Presenting Authors: Ila M. Saunders, PharmD, BCOP, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, La Jolla, CA; Sarah Profitt, PharmD, BCOP, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
BACKGROUND: The Hematology Research & Outcomes (HERO) Consortium, founded in 2022 by oncology pharmacists, is the first pharmacist-led, multicenter research consortium aimed at enhancing the generation of real-world evidence in hematology. As of November 2025, HERO has grown to encompass 21 member institutions with more than 40 members.
OBJECTIVE: To characterize the institutions and member demographics of the HERO Consortium, the first pharmacist-led, multicenter research collaborative in hematology.
METHODS: Institutional data were submitted through a Google Form (heroconsortium.org). A separate form collected demographic data from HERO members, and responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
RESULTS: The HERO Consortium includes 21 US academic institutions across 15 states, primarily teaching (95.2%) and hospital-based (71.4%) centers, with more than half (57.1%) having more than 500 inpatient beds. Most sites (52.4%) report outpatient hematology volumes exceeding 10,000 visits annually and treat >200 patients with acute leukemia per year. The geographic distribution is concentrated in the Southeast and West regions (61.9%), serving urban (85.7%) and suburban (57.1%) areas. Most serve diverse patient populations, with 90.1% reporting higher proportions of National Institutes of Health–defined racial and ethnic groups, and 66.7% serving relatively more patients from low socioeconomic backgrounds than surrounding institutions. The collective payer mix includes Medicare (100%), Medicaid (81%), and commercial insurance (95.2%). Notably, 81% of centers are 340B-eligible, and 38.1% of centers are exempt from the Medicare Prospective Payment System. All institutions perform allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplants and CAR T-cell therapies, primarily in inpatient settings (85.7% and 52.4%, respectively). A total of 36 responses were received (response rate, 87.8%) from HERO members. Most members have a median of 10 years (interquartile range, 7.75-13) of post-PharmD experience, completed both PGY1 pharmacy practice and PGY2 oncology pharmacy practice residencies (94.4%), and are board-certified in oncology pharmacy (94.4%). Most members (69.4%) have prior experience participating in multicenter research and practice in inpatient and ambulatory care settings, specializing in malignant hematology (91.7%), leukemia (75%), lymphoma (50%), multiple myeloma (41.7%), cellular therapy (33.3%), and blood/marrow transplant (30.6%). Respondents allocated an average of 63.3% of their time to clinical activities, and only 27.8% of respondents reported dedicated research time.
CONCLUSION: The HERO Consortium is a pharmacist-led, multicenter research collaborative comprised of seasoned clinician-researchers with broad institutional and geographic reach. The HERO Consortium infrastructure supports the standardization of collaborative research and highlights the potential of this novel consortium to elevate the rigor and impact of pharmacist-led hematology research.