ASCO Rx for High Drug Costs: Doctors and Patients Need To Talk
A special task force of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recently issued a Guidance Statement on the Cost
of Care, which advises oncologists to speak with their patients about the cost of treatment. While urging ASCO to also address underlying economic factors that drive costs, the guidance focused on issues at the practice level…
Timothy Moynihan, M.D., an oncologist and end-of-life specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., agreed: "The reality of it is, a prescription you don’t take because you can’t afford to has a zero response rate. If an aromatase inhibitor costs a patient $300 out of pocket versus $70 for tamoxifen, it is important for an oncologist to know if this expense will affect the patient's compliance," he said.
Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) by Joanne Nicholas, 10/14/09
Like
Helpful
Hug