Purpose: Oral anticancer drug (OACD) prescriptions require extensive coordination between providers and payers, which can delay drug receipt. Specialty pharmacies facilitate communication between multiple entities. In 2018, our cancer center partnered with a freestanding organization to implement a hospital-based specialty pharmacy (HB-SP). We evaluated the time to drug receipt (TTR) before and after HB-SP implementation.
Methods: Data were prospectively collected on all new OACD prescriptions for adult oncology patients from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019. In fall 2018, a HB-SP was initiated. We collected patient sociodemographic, clinical, and prescription data. TTR was the number of days from OACD prescription to drug receipt. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine factors associated with TTR ≤ 7 days before and after HB-SP implementation.
Results: In total, 954 patients were included, representing 1,102 new OACDs. The majority of prescribed drugs were targeted OACDs (56%, n = 617), and 71% (n = 779) required prior authorization. Of all prescriptions, 84% (n = 960) were successfully received with an overall median TTR of 7 days. In unadjusted analysis, HB-SP implementation, drug class, race and ethnicity, and prior authorization requirement were significantly associated with TTR. Adjusted analyses found that patients were more likely to receive their drugs ≤ 7 days after HB-SP implementation (53% v 47%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.29; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.68; P = .05).
Conclusion: The implementation of a HB-SP in partnership with a collaborative care model contributed to a decrease in TTR for OACDs. This difference is in part attributable to improved care coordination and communication. A centralized approach may improve overall efficiency due to fewer practice disruptions.