Toxicity assessment and ensuring compliance to oral chemotherapy with a pharmacist-run medication therapy management clinic

8^th Euro Global Summit on Cancer Therapy

November 03-05, 2015 Valencia, Spain

Jenna M Carmichael and Michael Evans

Geisinger Health System, USA

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Cancer Sci Ther

Abstract :

Oral Chemotherapy is an ever increasing part of available therapies for the treatment of cancer. This makes treatment convenient for patients as they can take the medication at home but ensuring that the patient is taking the medication appropriately can be difficult to assess. These medications also have side effect profiles that are different to manage than typical chemotherapy, for example, hypothyroidism in patients taking imatinib. Described is a pharmacist-run medication therapy management clinic that uses a phone based model to contact patients to assess compliance and determine toxicity at Geisinger Health System in rural Pennsylvania, USA. This clinic operates under the use of a collaborative practice agreement and allows the pharmacist to be a useful addition to the patient�s therapy by being a contact on a regular basis to discuss potential and real side effects of medication and if patient is experiencing side effects, adding on supportive medications or holding therapy as needed, request and assess lab tests, as determined by the manufacturer, ensure compliance by discussing how patient is taking medication using open-ended questions and a full review of the patient�s medication list, to determine if there are potential drug-drug interactions with current therapy. Through use of the collaborative practice agreement, the provider is informed of the patient�s progress with therapy. This clinic has been well received by the Hematologists and Oncologists on staff as well as the patients enrolled.

Biography :

Jenna M Carmichael graduated from the University of Arizona, College of Pharmacy with Doctorate in Pharmacy in 2011. She completed her Post Graduate Year-1 training at the Veterans Administration Sierra Nevada Health Care System in Northern Nevada and her Post Graduate Year-2 training in Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy at Geisinger Medical Center in Central Pennsylvania. She became a Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist in 2015. She is a Hematology/Oncology Medication Therapy Management Pharmacist at the Henry Cancer Center at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Northeast Pennsylvania, USA.

Email: jcarmichael@geisinger.edu