Specialty Pharmacy

Adding atezolizumab (Tecentriq) to bevacizumab (Avastin) and chemotherapy failed to significantly improve progression-free survival in patients with newly diagnosed stage III/IV ovarian cancer.

More than half of high-risk patients with resected, stage III BRAF V600-mutated melanoma who were treated with dabrafenib and trametinib were alive and relapse-free at 5 years.

The COVID-19 pandemic will be felt in the oncology space long after the pandemic is over, study shows.

The CheckMate 9ER trial took 2 drugs used as monotherapies in the second line of therapy, nivolumab and cabozantinib, and combined them for use as a first-line treatment against standard of care, sunitinib.

More targeted therapies often have better toxicity profiles, allowing patients to remain adherent for longer.

Lenvatinib (Lenvima) plus pembrolizumab (Keytruda) showed early antitumor activity and tolerability in previously treated triple-negative breast cancer patients with advanced solid tumors.

Trial shows that olaparib, a poly ADP ribose polymerase inhibitor that is the first cancer drug to target an inherited genetic fault, can be used successfully to treat prostate cancers with a weakness in the ability to repair damaged DNA.

Adding abemaciclib to hormonal therapy reduces the risk of cancer recurrence by 25% in patients with high-risk early hormone receptor-positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative breast cancer.

Recent studies have analyzed how individuals with autoimmune conditions prescribed specialty medications may be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

September has been designated as National Sickle Cell Awareness Month for the continued fostering of education surrounding sickle cell disease management.

There were a number of FDA approvals in 2019 that were either the first new therapies or first in class approved for certain conditions, and the specialty pipeline is continuing to grow at a rapid pace.

Technology can help revolutionize how a pharmacy manages patients, collects payments, communicates, and can improve overall efficiency.

Clinical education, strong data analytics, and valuing collaboration are the best ways to provide patient support and access to specialty pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Protections for covered entities under the 340B program will most likely be affected by decisions in the Senate.

Study shows the recurrence rate was within the expected range for breast cancer survivors receiving spironolactone and those who did not.

The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to specialty pharmacy outpacing traditional pharmacy in non-discounted spending.

Data standardization has been an ongoing problem in the specialty pharmacy field, affecting both patients and providers when approaching treatments.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many families and individuals have not been able to pay their out-of-pocket costs or do not have enough money saved to pay their deductibles.

Political insiders Donna L. Brazile and Michael Steele spoke to NASP members about which issues may concern them most and getting involved in the political process.

Although working from home created challenges for contacting stakeholders, some companies saw higher accuracy and fewer sick days among employees.

A new test may help direct treatments for patients with rare breast cancer mutations.

A discussion at NASP 2020 looked at how pharmacy graduates can get a start in the specialty pharmacy field.

When treating these diseases, immunoglobulin is effective because of its ability to be used by the immune system to neutralize pathogens, such as pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses.

Having a certified specialty pharmacist (CSP) credential can help applicants get hired and be more impactful in the specialty pharmacy arena.

The CINtec PLUS Cytology assay is indicated for women who undergo cervical cancer screening and test positive for high-risk types of human papillomavirus.

It makes the most sense to get more technicians involved when pharmacies are continuing to grow, since the number of roles that are needed to operate are well suited for technicians, said Jonathan Ogurchak, PharmD, CSP.

National Association of Specialty Pharmacy gives out annual awards during virtual conference.

Because regular SMS messaging is not fully HIPAA-compliant, one solution may be to initiate contact via a text that links to an online platform.