’m pretty tall, standing at five feet, 10 inches. It tends to surprise people because when we meet for the first time in a professional setting I’m usually wearing heels, making me closer to six feet tall. What makes this amusing is that within my family, I’m actually the shortest member by a considerable margin!
Q: What is your favorite hobby or activities outside of work?
MP: Like many people juggling work and family, I wish I had more free time for hobbies, but when I do have the time, and even though I’m not athletic per se, I do value physical activity. Staying healthy has always been a priority for me. In fact, one of my jobs throughout college was as an aerobics instructor.
First, yoga holds a special place in my heart, as it forces me to slow down my thoughts. One of my goals is to become a certified yoga instructor, although my busy travel schedule has made it difficult to commit to a training program. Someday, I hope to achieve that dream! On the flip side, I enjoy running, as it provides time for my thoughts to wander freely while my legs keep moving. Yoga and running may seem at odds with each other since one makes me turn off my brain while the other allows me to think, but they actually complement each other beautifully, helping me strike balance in my life.
