Panelists discuss how medical professionals navigate statin initiation, considering contraindications or delays in specific patient populations, including those with liver disease or renal impairment, older adults, and other high-risk groups, while also examining evolving treatment patterns and factors influencing the adoption of more intensive low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)–lowering therapies.
Jonas Congelli, RPh, discusses how limited distribution networks and medically integrated pharmacies can improve access, continuity, and quality of oncology care—particularly in underserved areas—while addressing systemic barriers posed by traditional distribution models and pharmacy benefit managers.
Ravi Parikh, MD, MPP, FACP, discusses how artificial intelligence is transforming oncology pharmacy by accelerating drug development, enhancing clinical decision-making, supporting value-based care, and raising critical questions about ethics, regulation, and data integrity.
Paula E. Voinescu, PhD, MD, emphasized the need for additional research in this area, noting it is both “surprising and upsetting.”
A panelist discusses how pharmacists contribute to multidisciplinary care for patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by providing comprehensive education, creating customized medication calendars, ensuring appropriate dose adjustments for individual patient factors, advocating for patients to balance efficacy with toxicity management, and helping patients navigate insurance systems to access expensive medications through assistance programs, particularly when transitioning from targeted therapies to more complex regimens.
A panelist discusses how implementing new clinical trial findings into practice involves multiple challenges including operationalizing treatment regimens in electronic medical records (EMR), procuring medications, obtaining formal approval through institutional committees, and, most significantly, securing insurance approval since insurers often update their formularies less frequently than FDA approvals occur, which can delay patient care.
Specialty pharmacies must develop comprehensive health equity programs that address diverse patient needs.
Sasha Watson, PharmD, BCOP, discusses the emerging role of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in colon cancer, highlighting its potential to enhance precision oncology by improving early detection, guiding adjuvant therapy decisions, and monitoring disease recurrence and treatment resistance.
Specialty pharmacies can leverage advanced analytics, AI, and comprehensive data insights to create targeted clinical programs.
Specialty distributors provide strategic partnerships that enhance pharmaceutical manufacturers' ability to bring innovative medicines to market.
Experts emphasize the need to understand patient journeys, navigate complex value chains, and strategically match the right patients with groundbreaking therapies.
Experts share operational challenges and patient care implications of the Inflation Reduction Act's (IRA) drug pricing reforms.
Panelists discuss how the initiation of statin therapy requires careful consideration of contraindications and patient-specific factors, particularly in those with liver disease, renal impairment, or advanced age, while noting evolving treatment patterns toward more intensive low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)–lowering therapies based on individualized risk assessment.
Panelists discuss how statin therapy for primary prevention requires careful consideration of cardiovascular risk factors against potential adverse effects such as myalgia and liver abnormalities, generally favoring treatment when the calculated 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease [ASCVD] risk exceeds 7.5% to10% and adjusting recommendations based on individual patient factors including age, comorbidities, and preferences.
Pharmacists play a crucial role in advancing biosimilar adoption through targeted education and by addressing misconceptions about safety and efficacy.
Logan Schneider, MD, explains the latest findings on narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia treatments, highlighting patient experiences and sleep architecture improvements.
A panelist discusses how combining therapies for EGFR-positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) increases both benefits (improved progression-free survival, response rates, and duration of response) and adverse effects, emphasizing that treatment selection should consider patient-specific factors like central nervous system (CNS) metastases, performance status, treatment aggressiveness preferences, and real-world limitations where patients often differ from clinical trial populations in terms of organ dysfunction, concomitant medications, and previous treatments.
A panelist discusses how recent clinical trials for EGFR-positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have expanded treatment options beyond single oral agents, with studies like FLAURA2, MARIPOSA, and PAPILLON demonstrating significant improvements in progression-free survival for combination therapies such as osimertinib plus chemotherapy and amivantamab plus lazertinib, though these combinations often come with higher rates of toxicity, discontinuation, and adverse effects compared to monotherapies.
Ginger Blackmon, PharmD, explains how NCODA’s Positive Quality Interventions (PQIs) help improve oncology care by guiding best practices, supporting teamwork, and streamlining workflows.
Ronna Hauser, PharmD, senior vice president of policy and pharmacy affairs at NCPA, discussed concerns the association has with the implementation of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Plan.
Ronna Hauser, PharmD, senior vice president of policy and pharmacy affairs at NCPA, discusses concerns about the implementation of the MDPNP.
Philip Kuball, MD, neurology resident at NYU Langone Health, highlights the integral role of pharmacists in monitoring patient eligibility, managing dosing schedules, and ensuring safe medication interactions for lecanemab treatment in Alzheimer disease.
Lauren B. Krupp, MD, FAAN, provides comprehensive guidance on treating pediatric multiple sclerosis, emphasizing early intervention, high-efficacy therapies, and holistic family support.
A panelist discusses how waiting for molecular testing results before initiating treatment for non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is crucial because patients with EGFR mutations can avoid chemotherapy and immunotherapy in favor of targeted oral agents like osimertinib, which offer survival benefits with minimal toxicity compared to traditional treatments, while premature immunotherapy could cause severe immune-related adverse events that might preclude later use of more appropriate targeted therapies.
