Early check-in protocol improves adherence to anticancer medications

The implementation of an early check-in protocol may enable pharmacists of health-system specialty pharmacies (HSSPs) to enhance patient adherence to oral anticancer medication (OAM), suggests a recent study.

“Several studies have illustrated value in early patient contact following OAM initiation, particularly within the first 14 days of therapy, as adverse effects may lead to early discontinuation or poor adherence,” the authors said.

In January 2021, HSSPs enacted a protocol that requires oncology pharmacists to contact patients within 14 days of OAM initiation. The policy sought to improve adverse effect management, deliver supportive care, address adherence, and provide education.

The authors then assessed the impact of the early check-in protocol in a retrospective, multicentre, observational study across CPS’s health system clients from January 2022 to November 2023. HSSP pharmacists developed 1,698 interventions for 1,184 patients from the early check-in.

Breast cancer was the most frequent cancer type associated with an intervention (n=431, 25.4 percent). This was followed by gastrointestinal (n=245, 14.4 percent) and prostate (n=206, 12.1 percent) cancers.

For intervention categories, the most common was adverse drug reactions (n=1,548, 91.2 percent) and adherence (n=55, 3.2 percent). Overall, patients and providers were mostly accepting of pharmacist recommendations (95.5 percent).

“This study emphasizes the importance of early check-in and illustrates the scope of the oncology pharmacist’s role by evaluating critically meaningful interventions and quantifying pharmacist recommendations and acceptance rate,” the authors said.

“HSSPs are optimally positioned to adopt this best practice through formalized protocols designed to identify and mitigate medication-related issues,” they added.