Independent oncology and retina practices are facing a major shift. An Arizona-based company, BioCareSD, and its strategic partner, AllyGPO, say the turning point may hinge on the basics.

They need to manage the drugs that keep these clinics running. 

Some medicines, like special cancer treatments, biologics, and injections, have always been very costly. For many medical practices, these are their biggest expenses. Under the long‑standing “buy‑and‑bill” model, clinics buy drugs upfront, administer them, then wait for reimbursement. 

It’s a system that leaves practices carrying enormous financial risk. Everything depends on how those drugs are purchased — and how they show up at the door. 

“High-end medicines for cancer and eye care are really expensive and a big cost for independent medical practices,” said Brian Ansay, CEO of AllyGPO. 

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AllyGPO handles contracting and rebates. Its Tempe‑based partner, BioCareSD, manages distribution — often temperature‑controlled, single‑use medications that need to arrive exactly when a patient is scheduled. Together, they say they’re offering something practices haven’t had: real‑time visibility into the economics of drug purchasing. 

For years, practices relied on legacy systems that delivered reports long after decisions were made. Weeks later. Sometimes months. Ansay said the industry is finally moving away from “static, backward‑looking reporting to real‑time, AI‑enabled intelligence.” 

Practices using AllyIQ — AllyGPO’s analytics platform — have seen rebate payments arrive 35 days sooner. Drug ordering time cut by 75%. Rebate performance visible at 99%. 

“Imagine finding out too late that a purchase you made ended up hurting the practice financially or delayed getting crucial medicine to those who need it,” he said. 

Three forces are driving the shift: rising drug costs, rapid verticalization and consolidation with large distributors acquiring physician practices. And with that comes a bigger question — who controls purchasing and patient data? Consolidation, said James Frary, CEO of BioCare Inc., is reshaping community oncology and independent retina care more than anything else right now. 

“Having a distributor that owns a rival practice network can create a problem. It’s not just about buying and selling anymore. The company that supplies your medicine might also be competing with you,” Frary explained. 

Specialty drugs are typically among the largest expenses for a practice.  Without transparent pricing, flexible contracts or real‑time rebate visibility, independent practices negotiate from a weaker position. 

“Eventually, this eats away at the profit and cash a business needs to survive,” Frary said. 

He points to a 2026 Community Oncology Alliance and Flatiron Health study showing longer survival for metastatic breast cancer and non‑small cell lung cancer patients treated in independent community oncology practices. 

“Independence isn’t just a business preference — it’s tied to how and where patients get some of the best cancer care in the country.” 

The 50-year-old Tempe-based BioCareSD has grown with the specialty drug market. 

“When we started, specialty distribution wasn’t a separate market; it was a problem traditional wholesale couldn’t solve,” Frary said. 

As therapies became more complex, BioCareSD invested in next‑generation infrastructure, high‑touch service and what Frary calls “consultative partnership.” 

“We’ve stood up over 2,000 new products in the past year,” he said. 

“We onboard new accounts as quickly as the next day. Sophistication with purpose means technology elevates relationships; it never replaces them. Arizona is still at the heart of what our company is about. This is where our culture was born.”

The state has a robust pool of talented people and a business environment that lets the two companies take care of customers nationwide without losing sight of what’s important. 

Both companies saw the same issue: independent practices were making high‑stakes financial decisions without enough visibility. 

“Drug management is far more than procurement,” Frary said.

“Purchasing, contracting, inventory, storage, prescribing and dispensing all directly affect a practice’s financial health.” 

The alliance pairs BioCareSD’s distribution infrastructure with AllyGPO’s contracting model and AllyIQ’s analytics. Ansay calls it a “trust‑through‑transparency model” built specifically for independent oncology and retina practices. 

According to Ansay, the main competition for the strategic alliance is the status quo — GPO and distribution services provided by legacy incumbent organizations. These large pharmaceutical distributors and GPOs have historically controlled this market. Ansay pointed to three consistent problem areas with the status quo: contracting, inventory and rebates. 

“Rebate payments usually take weeks or even months to arrive, and when they do, they often don’t give much information about which specific medicines they’re actually for,” he explained. 

Inventory reconciliation is still done manually in many practices — vial by vial. The financial impact “compounds quietly.” 

Missed rebate tiers erode margin. Excess inventory ties up capital. Infrequent reconciliation turns small discrepancies into crises. 

VisionIQ is a game-changer. It uses computer vision to automate inventory checks, which is a huge time-saver. Before, these checks would take almost an hour, twice a day. 

But now, thanks to VisionIQ, that time has been slashed by about 95%, according to Ansay. This is a big deal, as it frees up staff to focus on other tasks. The alliance more than tripled its retina care sites in 2025 and added major oncology practices in 2026. 

According to Frary, “This means the market has finally hit a turning point. Now, independent practices are taking action — they’re not just waiting around for consolidation to happen and force them to make a move.” 

Ansay said the implications reach far beyond business. “Ultimately, it’s about people,” he said. 

“We want to help community-based medical practices work better, so they can focus on what matters most — taking care of their patients.” 

Independent practices are often anchors in their communities. They’re major employers, and the only source of specialized cancer or retina care within a reasonable drive. 

“People might not just lose their favorite doctor if small practices can’t stay in business; they might lose access to healthcare altogether, which is a big concern.

“In the end, this model is about keeping the choice of where to get care, and from whom, with the patient and their doctor.”