PSHP 2026 Residency Conference

Purpose
The care of oncology patients is complex, requiring multidisciplinary support. Due to the complex nature of these patients, a pilot project was implemented to assess the value of a clinic based pharmacist to support solid tumor patients.  


Methods
For a three-week period, a PGY-2 hematology/oncology pharmacy resident was embedded into the medical oncology clinic space. During this time the resident provided patient education, worked with the oncology providers, and developed quality improvement projects. Patient education was provided to all solid tumor patients prior to the start of their first cycle and follow up calls were made about 1 week after chemotherapy. All interventions were tracked within the patient chart, and categorized as patient education, drug information, medication error, toxicity management, medication reconciliation, or chemotherapy adjustment. Interventions were then examined and based on previously published data, cost value associations were assigned to each to determine a return on investment. In addition, the resident met with physicians to discuss quality improvement projects that a pharmacist could assist with or champion.
 
Results
During the pilot period 160 pharmacist interventions were made. Of these 160 interventions, 39 separate patient educations were completed, 34 chemotherapy regimens were adjusted, 17 chemotherapy toxicities were managed, 29 medication reconciliations were completed, and 35 drug information questions were answered, 13 of which were related to antimicrobial stewardship. For the 160 interventions made over the course of the 3 weeks, cost savings were estimated to be $76,976. This results in an estimated annualized cost savins of $1,334,651. Two quality improvement projects were identified, one focused on developing a standardized pathway for prescribing bone modifying agents and a second focused on patient education.  


Conclusion 
The addition of a clinical pharmacist in solid tumor clinics offers both cost savings and improved quality of care. These savings can offset the added FTE while providing enhanced clinical support to providers, improving patient satisfaction, and driving ongoing advancements in patient care.