Presenting Authors: Melisa McKendry, RPh, MSEd, The Cancer and Hematology Centers, Grand Rapids, MI; Emily Mackler, PharmD, BCOP, Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium, Michigan Institute for Care Management and Transformation, YesRx, and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Co-Authors: Kimberly Melgarejo, PharmD, MHA, The Cancer and Hematology Centers, Grand Rapids, MI; Siobhan Norman, YesRx, Ann Arbor, MI
BACKGROUND: Medication access for patients with cancer has become increasingly challenging as oral anticancer agents have established a prominent position in cancer treatment. Medically integrated specialty pharmacies serve an important role in enhancing patient medication access and in navigating the multiple financial barriers and facilitators of medication access.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the impact that participation in a statewide cancer drug repository (CDR) program has on specialty pharmacy employees and the impact its use has on other medication access resources.
METHODS: This single-center, retrospective analysis was conducted with data from September 2023 to September 2024. In addition, an employee satisfaction survey was completed by specialty pharmacy staff in December 2024. The intervention was participation in a statewide CDR network, YesRx, beginning in September 2023. Our institution had a stand-alone CDR from January 2023 to September 2023 before joining the statewide network. Therein, we describe the utilization of medication access resources, workflow, and employee satisfaction related to YesRx participation.
RESULTS: A total of 19 of 21 (90%) specialty pharmacy employees completed the satisfaction survey. Of those 19, 9 were pharmacy technicians, 9 were pharmacists, and 1 was a pharmacy intern. In all, 12 of the participants reported working within the specialty pharmacy before CDR participation. Of the 12, 5 (42%) participants reported an increase in workload and the remaining 7 (58%) reported no change. In all, 8 of 12 (67%) participants reported an increase in work satisfaction as a result of YesRx participation, and the remaining 4 of the 12 participants reported no change in satisfaction. None of the respondents reported a decrease in satisfaction. All 19 participants recommend CDR participation to other integrated specialty pharmacies. From September 2023 to September 2024, we dispensed a total of 263 prescriptions from the statewide CDR. We found that the use of the CDR did not decrease our utilization of other medication access resources but rather supplemented it. The majority of patients receiving CDR medication did so in conjunction with another resource, and the CDR allowed us to begin therapy in a timelier fashion or allowed us to fill a gap in benefits coverage that would have otherwise resulted in nonadherence.
CONCLUSION: Participation in the statewide CDR network, YesRx, provided a high level of satisfaction for our team members and complemented the current medication access resources.
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- ASHP Sample Health System Specialty Pharmacy Workforce Stay Interview. Accessed November 19, 2024. www.ashp.org/-/media/9F8416A5472E492C9920003CA44C485E.pdf
- YesRx. Accessed November 19, 2024. www.yesrx.org