PQA released today an important report that we believe is a key step towards improving the quality of care for individuals using oral anticancer medications (OAM). 

Recommendations to Improve the Quality of Oral Anticancer Medication Use is a new report from the PQA Quality Innovation and Research Initiative for Oncology. It shares the consensus-based recommendations of 23 national experts and patients, who were convened by PQA, to prioritize opportunities for improving the quality of oral anticancer medication (OAM) use. 

Biopharmaceutical innovation has led to an increase in the availability of oral medications to treat cancer. Oral anticancer medications (OAMs) are much more convenient for patients and avoid the inconvenience and administration costs of having to receive treatment at a doctor’s office or outpatient infusion center, allowing patients to self-administer oral medication at home.  One challenge with OAMs however is nonadherence.  Research has shown that almost half of patients on OAMs do not take their medications as prescribed.  

A comprehensive medication review (CMR) is a medication therapy management (MTM) service designed to systematically collect and assess patient medication information and identify medication therapy problems (MTPs) to develop a care plan for resolution. To ensure Medicare Part D plans are actively engaging in annual CMRs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) added the PQA measure, Completion Rate for CMR, to the Medicare Part D Star Ratings Program. This measure assesses the annual percentage of completed CMRs for eligible beneficiaries.  

Although many pharmacists have partnered with public health entities and providers to address and improve challenges associated with social determinants of health (SDOH), there has not been a pharmacy screening tool developed with patient input.