Melody Chang, RPh, MBA, BCOP

Experts discuss proactive steps health care teams, including pharmacists, can take to minimize delays and overcome payer-related barriers when prescribing third-line therapies for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and how collaboration between health care teams, payers, and manufacturers can be improved to reduce care delays.

Experts discuss effective strategies for navigating the prior authorization process to ensure timely access to third-line therapies for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and share any success stories.

Experts discuss key payer-related challenges, such as step edits and prior authorizations, that impact access to third-line therapies for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). They also discuss how payer requirements influence treatment sequencing and decision-making in the third-line setting and how the costs associated with adverse events across different third-line treatments affect treatment selection.

Experts discuss how pharmacists contribute to managing adverse events and toxicity for patients undergoing metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treatment. They explore the factors influencing patient adherence to third-line therapies and ways pharmacists can improve patient education to enhance adherence to treatment regimens.

Experts discuss how the role of oncology pharmacists in managing metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) has evolved, particularly in enabling medication adjustments, refills, and prescribing supportive care medications, and explore the impact of this expanded role on patient outcomes and how pharmacists can leverage medication knowledge to optimize treatment and patient care further.

Experts discuss the typical patient journey for an individual with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), highlighting where pharmacists participate in the process. They also explore how pharmacists collaborate with oncologists and other multidisciplinary team members to provide comprehensive care for patients with mCRC.

Experts discuss additional factors considered when determining the most effective sequence of therapies for metastatic colorectal cancer, including fruquintinib, regorafenib, and trifluridine + tipiracil ± bevacizumab, and explore the further research needed to understand optimal sequencing of these treatments better.

Experts discuss practical strategies used by their institutions to manage treatment-related toxicities with third-line therapies for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and share their experiences on how third-line therapy options have impacted patients’ quality of life.

Experts discuss how they balance safety, efficacy, and overall patient prognosis when selecting third-line treatments for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and explore how the toxicity profiles of fruquintinib, regorafenib, and trifluridine + tipiracil ± bevacizumab differ, informing treatment decisions.

Experts provide an overview of third-line treatment options for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in patients with disease progression through all available regimens, focusing on fruquintinib, regorafenib, and trifluridine + tipiracil ± bevacizumab.

Panelists discuss how the successful management of iron deficiency anemia requires a comprehensive approach combining early detection, appropriate choice of iron formulation, careful monitoring of treatment response, and addressing barriers to care while emphasizing the importance of patient education and health care system support in achieving optimal outcomes.

Panelists discuss how expanding patient education initiatives through digital health tools, community outreach, and health care provider collaboration could improve early recognition of IDA symptoms and treatment adherence, while emerging technologies like novel iron formulations and personalized medicine approaches may further advance treatment options in the future.

Panelists discuss how increasing insurance step edit requirements for high-dose IV iron formulations have created barriers to optimal patient care, requiring providers to implement strategic prior authorization processes and develop documentation protocols to demonstrate medical necessity while advocating for appropriate patient access to these medications.

Panelists discuss how IV iron formulations requiring fewer infusion visits tend to have better adherence rates, while the ongoing nursing shortage has created additional challenges in scheduling and administering IV iron treatments, leading clinicians to favor products that can achieve iron repletion in fewer sessions.

Panelists share their final thoughts on bispecific therapies in B-cell lymphomas based on insights from the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition 2024.

Panelists discuss key gaps in communication between academic and community centers regarding the use of bispecifics and strategies to bridge them as well as best practices for ensuring a smooth transition of care when patients move between settings.

Panelists discuss how nonadherence to IV iron therapy can lead to persistent anemia, worsening symptoms, increased health care utilization and costs, and diminished quality of life, with patients experiencing continued fatigue, reduced work productivity, and increased risk of complications from their underlying conditions.

Panelists discuss how the lower incidence of hypophosphatemia and related complications with ferric derisomaltose and ferric isomaltoside compared with ferric carboxymaltose influences treatment selection, monitoring protocols, and preventive strategies for patients requiring intravenous iron therapy.

Panelists discuss the benefits of implementing bispecific therapy programs in the community setting as well as factors influencing the decision to administer these agents at an academic center vs a community setting.

Panelists discuss best practices for successfully implementing a bispecifics program and overcoming logistical challenges.

Panelists discuss how hypophosphatemia can cause both acute effects like muscle weakness and confusion and chronic complications such as osteomalacia and metabolic disturbances, potentially impacting patients’ mobility, energy levels, and overall quality of life if not properly monitored and managed.

Panelists discuss how black box warnings on IV iron products, particularly regarding hypersensitivity reactions, influence their risk assessment, patient selection, monitoring protocols, and facility requirements for administration, while emphasizing that modern formulations have significantly improved safety profiles compared with older products.

Panelists discuss the most common logistical challenges encountered when implementing bispecific therapies in both academic and community settings.

Panelists discuss how step-up dosing protocols reduce cytokine release syndrome (CRS) risk in patients with high-risk disease and when modifications might be necessary as well as the incorporation of infection prevention strategies, including prophylactic antimicrobials, into management plans.

Panelists discuss how modern FDA-approved intravenous iron formulations, including ferric carboxymaltose, ferumoxytol, and iron sucrose, offer improved safety profiles and more efficient iron delivery compared with older compounds, thanks to their more stable carbohydrate shells and controlled iron release mechanisms.

Panelists discuss how oral iron therapy, although convenient and cost-effective, has significant limitations, including gastrointestinal adverse effects and poor absorption, leading many patients to experience iron intolerance or inadequate response, which often necessitates switching to intravenous iron administration for more reliable and rapid repletion of iron stores.

Panelists discuss key strategies for preventing cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) in patients receiving bispecific therapies for B-cell lymphomas.

Panelists discuss how real-world data on the incidence of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) compare with clinical trial findings as well as the most critical patient-related risk factors for developing these toxicities.

Panelists discuss how monitoring patients with iron deficiency anemia requires regular follow-up appointments to track laboratory values, assess symptom improvement (particularly fatigue), and evaluate treatment response while considering the impact of comorbid conditions, with adjustments to therapy made based on both objective markers and patient-reported outcomes.

Panelists discuss how comparative data from matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) analyses guide treatment decisions between bispecific therapies and the insights from MAIC results comparing epcoritamab and glofitamab that may influence therapy selection.