Autumn Zuckerman, PharmD, BCPS, CSP, Director of Health Outcomes at Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy, emphasized the significance of collaboration between health system specialty pharmacies and manufacturers during a presentation at AXS24, the Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit. Zuckerman’s organization partnered with AstraZeneca to support patients starting poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor therapies. The results showed that many patients experienced side effects early on, with nearly a quarter discontinuing treatment and over half needing to reduce their dose.
To address these challenges, Zuckerman’s team developed a personalized monitoring strategy in collaboration with AstraZeneca. Pharmacists would contact patients at specific timepoints when they were likely to experience adverse effects, based on data provided by the manufacturer. Through these pharmacist-initiated discussions, the number of dose reductions decreased and the duration of interruptions was shortened from 17 days to 7 days. Although discontinuation rates remained the same, there were fewer drug discontinuations related to adverse events.
Patients appreciated the additional touchpoint with the pharmacist and felt that it made a significant impact during these check-ins. This successful model is now the standard of care at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and has been shown to improve patient outcomes through tailored monitoring strategies developed in collaboration between manufacturers and pharmacists.
In an interview with AXS24 attendees, Zuckerman highlighted the importance of discussions between manufacturers and pharmacists in creating personalized monitoring strategies that benefit patient care. This collaborative approach has proven effective in improving patient outcomes and optimizing treatment regimens for individuals starting PARP inhibitor therapies.