May/June

Although nearly every state has some type of rule governing coverage of oncology drugs, the question that continually pops up is whether these rules matter when it comes to formulary inclusion.

CAR T-cell immunotherapy is being hailed as the fifth pillar of cancer treatment.

Current guidelines suggest that a comprehensive safety program is necessary to reduce hazardous drug exposure in the workplace. 

Specialty pharmacists need to fully understand capecitabine’s place in colorectal cancer treatment to ensure that it is safely and effectively utilized.

The high-level monitoring required for self-managing patients with cancer becomes a challenge when patients are seen less frequently by their provider.

Market access and health care professionals must work to find the balance to provide solid treatment for cancer without burdening the system to a point of collapse.

Oncology economics is the product of driving forces in the health insurance market that are intrinsic to oncology in managed care and unlikely to change.

There is an ongoing shift toward many cancer types being treated as maintenance diseases, which places a significant financial burden not only on patients, but also payers and providers within the health care industry.

Health care providers—including physicians, oncologists, and specialty pharmacists—must leverage their collective resources and expertise to work together to address adherence on a larger scale. 

Several groups have developed value assessment frameworks that consider the value of new treatments, yet most models fall short balancing the evaluation of treatment costs with the consideration of benefits to the patient.