Clinical Pharmacist Specialists Are Providing Disease-Specific Support For GI-Related Malignancies

In observance of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, Elvis Sampson, PharmD, BCPS, the pharmacy operations supervisor at City of Hope, Los Angeles, California, joins Pharmacy Times to discuss the role of the clinical pharmacist specialist (CPS) as part of an interdisciplinary team caring for oncology patients with gastrointestinal (GI)-related malignancies. Sampson also discusses integrating medical oncology modules into the electronic medical record to promote supportive care, and so much more.

PT Staff: What differentiates a clinical pharmacist specialist (CPS) from other types of pharmacists in the oncology setting?

Elvis Sampson, PharmD, BCPS: These pharmacists operate at a very high level of clinical practice, and they provide disease specific support in the various areas of specialty. Because of the clinical expertise that they have, it helps provide them with that unique opportunity of working very closely with the patients, with the providers, [and with] other members of the healthcare team. This helps ensure that there's continuity in the care that they give and ensure that everything aligns with what is actually currently staked.

I see them to be more like the frontline folks that would pretty much work very closely with the providers and be able to, at the very first glance, make sure that any treatment that a patient is supposed to get is a guideline therapy. And we're also looking at things like insurance and authorizations.

PT Staff: How is the implementation of clinical pharmacists, specialists at City of Hope, changing the practicum of care for patients, specifically, with GI-related malignancies?

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Elvis Sampson, PharmD, BCPS: Our clinical pharmacist specialists are very highly valued by our multidisciplinary team. And due to the collaborative work they do, [they] help all of our patients get on the path to better health.

For example, they join a team during interdisciplinary rounds. They help make appropriate recommendations where it's necessary. They help thoroughly review [the] provider’s medication orders and make sure it's very appropriate. They'll also help in processing non-formulary drug requests. They help a lot to make sure that all the documentation or the necessary paperwork is in place. They also help provide education to pharmacy and other non-pharmacy teams. So think about the nursing team even provide us. And another important aspect is they also help to promote cost-effective, quality care. Because these oncology treatments can be very, very expensive, we can prevent any unnecessary drugs put away, or [help to] choose the best possible drug there has the easy cost.

PT Staff: How is Epic Beacon used, and how does its integration with the electronic medical record (EMR) improve treatment efficacy and patient safety?

Elvis Sampson, PharmD, BCPS: Now, this module provides the end user (that's the providers and nurses, pharmacists) [with] that ease of documentation when it comes to the patient's cancer stage and choosing the appropriate treatment plans. And again, talking about treatment plans, Epic Beacon gives you the opportunity to pretty much have prebuilt treatment plans.

So, when I say prebuilt treatment plans— let's say we're looking at a GI-related malignancy— we’re able to build those treatment plans and go to PNT approval and go through medical executive committee approval (and that's already reviewed thoroughly) and it's pretty much already there and ready to be used.

You could have a plethora of these treatment plans, so you don't have to go to stage 1 to try to put things together what pre-medications a patient needs, what supportive care does the patient need, what is the communication to the provider, [and] patients pay less and less. And everything is prebuilt. It also helps you to track the ordering, the distribution, and administration of these oncologic products. So it's a very, very useful module and it makes life easy.

PT Staff: Are there any medications, services, and opportunities that clinical pharmacist should keep their eye on in regard to the treatment and management of colorectal cancer?

Elvis Sampson, PharmD, BCPS: So I always say there's always lots and lots and lots of opportunities out there for pharmacists, and just keep abreast of the information that's out there because oncology is very dynamic. It's always changing. It's every single day a new drug is coming out every single day a new study [or] trial is coming out. So it's always in the interest of the pharmacist to just sign up. And obviously, it's always good to sign up with some of these news alerts to be able to know, “Hey, there's a new drug out there, there's a new post marketing survey [or] there's a new Blackbox warning.” It keeps you updated.

And with the role a clinical pharmacist specialist is playing, we're able to reach out to even providers and let them know that “Hey, you know, just recently this information about this drug came out and this is a good thing. There's a new study that you can combine “this” with another thing,” etc… then 1 thing leads to another, and it has to go through a committee to see if we can update the treatment plans or make any changes that pretty much would affect the patient in a positive manner.

PT Staff: So my last question I do want to ask is, because it's going to be Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March, is there anything that you would like pharmacists, providers, or even the layman to know about this disease and the treatment of it?

Elvis Sampson, PharmD, BCPS: Just make sure you know if there's anything that looks out of the ordinary, [if] there's anything that is not looking like what is supposed to be, just reach out. The earlier the better. Reach out to your provider, do all the necessary testing that's supposed to be done. This is something that can be prevented right from the early stage.

PT Staff: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Elvis Sampson, PharmD, BCPS: I just want to say thank you for this opportunity to be able to speak on these very important topics, describing what a CPS does and see how pharmacists are helping to streamline care. It's a great opportunity and I know with similar things like this, the world is going to keep hearing us more and more and we can all be on that path…to always better health.