Reflecting on World MS Day: The Growing Impact of Specialty Pharmacy Integration in MS Care

Observed annually on May 30, World MS Day is a global awareness campaign led by the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF) that brings together the MS community to raise awareness, advocate for improved care, and support individuals affected by the disease. The current campaign theme, My MS Diagnosis: Navigating MS Together, highlights the importance of timely and accurate diagnosis while addressing barriers to care and promoting greater access to diagnostic resources and specialist support worldwide.1

Following World MS Day, attention turned to the ongoing challenges patients face in accessing timely treatment, maintaining adherence, and navigating the complexities of long-term disease management. One healthcare professional helping to address these barriers is Alla Wilson, PharmD, a clinical ambulatory pharmacist with Shields Health Solutions, whose work focuses on supporting patients through integrated specialty pharmacy services. NeurologyLive^® sat down with Wilson to discuss the significance of World MS Day, best practices for treating ambulatory patients with MS, and the evolving role of specialty pharmacy in patient care.

NeurologyLive: Can you describe the overall significance and importance of World MS Day?

Alla Wilson, PharmD: I think it is very important to highlight the struggles encountered by nearly 1 million people living with MS in the United States, and to provide support for the thousands of new cases that are diagnosed each year. MS is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that affects communication between the brain and the rest of the body, and it often affects people during their highly productive years of life.

While there is currently no cure, establishing better awareness is key to helping patients follow a treatment plan to manage their symptoms, reduce the chances of relapses, delay disease progression, and, most importantly, improve their quality of life. I think this is a great time to raise awareness for patients who are struggling with this disease, as well as for their caregivers, families, and volunteer caregivers.

What are some of the best practices for clinicians who are approaching the treatment of ambulatory MS patients?

Since MS is a complex chronic disease, it requires ongoing treatment and support. Early and consistent treatment is key for better outcomes. Treatment plans for MS typically include disease-modifying therapies to help delay disease progression and prevent relapses, as well as medications to manage symptoms.

This means that prompt therapy initiation and ongoing adherence are especially important in reducing flares and the formation of new lesions, which in turn helps delay disability and neurological dysfunction. Additionally, regular screening for symptoms not traditionally seen as MS-specific, such as fatigue and cognitive decline, can help address individualized patient concerns and improve outcomes.

What changes have you seen that have had the biggest impact on patient care?

From our perspective, integrated specialty pharmacy models have increasingly supported MS patients by improving time to therapy start, medication adherence, and, very importantly, the affordability of these therapies. By embedding support within the care team, specialty pharmacy liaisons and pharmacists can help patients navigate access barriers, secure financial assistance, provide medication education, and offer ongoing therapy management.

Having a pharmacist as part of the care team allows for more personalized care and additional outreach options for patients, who often have many questions regarding their care. Pharmacists can monitor labs, address drug interactions, and provide education to patients and their caregivers to support shared decision-making. I think that is extremely important for patient care overall, ensuring that patients have a say in their therapy decisions.

These close touchpoints have resulted, in our case, in over 91% of MS patients reporting that they feel “very well” or “well” about how their specialty medication is working. If patients feel good on the medication and believe it is working, their outcomes are more likely to improve in the long term.

Aside from relapse control, what do you think are some of the biggest challenges that MS patients face today?

Patients with MS, like anyone dealing with chronic medical issues, face significant access and insurance barriers. Challenges include delays in starting disease-modifying therapy, limited access to limited-distribution drugs, fragmented care coordination, and a lack of adequate support for patients and families. These barriers can make it harder for patients to start, stay on, and benefit from their prescribed therapies.

High medication costs can also be a significant barrier. We know these drugs are not cheap. However, through the Shields Rx model, for example, liaisons within MS clinics secured more than $14 million in financial assistance in 2021 alone. This helped reduce the average per-prescription copay to about $5, when in some cases it could be in the thousands of dollars. Making access more affordable and readily available is crucial for patients.

What misconceptions might clinicians have about MS or treating MS?

I think a common misconception is that MS does not require immediate treatment if the patient’s symptoms are mild. However, establishing and following a treatment plan early on is critical to managing symptoms, reducing relapses, delaying progression, and improving quality of life.

Pharmacists play a critical role in identifying and addressing relapse-related concerns. When a patient reports a relapse, pharmacists can review the medical record to determine whether medication-related issues, such as nonadherence, are contributing to the event. From there, they can intervene with the patient and the provider to resolve medication concerns and coordinate care when needed.

Looking ahead, what gives you the most optimism about the field overall?

What gives me hope is that strong engagement from integrated specialty programs shows significant improvements in treatment adherence and patient-reported outcomes. With an integrated specialty pharmacy program, 93% of our patients receive and take medications on time. These measures are important indicators of whether patients are able to stay on therapy and achieve their treatment goals. There are breakthroughs in MS research happening every day. With an integrated specialty program, we can bring those advancements to our patients and help improve their quality of life.

Do you have any final thoughts on World MS Day?

In the context of World MS Day, I think it is important to incorporate more touchpoints into patient care and to provide assistance when needed. Getting specialty care in this country is tough, very expensive, and time-consuming. An integrated specialty pharmacy program that puts us within easy reach of patients and their caregivers is going to benefit the system in the long term.

Adherence is extremely important. If patients stay on their medications, it gives them the best chance of delaying disease progression. There is unfortunately no cure for MS, but these are the steps we are taking to help patients live a long and healthy life. Compared with 20 years ago, the difference has been huge, just in the last two decades alone.

Transcript edited for clarity.

REFERENCES
1. Multiple Sclerosis International Federation. World MS Day. Updated April 8, 2026. Accessed: June 3, 2026. https://www.msif.org/about-us/who-we-are-and-what-we-do/world-ms-day/