- Bone Health
- Immunology
- Hematology
- Respiratory
- Dermatology
- Diabetes
- Gastroenterology
- Neurology
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Rare Disease
- Rheumatology
COA Says COVID-19 Policy Changes Put Patients at Risk
Cancer treatments can lead to unpredictable adverse events, so a COVID-19–related measure allowing home infusion jeopardizes patient health and safety, according to the Community Oncology Alliance (COA).
Patient safety might be compromised because of home infusion regulatory changes brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-10) pandemic, according to the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), although other groups support the changes, which affect Medicare Part B beneficiaries.
The virus has altered healthcare not just for those with the novel virus, but also for patients with cancer or rare diseases. Providers are working overtime to accommodate the sudden need.
CMS has allowed numerous workforce changes to increase the capabilities and ranks of frontline healthcare workers during this emergency. In an additional change, added Thursday, CMS allowed doctors to work across state lines and nurse practitioners to perform medical exams in nursing homes.
Many providers are pleased with these new flexibilities, which include the use of telehealth.
CMS has also temporarily relaxed standards for home infusion therapy, physician contracts, remote monitoring, and coverage determinations
Last week, COA said of the health of patients with cancer could be jeopardized by some of these changes. COA said it opposes home infusion of chemotherapy, cancer immunotherapy, and supportive drugs related to cancer.
Home infusion “by a provider who may not be a trained oncology nurse and may not recognize or be prepared to treat any of the serious adverse reactions that frequently occur is of significant concern,” COA said, adding that many of the adverse events related to cancer treatment cannot be adequately monitored if patients are self-administering at home.
Visit AJMC.com for the full story.
Empowering Vulnerable Populations: The Path to Equitable Biologic Therapy Access
December 22nd 2024Elie Bahou, PharmD, senior vice president and system chief pharmacy officer at Providence, discusses strategies to improve equitable access to biologic therapies, including tiered formularies, income-based cost sharing, patient assistance programs, and fostering payer partnerships.
Biosimilars in America: Overcoming Barriers and Maximizing Impact
July 21st 2024Join us as we explore the complexities of the US biosimilars market, discussing legislative influences, payer and provider adoption factors, and strategies to overcome industry challenges with expert insights from Kyle Noonan, PharmD, MS, value & access strategy manager at Cencora.
Biosimilars Oncology Roundup for June 2024—Podcast Edition
July 7th 2024On this episode of Not So Different, we review biosimilar news coming out of June, with clinical trial results from conferences and a study showcasing how to overcome economic and noneconomic barriers to oncology biosimilars.
Eye on Pharma: Golimumab Biosimilar Update; Korea Approves Denosumab; Xbrane, Intas Collaboration
December 10th 2024Alvotech and Advanz Pharma have submitted a European marketing application for their golimumab biosimilar to treat inflammatory diseases, while Celltrion secured Korean approval for denosumab biosimilars, and Intas Pharmaceuticals partnered with Xbrane Biopharma on a nivolumab biosimilar.
Pertuzumab Biosimilar Shows Promise in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Treatment
December 9th 2024The proposed pertuzumab biosimilar QL1209 demonstrated equivalent efficacy and safety to reference pertuzumab (Perjeta) in neoadjuvant treatment of HER2-positive, ER/PR-negative early or locally advanced breast cancer, offering a cost-effective alternative with comparable clinical outcomes.
