Oncology drugs need stewardship, too.

Abstract

Donald C. Moore Dose rounding, expanding the use of biosimilars, and administering high-cost medications in outpatient settings are all strategies to bring the benefits of medication stewardship to cancer care, says Donald C. Moore, clinical oncology pharmacy manager at the Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte, NC. Moore was the lead speaker at the December 4 session Not Just for Antimicrobials: Integrating Oncology Stewardship into Practice at the 2022 Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition in Las Vegas, NV. “There is a growing sense in the general healthcare world and in pharmacy of stewardship outside the context of just... antimicrobials,” Moore said. “We’re really trying to optimize care while also trying to decrease the overall cost of care.” Moore said dose rounding, or defaulting to the nearest product vial size that’s within an acceptable percentage of the prescribed dose, can be appropriate for medications packaged in preservative-free, single-use vials. Clinical studies support the safety of dose rounding for monoclonal antibody therapies because they have wide therapeutic dose ranges.