Improving Urology-to-Oncology Care Transitions: Pharmacists Strengthen Communication Across Specialties

In an interview with Pharmacy Times at the 2026 Community Oncology Alliance (COA) Conference, Sherry Vogt, PharmD, BCOP, discusses common communication gaps during transitions between urology and medical oncology. She highlights the role of pharmacists in standardizing processes, ensuring accurate prescribing, and maintaining clear communication between clinics and specialty pharmacies. Vogt also emphasizes the importance of staying current with evolving treatment landscapes through ongoing education, tumor boards, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Pharmacy Times: With your experience in genitourinary oncology, what are the most critical points where communication between urology and oncology teams can break down in prostate cancer care?

Sherry Vogt, PharmD, BCOP: I think a couple of areas where communication can break down are when you’re trying to coordinate care, especially when transitioning a patient from the urology clinic into [the] medical oncology [department], because you want to be as time-sensitive as possible. Ensuring there’s a set process for referrals to come in smoothly is really important because if that process goes awry, it can be problematic.

Another area where communication differences can occur is when urology starts a patient on treatment and then transfers them to medical oncology. It’s important to be very clear on who is taking over management. Is urology going to continue prescribing, or are we defaulting to medical oncology? Those are probably the 2 most common areas where communication can break down or interrupt care if you’re not careful.

Pharmacy Times: How can oncology pharmacists help standardize communication and care coordination across outpatient settings to ensure more seamless treatment transitions for patients?

Vogt: Oncology pharmacists can play a huge role in helping to standardize that communication. If you have an oncology pharmacist embedded within specialty clinics or specialty pharmacies, they can help ensure prescriptions are correct, appropriate for the indication, and reaching the patient in a timely fashion. For pharmacists in the clinic, having direct contact with the specialty pharmacy is also important for communication, whether it’s holding treatment for a month or making a dose reduction. Pharmacists can play a key role on both sides, either in direct patient care or at the point of dispensing.

Pharmacy Times: From both a clinical and educational standpoint, what strategies have you found most effective in empowering pharmacists and care teams to stay aligned on evolving prostate cancer therapies?

Vogt: I think this is a great question. This disease state has completely evolved over the past 15 years, and staying on top of the literature is critical. That includes keeping up with meetings as they happen and having ongoing discussions with providers about what’s new and how to incorporate that into training and patient care. It’s also about how we’re teaching fellows and ensuring everyone is aligned.

Staying on top of the evolving landscape means consistently engaging with emerging data, guidelines, and interdisciplinary discussions. Whether that’s through scheduled Grand Rounds, regular team reviews, or tumor board discussions, these are the environments where collaboration happens and where providers stay current by communicating with different caregivers.