Transitions of Care in Multiple Myeloma: Why Handoffs Remain the Biggest Operational Challenge

Welcome back to another Pharmacy Times Practice Pearls series. In this episode, titled “Transitions of Care in Multiple Myeloma: Why Handoffs Remain the Biggest Operational Challenge,” Zahra Mahmoudjafari, PharmD, MBA, BCOP, FHOPA, led the conversation about the following question: Transitions of care present the most consistent operational challenge, outranking efficacy and safety concerns. Why are they difficult, and where are the pain points?

The panelists examined why transitions of care are the most persistent operational challenge in implementing bispecific antibody therapy for multiple myeloma, identifying the fundamental difficulty of navigating communication across distinct health care systems as the root cause, particularly in identifying the right point of contact at the receiving institution to ensure continuity of care. The panelists also highlighted a real-world challenge faced by community practices serving geographically mobile patient populations, noting that coordinating care for patients transitioning between out-of-state providers is among the most complex and time-consuming handoff scenarios. The discussion underscored that while academic-to-community transitions with established partners tend to be relatively smooth, the absence of preexisting relationships and clear institutional contacts remains the primary pain point that most consistently disrupts seamless care transitions for patients receiving bispecific antibody therapy.

Throughout the conversation, the experts provide a comprehensive reflection on the field and the factors that may shape how clinicians approach care moving forward.

In the next episode, “Planning Before the First Dose: Pretreatment Transition Strategies for Bispecific Antibody Therapy in Myeloma,” panelists will continue their discussion on multiple myeloma and describe what effective pretreatment transition planning looks like in practice.