Pharmacists Are Key to Coordinating Care For Combination Oral, IV Therapies

Pharmacists have an essential role to play in coordinating the care of patients receiving both intravenous (IV) and oral therapies, according to a recent Pharmacy Times interview with Stacey McCullough, PharmD, senior vice president of pharmacy with Tennessee Oncology.

McCullough said coordinating complex care plans can involve many care team members and even different pharmacists in both health system and retail environments. McCullough said myeloma is a major disease state in which she sees opportunities for this coordination.

In her facility, McCullough explained the pharmacy team works with the clinic team on the scheduling for patients in need of IV therapies, and they are working to develop a centralized scheduling team within the pharmacy. She specifically said they see coordination opportunities frequently with capecitabine, other injectable products, and radiation treatments, and they continue to see new indications necessitating care coordination.

Team members involved with this coordination can include patient advocates, foundation fulfillment, counseling, physicians, nurses, and, of course, the pharmacy team, McCullough noted. Because pharmacists frequently work with all of these individuals, McCullough said they are perfectly positioned to spearhead coordination efforts.