Pharmacists Reaching Out™ in Cancer Care: Examining Treatment Disparities in Oral Oncolytics

Program Description

The landscape of cancer care continues to evolve with the availability of oral anticancer agents. Although oral oncolytics offer convenience for patients, they present complexities for clinicians involved in their management. Patients prescribed oral therapies may experience nonadherence and challenges with medication access, which can lead to higher cancer-related symptom burden and worsening quality of life. Patient populations from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds are often not adequately represented in clinical trials, leading to health disparities in both treatment response and access to support resources once an oral treatment is prescribed. Oncology pharmacists are uniquely positioned to lead the management of patients receiving oral anticancer agents by providing patient-centered care that is focused on specifics of oral administration, potential adverse effects, and self-care measures. This article will address the types of disparities that exist when prescribing oral oncolytics and the impact of these disparities on treatment outcomes. Considerations for providing culturally competent and culturally responsive counseling based individual patient’s needs are important for pharmacists. This article will also review logistical considerations for administration and management of oral oncolytics.

Target audience: Health-system pharmacists, oncology pharmacists, and specialty pharmacists

Type of activity: Application
Release date: August 12, 2022
Expiration date: August 12, 2023

Time to complete activity: 2.0 hours
Fee: Free

Educational Objectives

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

• Examine treatment disparities uniquely associated with oral oncolytics
• Explore clinical evidence outlining the negative impact of treatment disparities on patients receiving oral oncolytics
• Explain how factors such as complex administration, logistics, and reduced health care contact can create barriers for optimal treatment of patients prescribed oral oncolytics
• Identify barriers to oral oncolytic medication adherence for a patient with cancer based on patient- and disease-specific characteristics

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 0290-0000-22-351-H01-P. The activity is available for CE credit through August 12, 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

Veronica B. Ajewole, PharmD, BCOP, has no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose

Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™ Planning Staff—Jim Palatine, RPh, MBA; Amy Seung, PharmD, BCOP, FHOPA; Crissy Wilson; Susan Pordon; Brianna Winters; and Chloe Taccetta have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.

An anonymous peer reviewer was used as part of content validation and conflict resolution. The peer reviewer has no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.

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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[email protected]
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