Interviews

At our recent Institute for Value-Based Medicine® event in Boston, Hari Deshpande, MD, Yale Cancer Center, presented on predictive biomarkers in sarcomas.

Miriam Godwin, CMMI, National Kidney Foundation, touches on the gaps in kidney care that public policy can address, as well as the importance of thinking about the long-term benefits of value-based care.

Ticiana Leal, MD, Winship Cancer Institutes, explains the importance of biomarker testing and multidisciplinary conversations while caring for patients with early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

In this interview from our Institute for Value-Based Medicine® event in Boston, we speak with Michael Hassett, MD, MPH, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, on the clinical significance and cost implications of HER2 in the breast cancer space.

The theme of our inaugural regional Institute for Value-Based Medicine® event in Boston was, “Elevating Value in Cancer Care,” and one of the 4 panel discussions focused on the important contributions of pharmacists and the practice of pharmacy to the oncology space.

Value-based agreements come with risks and benefits, but a health system’s existing facilities and initiatives can help support the goals associated with them, JT Lew, PharmD, MBA, a managed care pharmacist at MultiCare Health System, explained.

There are some short-lived, common adverse events for patients using cannabis, but also some more dangerous, less common ones in chronic users, explained Marie Parish, PharmD, BCOP, of Mayo Clinic.

The pharmacist is a critical member of the care team to help manage patients on treatment and contain costs of cancer care, said Kirollos S. Hanna, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, FACCC, director of pharmacy, Minnesota Oncology.

After a small number of practices joined the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) in 2023, CMS has made some changes and opened the model back up for new practices to join.

Andrew Leitner, MD, of City of Hope, discusses the challenges of integrating supportive care into cancer treatment and proposes solutions to improve access for patients from underserved communities.

Linda Bosserman, MD, PhD, FASCO, FACP, of City of Hope, emphasizes the need for a sustainable health care system that balances cost with care so patients can achieve the best survival and quality of life after a cancer diagnosis.

Strategies for integrated delivery networks (IDNs) to manage rising biologic medication costs while ensuring financial sustainability and patient outcomes are discussed during an interview with Elie M. Bahou, PharmD, MBA, senior vice president and system chief pharmacy officer at Providence.

Andrew Leitner, MD, City of Hope, highlights the essential role of supportive care in improving the quality of life of patients with cancer undergoing treatment.

JT Lew, PharmD, MBA, managed care pharmacist at MultiCare Health System, spoke to the impacts of processes such as prior authorization and step therapy requirements in the realm of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Linda Bosserman, MD, PhD, FASCO, FACP, of City of Hope, highlights challenges in cancer care, focusing on improving access to accurate diagnoses and treatments, promoting patient-centered approaches, and fostering collaboration to achieve better outcomes.

Joseph Alvarnas, MD, of City of Hope, discusses how he envisions the future of cancer care over the next decade.

Chris Barton, LCSW, of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, explores how the Youth Behavioral Health Strategy program focuses on addressing the specific needs of youth with mental health and substance use issues through a comprehensive approach.

The legalization of recreational marijuana in Minnesota has created daily conversations about how to incorporate the use of cannabis into treatment plans for patients with cancer, explained Marie Parish, PharmD, BCOP, of Mayo Clinic.

Dax Kurbegov, MD, senior vice president of Sarah Cannon Cancer Network, discussed divides between payers, health systems, and oncology care providers, as well as the impacts these divides can have on patients.

As the pharmacist’s role has evolved in the last decade, they’ve become an important part of reducing costs and better managing patients, explained Scott Soefje, PharmD, MBA, BCOP, FCCP, FHOPA, assistant professor, Mayo Clinic College of Medicines and Science.

Sophia Humphreys, PharmD, director of formulary management at Sutter Health, discusses how group purchasing organizations (GPOs) influence integrated delivery networks (IDNs) and hospitals in making formulary decisions, including the adoption of biosimilars.

Ticiana Leal, MD, associate professor and director of the Thoracic Medical Oncology Program in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine, discusses the latest advances in perioperative non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment.

Steve Pickette, PharmD, BCPS, explains that artificial intelligence (AI)–driven formulary analysis can significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of drug selection processes by rapidly compiling and analyzing evidence.

JT Lew, PharmD, MBA, highlights that the primary challenges for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in accessing prescribed medications include dealing with the shock of the diagnosis, navigating complex health plan benefits and out-of-pocket costs, and experiencing delays due to insurance barriers.

Despite lacking some data, there is some information on which patients with cancer shouldn’t be recommended cannabis or certain cannabis products, said Marie Parish, PharmD, BCOP, a gastrointestinal oncology pharmacist with Mayo Clinic.

Jason Romancik, MD, a board-certified hematologist at Emory Winship Cancer Institute, discusses the current treatment landscape in aggressive lymphoma and drivers of high care costs.

While it can seem overwhelming or difficult to decide where to start addressing racial and ethnic disparities in health care, the key is to focus on a manageable area that can be built upon.

Patients with cancer will never completely replace existing pain regimens, but cannabis could be used in conjunction, explained Marie Parish, PharmD, BCOP, a gastrointestinal oncology pharmacist with Mayo Clinic.