Steven Stricker, PharmD, MS, BCOP
McWhorter School of Pharmacy
Samford University
Birmingham, AL
Authored Items
In the October issue of The Oncology Pharmacist, we feature highlights from the recent Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA)’s Oncology Pharmacy Practice Management Program, including an article on the challenges of managing patients with non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) associated with ALK mutations. At HOPA, Jim M. Koeller, MS, Professor, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, discussed the current treatment guidelines for this patient population, emphasizing the need for pharmacist inclusion during testing for ALK mutations.
Read More ›Scenarios like the one above are a daily occurrence in cancer centers around the country and around the world. These situations are fraught with emotion and anxiety as patients are informed, most commonly, that their disease is no longer curable. Read More ›
In this month’s issue of The Oncology Pharmacist (TOP), we explore the growth of specialty pharmacies and the implications for our relationship with patients. Author Lea Ann Hansen discusses the evolution of specialty pharmacy and the function it serves in the treatment of cancer and how this affects patients. As Hansen points out in her article, “In many cases, the complicated nature of administration or possible adverse events with specialty drugs necessitate intensive patient monitoring.”
Read More ›The evolution of drug research and development toward oral therapies for cancer over the past decade has created a number of questions for the oncology healthcare provider. Will insurance companies pay for these exceptionally expensive medications? How and when will patients receive their medication? Who will be responsible for ensuring patient education and monitoring to maximize safe drug administration and patient compliance? In the accompanying article, Dr Hansen builds a case for specialty pharmacy providers (SPPs) to assume these responsibilities in a marketplace increasingly focused on reducing drug costs while also remaining committed to pharmacovigilance. When appropriately utilized, the SPP can become a benefit to the healthcare team and an additional resource at the disposal of the oncology pharmacist.
Read More ›Throughout this series, we have evaluated various challenges and barriers to optimizing care for patients with cancer. While it is evident that we have a long way to go with regard to making cancer therapy logistically easy, better tolerated, and less emotionally exhausting, the past decade has arguably brought us closer to achieving these goals. New oral chemotherapy drugs have freed some patients from the restraints of treatment within a cancer center’s infusion suite. New targeted therapies have increased survival and treatment-related efficacy while reducing adverse events.
Read More ›Throughout this series, we have evaluated various challenges and barriers to optimizing care for patients with cancer. While it is evident that we have a long way to go with regard to making cancer therapy logistically easy, better tolerated, and less emotionally exhausting, the past decade has arguably brought us closer to achieving these goals. New oral chemotherapy drugs have freed some patients from the restraints of treatment within a cancer center’s infusion suite. New targeted therapies have increased survival and treatment-related efficacy while reducing adverse events.
Read More ›In an era when oral drugs are increasingly becoming a part of our approach to care for patients with cancer, adherence to prescribed therapy is essential. Yet the statistics cited by Dr Hansen are a stark reminder that despite our best intentions, cancer patients do not and will not always take oral medications the way in which they are directed. For the clinician, this poses a challenge as to how best to confront this troublesome issue in order to improve outcomes for the patients entrusted to our care. The details of such an effort may vary from cancer center to cancer center. Read More ›
In an era when oral drugs are increasingly becoming a part of our approach to care for patients with cancer, adherence to prescribed therapy is essential. Yet the statistics cited by Dr Hansen are a stark reminder that despite our best intentions, cancer patients do not and will not always take oral medications the way in which they are directed. For the clinician, this poses a challenge as to how best to confront this troublesome issue in order to improve outcomes for the patients entrusted to our care. The details of such an effort may vary from cancer center to cancer center. Read More ›
The evolution of drug research and development toward oral therapies for cancer over the past decade has created a number of questions for the oncology healthcare provider. Will insurance companies pay for these exceptionally expensive medications? How and when will patients receive their medication? Who will be responsible for ensuring patient education and monitoring to maximize safe drug administration and patient compliance? Read More ›
The evolution of drug research and development toward oral therapies for cancer over the past decade has created a number of questions for the oncology healthcare provider. Will insurance companies pay for these exceptionally expensive medications? How and when will patients receive their medication? Who will be responsible for ensuring patient education and monitoring to maximize safe drug administration and patient compliance? Read More ›
The diagnosis of cancer is arguably one of the most emotionally exhausting and potentially psychologically debilitating medical conditions we may experience during our lifetime. However, the impact of this diagnosis is not limited to the patient and frequently resonates among family members, friends, and caregivers as well. When the impact of cancer on the human condition is combined with the knowledge that healthcare practitioners are frequently unable to detect psychological distress in this patient population, the effects can be profound.1
Read More ›
The diagnosis of cancer is arguably one of the most emotionally exhausting and potentially psychologically debilitating medical conditions we may experience during our lifetime. However, the impact of this diagnosis is not limited to the patient and frequently resonates among family members, friends, and caregivers as well. When the impact of cancer on the human condition is combined with the knowledge that healthcare practitioners are frequently unable to detect psychological distress in this patient population, the effects can be profound.1
Read More ›