HOPA Abstracts
Genetic alterations in molecular pathways are involved in tumor development, survival, and progression.
It is important for patients with cancer to have access to a complete range of healthcare services, including support services. However, many healthcare professionals, including oncology pharmacists, often have a “blind spot” when it comes to providing patients with cancer support services that can lead to better outcomes.
Breast cancer research continues to improve survival across all subsets and settings of the disease, according to Sandra Cuellar, PharmD, BCOP, Director, PGY-2 Oncology; Clinical Oncology Pharmacist and Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, Chicago.
Given the high cost of oncology drugs, it is important for pharmacists to become more business savvy regarding their practices, said Andrea Ledford, PharmD, BCOP, Oncology Pharmacy Manager, Orlando Health UF Health Cancer Center, FL, at the 2019 Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) Annual Conference.
The oncology pharmacist plays an invaluable role in the management of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). However, as the pipeline for new anticancer drugs continues to expand, the pipeline for novel antiemetics appears to be drying up, underlining the importance of the pharmacist’s knowledge regarding currently available antiemetics for patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Chicago, IL—People often use the terms “value” and “quality” interchangeably, but they are not the same. In the healthcare landscape, value pertains to health outcomes that matter to patients, taking into account the cost of delivering those outcomes, whereas the Institute of Medicine defines quality as “the degree to which health services for individuals and populations increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge.”
A claims analysis of elderly patients with pancreatic cancer has shown that those receiving early palliative care consultations had lower healthcare utilization than patients who received late palliative care. Data presented at ASCO 2018 showed that patients who received palliative care within 4 weeks of diagnosis had fewer visits to the emergency department (2.4 vs 3.0, respectively; P <.001) and lower emergency department–related costs ($3043 vs $4117, respectively; P <.001). According to the study investigators, these findings provide real-world evidence to support oncology societies’ recommendations for the early integration of palliative care.
According to Julie Kinnerly-Shah, PharmD, MS, MHA, BCPS, one of the most important things to consider when implementing CAR T-cell therapy is the various roles and responsibilities that are required.
Chicago, IL—Business intelligence is the process of collecting data from disparate systems internally and externally, and turning it into information that is meaningful and actionable toward achieving strategic goals.
In response to these gaps in the literature, Dr Palumbo and her colleagues sought to evaluate whether patient-centered therapy management software, in conjunction with use of electronic medical records (EMRs), would be valuable in completing pharmacist activities and capturing patient outcomes.
