COA Patient Advocacy Network

News Bulletin: October 2024

Upcoming Advocacy Chats

Educational Conversations on Cancer Advocacy and Policy Issues

October 16: The Role of Pharmacists in Community Oncology

On Wednesday, October 16 at 12:00 p.m. ET, join a discussion about how community oncology pharmacists advocate for lower prescription costs and ensure patients receive personalized, high-quality care with minimal side effects. Speakers include: 

Rose Gerber, MS, COA director of patient advocacy and education

Judy Alberto, MHA, RPh, BCOP, COA director of clinical initiatives

Lisa Sowinski-Raff, PharmD, MSPharm, BCPS, BCOP, OneOncology vice president of pharmacy services

Share CPAN's October Advocacy Chat on Social Media

Use the below post on your social media channels to highlight the upcoming Advocacy Chat.

• #CommunityOncology pharmacists play a vital role in ensuring patients receive the personalized, high-quality care they deserve. Join COA's @RoseGerberCOA and Judy Alberto & @OneOncology’s Lisa Sowinski-Raff on Wed., 10/16: https://bit.ly/3zCuPWw 

ICYMI: Providing Cancer Cre for Rural Patients

Patients living in rural areas face different challenges compared to those in urban settings, including access to clinical trial enrollment and closures due to staffing shortages. Rose Gerber, MS, and Harsha Vyas, MD, FACP, Cancer Center of Middle Georgia's CEO and president, discussed how local community oncology practices deliver patient-centered, affordable care to patients in rural areas.

• Stream it on @OncologyCOA's YouTube channel.

COA Resource Spotlight:

Quality and Value Standards

COA’s new Quality and Value Standards provide community oncology practices with the foundation to deliver high-quality, cutting-edge patient care. CPAN participants can review the Standards and encourage their community oncology practice to implement them.



COA’s Standards provide a framework for practices to provide patient-centered care by:

• Focusing on the patient journey
• Providing accessible and team-based care
• Following evidenced-based treatment
• Monitoring quality and safety
• Training and credentialing staff
• Delivering high-quality care, while lowering the cost

Sit In My Chair Visit Spotlight

New York Cancer & Blood Specialists (NYCBS) delivers patient-centered care throughout its 20 New York City and Long Island locations. The NYCBS team recently hosted U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota (NY-1) for a Sit In My Chair visit, where practice leaders and CPAN advocates shared the crucial role community oncology plays in supporting patients.

Sit In My Chair visits allow advocates to help state and federal policymakers better appreciate the value of independent community oncology in their districts and share actions they can take to preserve constituent access. A Sit In My Chair planning toolkit is available for practices to invite lawmakers and schedule visits.

Federal Trade Commission Sues Largest Drug Middlemen For Allegedly Inflating Insulin Prices

CNN 09/20

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleges that CVS Health’s Caremark Rx, Cigna’s Express Scripts and UnitedHealth Group’s Optum Rx and their affiliated group purchasing organizations created a system that prioritizes high rebates from drug manufacturers. “The FTC’s interim report lays out how dominant pharmacy benefit managers can hike the cost of drugs – including overcharging patients for cancer drugs,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “The report also details how PBMs can squeeze independent pharmacies that many Americans – especially those in rural communities – depend on for essential care.”

Black Women Are More Likely Than White Women To Die of All Types of Breast Cancer

NBC News 09/17

Black women are more likely than white women to die from even the most treatable types of breast cancer, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Experts say the findings underscore that racial disparities, not biology, drive the gaps in death rates between Black and white women. While Black women and white women are diagnosed with breast cancer at similar rates, Black women are 40% more likely to die from the disease.

Limits To Anti-Nausea Pill Coverage Wear On Cancer Patients And Doctors

Associated Press 09/10

Cancer patients can ward off waves of vomiting after treatment with a relatively inexpensive anti-nausea pill, but some hit coverage limits. Doctors say restrictions on the number of tablets patients receive can hurt care. Pharmacy benefit managers say their limits guard against overuse and offer workarounds to get more tablets. The conflict shows how an array of coverage providers and poor communication can complicate even simple care needs in the fragmented U.S. health care system.

Cancer Policy Minute: What is “Fail-First” Step Therapy?



What is "fail-first" step therapy? Step therapy means an insurance company or a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) dictates a patient's treatment plan, rather than the individual’s physician. “Fail-first” requires a patient to try and “fail” medicines mandated by insurance before they can access physician-prescribed medication, sometimes taking months or even years to receive the right treatment.

Fight for better care and say no to this harmful practice featured in this Cancer Policy Minute.