Impact of an internal specialty pharmacy medication assistance program on the adherence rates of oral oncolytics.

Abstract

e18576 Background: High-cost medications pose a barrier to adherence which results in poor therapeutic outcomes and an increase in overall healthcare spending. Medication adherence is critical, especially in cancer patients, in order to achieve optimal, progression-free and disease-free survival. The projected cost of cancer continues to rise, putting patients at a greater risk for delayed treatment and nonadherence. This study evaluates the impact financial assistance has on medication adherence by comparing the oncolytic adherence rates found in published literature with the rates found in patients receiving financial assistance through an internal specialty pharmacy. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective chart review evaluating patients over 18 years of age who received Hisaoka Cancer Fund and filled their oral oncolytic medications with the internal health system specialty pharmacy. The outpatient pharmacy software and electronic health records were utilized to run reports based on the eligibility criteria between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2020. Patient demographics included age, gender, race, and cancer diagnosis. Patients younger than 18 years of age, who filled injectable oncolytics or supportive medications, have incomplete data, or were on off-label prescription drugs were excluded. The medication possession ratio (MPR) and time-to-treatment (TTT) in patients receiving the fund were compared to adherence rates found in the literature. Results: A total of 167 patients with a total of 297 prescription fills were evaluated. The MPRs had an average of 82.8% with a median of 92.8% (range 53.8% – 100%). The average TTT was 1.1 days, with a median of 0 day (range 0 – 12 days). In contrast, MPRs found in the two published studies were 75% and 61%, respectively and TTTs were found to be 10.9 and 27 days in those who filled medications through an external specialty pharmacy. A total of $12,793.43 was covered by the fund, with an average of $1,599.18 per patient during the six-month period. Conclusions: Adherence rates in patients who received the medication assistance program through internal health system specialty pharmacy exceeded the rates found in patients who filled medications from external pharmacies. The Hisaoka Fund reduced the financial burden by covering the cost of medications. Due to limited number of patients, further studies are needed to evaluate the impact of the medication assistance program on adherence rates across institutions.[Table: see text]