June 2010

The continuing education article reviews some of the updates to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network practice guidelines.

Increases in the number of cancer cases being diagnosed and treated likely will drive cost trends for antineoplastic enzyme inhibitors.

The author identifies a need to develop better procedures for getting new treatments through the regulatory system.

Examination of pharmacy behaviors before and after implementation indicated that restrictions in pharmacy benefits may not deter utilization for Part D.

A qualitative survey and quantitative database analysis of US payers indicated that determining whether they receive value for their expenditures involves substantial challenges.

Efforts to compare strategies for healthcare delivery must evaluate effectiveness in terms of the outcomes that we care about most.

In outpatient oncology clinics, erythropoiesis-stimulating agents and chemotherapy were found to be typically administered during the same visits, as opposed to requiring separate visits.

The conduct and interpretation of comparative effectiveness research must build confidence that this research will enable improved access to appropriate healthcare interventions.

Understanding the factors necessary for successful change management will make this work more satisfying and rewarding for P&T committees.

Programs offering $4 generics lower costs for both payers and healthcare consumers, but these medications should go through the claims system to enable tracking.