Focused Updates and Evidence-Based Approaches to Anemia in Cancer

Program Description

Anemia and iron deficiency are common complications in patients receiving chemotherapy for solid tumors or hematological malignancies. Many symptoms of anemia, such as fatigue, are nonspecific and may be unnoticed or unreported, or thought to be overlapping symptoms associated with the patient’s cancer. However, if left untreated, anemia may impair the patient’s response to treatment, increasing both disease and economic burden. Current practice guidelines recommend intravenous (IV) iron replacement or erythropoietin-stimulating agents, and managed care pharmacists must be aware of dosing considerations and strategies to manage associated adverse effects of each, which can be of particular concern for patients with cancer. Managed care providers must be familiar with evidence-based recommendations for the use of IV iron therapies to reduce the impact of iron deficiency and anemia on healthcare resource utilization of patients with cancer.

Target audience: Health-system pharmacists, managed care pharmacists, oncology pharmacists

Type of activity: Application
Release date: May 26, 2022
Expiration date: May 26, 2023

Time to complete activity: 2.0 hours
Fee: Free

Educational Objectives

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Examine the pathophysiology, impact on quality of life, and the clinical burden of anemia in patients with cancer.
• Analyze the evidence-based recommendations and clinical trial data for the use of iron replacement in managing cancer-related and chemotherapy-induced anemia.
• Illustrate the managed care strategies to facilitate evidence-based utilization management of iron replacement for the treatment of anemia in cancer.

Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™ is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This activity is approved for 2.0 contact hours (0.20 CEU) under the ACPE universal activity number 0290-0000-22-231-H01-P. The activity is available for CE credit through May 26, 2023.

Instructions for Completing the Activity and Receiving CPE Credit

To receive CPE credit, participants must complete the pretest, review the activity in its entirety, complete the posttest, and complete the online activity evaluation. After successful completion of the online activity evaluation, you can submit your credit to CPE Monitor. You may view your credit within 48 hours at www.mycpemonitor.net. All participants must request credit before the activity expiration date. CE credit will not be issued after this date.

Disclosures

Christopher T. Elder, PharmD, BCOP, has the following relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose:

Advisory Board Participant – Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Pharmacosmos

The following contributors have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose:

Medical Writer

Jenna Wood, PharmD, has no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.

Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™ Planning Staff—Jim Palatine, RPh, MBA; Maryjo Dixon, RPh; Karleen Melody, PharmD; Abigail Dill; Susan Pordon; Brianna Winters; and Chloe Taccetta.

Pharmacy Times® Editorial Staff—Davy James

Anonymous peer reviewers were part of the content validation and conflict resolution and have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.

Disclosure Policy
According to the disclosure policy of The American Journal of Managed Care® and Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™, all persons who are in a position to control content are required to disclose any relevant financial relationships with commercial interests. If a conflict is identified, it is the responsibility of Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™ to initiate a mechanism to resolve the conflict(s). The existence of these relationships is not viewed as implying bias or decreasing the value of the activity. All educational materials are reviewed for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies reported, and levels of evidence.

Disclosure of Unapproved/Off-Label Use
The contents of this activity may include information regarding the use of products that may be inconsistent with or outside the approved labeling for these products in the United States. Participants should note that the use of these products outside current approved labeling is considered experimental and they are advised to consult prescribing information for these products.

The information provided in this CE activity is for continuing medical and pharmacy education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent medical or pharmacy judgment of a physician or pharmacist relative to diagnostic, treatment, or management options for a specific patient’s medical condition.

The opinions expressed in the content are solely those of the individual faculty members and do not reflect those of The American Journal of Managed Care®, Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™, or any of the companies that provided commercial support for this CE activity.

Signed disclosures are on file at the office of The American Journal of Managed Care®, Cranbury, New Jersey.

Educational Disclaimer
CPE activities are offered solely for educational purposes and do not constitute any form of professional advice or referral. Discussions concerning drugs, dosages, and procedures may reflect the clinical experience of the author(s) or they may be derived from the professional literature or other sources and may suggest uses that are investigational in nature and not approved labeling or indications. Participants are encouraged to refer to primary references or full prescribing information resources.

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