Improving direct pharmacist counseling rates for oral oncolytic medications at an outpatient oncology clinic

Abstract

Background

Due to the increasing prevalence of oral oncolytic utilization for patients with malignancy, implementation of strategies for increased monitoring and patient safety have become a necessity. Our focus was on the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) standards of care, standard 2.3, and its requirement for patient counseling prior to first administration of oral oncolytic therapy.

Objective

To assess the implementation of a workflow improvement strategy to determine its effect on the number of patients reached for pharmacist counseling prior to first dose of oral oncolytic medications.

Methods

In this quasi-experimental quality improvement study, we formed a multidisciplinary group to develop and implement a workflow improvement process. This process was focused on a redistribution of workflow and the implementation of new technology within EPIC Beacon.

Results

A total of 86 patients were identified as eligible for counseling (38 pre-intervention, 48 post-intervention). There was a statistically significant increase in number of eligible patients counseled in the post-intervention period as compared to the pre-intervention period (100% vs. 86.84%; 95% CI = –0.212, –0.205; P = 0.017). There were no significant differences observed in the number of patients counseled in-person or patients counseled prior first dose.

Conclusion

Our intervention showed a 100% rate of counsel in the post-intervention period. Further work needs to be done to improve the number of these patients we reach prior to them taking their first dose of medication, as well as the number of patients we are able to counsel face-to-face.