Study Published in AJMC’s Evidence-Based Oncology Demonstrates Need for Revamped Oncology Metrics Used to Evaluate Performance and Quality

WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES, August 11, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A new study published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Managed Care’s (AJMC) Evidence-Based Oncology details a new set of proven, predictive measures to successfully manage the care of patients with cancer prescribed oral cancer therapies.

Authored by pharmacy experts from Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, LLC (FCS), the study “Defining Appropriate Quality Performance Metrics for Pharmacies Dispensing Oral Oncology Therapies,” examines data from implementation of seven predictive markers that can help lower costs and assess the performance of pharmacies that dispense oral oncolytic medications. These are superior to current measures, such as medication possession ratio used by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to evaluate performance and quality and assess direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees.

In the study, researchers analyzed the RX To Go in-house pharmacy of FCS for metrics that accurately reflect the nature of oncology treatment and maximize patient outcomes. Rather than depend on a singular measure, such as medication possession ration (MPR) like PBMs often do for more common conditions, the researchers found that measuring other factors like time to first fill, patient satisfaction, and use of a drug waste management program provided an accurate picture of an oncology pharmacy’s performance.

Read the full study in AJMC’s Evidence-Based Oncology.

Researchers at FCS found that seven metrics were predictive of the successful management of patients on oral oncolytics which they implemented as part of a multifaceted system to comprehensively evaluate the services they provide to patients. The metrics include:

- enrollment into a patient management program under pharmacist supervision,
time to first fill,
- medication possession ratio (MPR) and proportion of days covered (PDC) as measurements of continuous fills,
- persistence on therapy,
- patient satisfaction score,
- prescriber satisfaction score, and
- use of a drug waste management program.

In the study, the FCS authors demonstrate that the multifaceted alternative is superior to MPR, resulting in high overall patient satisfaction, fast time to first fill, impressive average length of therapy and adherence metrics, and overall exceptional quality.

The study was supported by the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), which has been a loud advocate for overhauling the measures used by PBMs to assess DIR and other performance fees for oncology providers. Many of the metrics used by PBMs are not only inapplicable to oncology pharmacies and patients but can also be actively detrimental due to the specialized nature of oncology treatment. For example, many metrics measure adherence to cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes medications, conditions that do not usually see rapid changes in patient condition. The need to refine medication and dosage with oral oncolytics to protect the patient is not accounted for in these metrics, hurting providers who dispense these medications.

The article, prepared with funding assistance from the Community Oncology Alliance, was co-authored by the following from FCS: Lucio Gordan, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Therapeutics & Analytics, Ray Bailey, BPharm, RPh, Senior Vice President of Pharmacy Services, Natasha Khrystolubova, RPh, BPharm, BCOP, Director of Pharmacy Clinical Services, Roger Orr, PharmD, BCOP, Associate Director, Pharmacy Clinical Services and Trista Auger, RPhT, CPhT, Health Outcomes Assistant.

Read the full study in AJMC’s Evidence-Based Oncology journal at https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/gq0wCVOrW7sMyMkEIGmZwI?domain=ajmc.com.

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About the Community Oncology Alliance: COA is a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for community oncology practices and, most importantly, the patients they serve. COA is the only organization dedicated solely to community oncology where the majority of Americans with cancer are treated. The mission of COA is to ensure that patients with cancer receive quality, affordable, and accessible cancer care in their own communities. More than 5,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with cancer every day and deaths from the disease have been steadily declining due to earlier detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Learn more at www.CommunityOncology.org. Follow COA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/oncologyCOA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CommunityOncologyAlliance.

Drew Lovejoy
Community Oncology Alliance
info@coacancer.org

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