Is there a benefit to having a clinical oncology pharmacist on staff at a community oncology clinic?

BACKGROUND: The John Marsh Cancer Center is an ambulatory oncology clinic located in Hagerstown, MD. In 2004, a clinical oncology pharmacist was hired to help manage therapies and control cost. The objective was to evaluate clinical interventions, consultations and cost savings by the clinical oncology pharmacist.

METHODS: This was a retrospective descriptive analysis of clinical interventions by the clinical oncology pharmacist from September 4, 2004 to October 27, 2006. Interventions were categorized as either drug-related or consultative. Drug-related interventions included medication reconciliation, dosing, and adverse effect management and prevention. Consultations incorporated drug information questions, patient visits, and patient education sessions. Information was extracted from an online documentation program linked to medical charts.

RESULTS: A total of 583 clinical interventions were documented among 199 patients. Average time spent per intervention was 10 minutes. Drug-related and consultative interventions accounted for 35% and 65%, respectively. Included among the drug-related interventions were adverse events (131), medication reconciliation (52) and dosing (22). Consultation services consisted of patient education (143), patient visits (124) and drug information (25). The on-site pharmacist saved $210,000 by admixing chemotherapy. Patient and colleague surveys evaluated pharmacist services with positive ratings of 95% and 98%, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Analysis of clinical interventions, cost-savings, and feedback from patients and colleagues confirmed beneficial services provided by a clinical pharmacist in this outpatient oncology center.