Lumicera leverages Costco brand as growth driver

MADISON, Wis., and ISSAQUAH, Wash. – A partnership between Lumicera Health Services and Costco Wholesale to expand access to cost-plus specialty pharmacy is expected to “propel growth,” said Ben Heiser, general manager of Lumicera. 

Through the partnership, Lumicera will handle back-end specialty pharmacy processes and services for Costco, including accreditations, through a centralized ship-to-home model.  

“Everybody knows Costco and when we think Costco, everyone automatically thinks great value – great price and great product,” said Heiser. “So, how can we take that same mantra and really put that into the specialty pharmacy space? Costco is providing us with the well-recognized brand, and we are really operating and running the pharmacy behind the scenes.” 

Costco already has an existing relationship with Lumicera’s parent company, Navitus Health Solutions, a pharmacy benefit manager, for mail-order prescriptions. 

The partnership with Lumicera will boost Costco’s ability to serve patients with chronic and rare conditions, including through access to limited distribution products and medications that require special handling like refrigeration and other logistical requirements, said Heiser. 

“Specialty pharmaceuticals impact maybe 2% of any population, so they are kind of irregularly used,” he said. “When you move into a retail-type setting, there’s just not a lot of experience with these medications, not only from a clinical standpoint, but also navigating the complexities of getting someone on therapy.” 

Since its founding in 2014, Lumicera has grown from a small operation to one with nearly 400 employees serving all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Its model of transparency is meant to provide value back to the pharmacy industry, says Heiser. 

“We really are here to be a value-add to Navitus’ clients so they can help control the overall cost of specialty medications,” he said. “We’re essentially being a specialty pharmacy enabler for health systems, and now, with Costco, we’re helping those organizations start up from scratch or helping them optimize existing pharmacy.”