Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute Shares Pharmacy Expertise To Advance Medically Integrated Oncology Care

Presentations at NCODA Spring Forum Detail Best Practices Programs

FORT MYERS, Fla., April 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, LLC (FCS) leaders and pharmacy experts will share insights and best practices in specialty pharmacy operations and dispensing that are contributing to positive patient outcomes at the NCODA 2024 Spring Forum in Dallas. The focus of the multi-day gathering, "Driving Optimal Strategies for Patient Care in Medically Integrated Oncology," is on the vital role of pharmacy involvement throughout the entire cancer care continuum.

Rx To Go, the in-house specialty pharmacy of FCS based in Ft. Myers, Florida, provides an advanced level of personalized pharmacy services and educational support to ensure that patients use medications appropriately and achieve optimal clinical outcomes. Working exclusively with the statewide practice's physicians, clinicians and patients, Rx To Go provides timely dispensing of oral oncolytic medications, which comprise more than 35 percent of the drugs used in cancer treatment today.

"Our Rx To Go team members continue to set the standard of excellence for medically-integrated oncology pharmacy and support services," said FCS President & Managing Physician Lucio Gordan, MD. "They are well-equipped to contribute top-tier knowledge to help steer the future of oncology care."

Serving as moderators, presenters and panelists during interactive workshops and discussions at the NCODA Spring Forum are: 

• FCS Senior Director of Trade Relations Austin Cox, PharmD – Navigating Challenges Within the Oncology Landscape 
• FCS Director of Pharmacy Operations Kristen Boykin, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS – Bispecifics Panel: Advancements Within Community and Academic Practice Settings
• FCS Associate Director of Specialty Pharmacy Nursing Services Dawn Landolph, BSN, MPA, RN, OCN– The Power of Metrics: Harnessing Data to Advance and Support the Success of an Oral Anticancer Medication Program 
• FCS Chief Value & Procurement Officer Paul Chadwick – NCODA's Non-Profit Partner Update and Donor Recipient Story

A poster presentation, Outcomes of Pharmacist Driven Clinical Interventions in a Medically Integrated Oncology Specialty Pharmacy Practice, presented by members of the FCS Rx To Go team, first author and FCS' first NCODA Medically-Integrated Oncology Pharmacy Natalie Kaufman, PharmD and co-authors Rx To Go Clinical Staff Pharmacist and Residency Program Director Nicole Bentivegna, PharmD, BCOP, Rx To Go Director Of Clinical Specialty Pharmacy Operations Roger Orr, PharmD, BCOP and Rx To Go Clinical Pharmacists Supervisor Erin Sypolt, PharmD, BCOP outlines the essential role of pharmacists in driving care coordination and quality in oncology care. The 16-month retrospective study highlights the importance of medical integration by showcasing the impact of pharmacist interventions who have access to patient medical records.

Additional posters and their authors include:

• Rx To Go Prior Authorization Supervisor Amy Terhune, RPhT, CPhT, PACS and Dawn Landolph, BSN, MPA, RN, OCN - Impact of Clinical Competency on the Prior Authorization Process
• Rx To Go Specialty Pharmacy Nursing Manager Yexica Croft, RN, BSN, DNP and Dawn Landolph, BSN, MPA, RN, OCN - Impact of Nursing in Preventing Patient Delays When Receiving Free Drug from the Manufacturer

Two Best Practices (BP) programs will also be presented as posters were conducted by FCS in partnership with the FCS Real-World Evidence team, and Karyopharm Therapeutics will be presented in poster sessions during the conference:

Dr. Gordan, FCS Assistant Managing Physician David Wenk, MD, and FCS medical oncologists and hematologists Matthew Fink, MD and Sachar Peles, MD along with FCS Senior Vice President & Data Officer Trevor Heritage, MD and FCS Director, Real-World Evidence Amanda Warner, MS, BSN, RN, OCN, CAPM are co-authors of a study, Impact of a Best Practices Program in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma Receiving Selinexor, investigating the impact of a Best Practices program in which patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) were prescribed selinexor, an oral selective nuclear export inhibitor that suppress tumor growth. The authors, of which Paul Chadwick and Rx To Go Director of Pharmacy Clinical Services Natasha Khrystolubova, RPH, BPharm, BCOP also served as co-authors in the initial study, concluded that selinexor initiated at doses ≤ 80 mg once weekly and in combination with standardized antiemetic therapy was associated with reduced likelihood of treatment failure, increased treatment duration and lower incidence of DLTs. 

These findings "support the hypothesis that a BP program designed around specific anticancer drugs can optimize prescribing practices, potentially leading to better disease control and improvements in a patient's cancer care journey," according to the authors.

In a second poster presentation, Budget Impact of Selinexor Combination Regimens in Previously Treated Multiple Myeloma: An Oncology Network Perspective, Dr. Gordan is first author of the abstract detailing cost savings from the implementation of selinexor-based combination treatment regimens in patients with RRMM previously treated with an anti-CD38 mAb in the 2nd to 5th line. The three-year Per Member Per Year cost savings were $3,084, attributed to the delay and cost offset of more costly treatment options.

"The medically integrated pharmacy approach in use at FCS provides enormous value to physicians and to patients related to timely access, medication compliance and safety and reduced cost," said FCS Chief Executive Officer Nathan H. Walcker. "We are delighted to have this opportunity to share our experiences and findings with our global colleagues."

The FCS Real-World Evidence team works with internal and external partners providing insights to improve treatment decisions and clinical outcomes based on evidence generated using real-world data.

NCODA is a globally recognized not-for-profit organization dedicated to building a patient-centered, medically integrated community of health care providers whose focus is to innovate the continuity of cancer care so that every patient receives the maximum benefit from their cancer treatment.

About Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, LLC: (FLCancer.com)

Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) offers patients access to more clinical trials than any private oncology practice in Florida. The majority of new cancer drugs recently approved for use in the U.S. were studied in clinical trials with FCS participation.* Recognized for our research, FCS is a recipient of the national Clinical Trials Participation Award presented by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). FCS physicians, trained in prestigious medical schools and research institutes, are consistently ranked nationally as Top Doctors by U.S. News & World Report.

Celebrating its 40^th year in 2024, FCS has built a national reputation for excellence that is reflected in exceptional and compassionate patient care, driven by innovative clinical research, cutting-edge technologies and advanced treatments, including targeted therapies genomic-based treatment and immunotherapy. Our highest values are embodied by our outstanding team of highly trained and dedicated physicians, clinicians and staff.

*Prior to approval

SOURCE Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute