Dataset Information

Oncologists' experiences with drug shortages.

ABSTRACT: There have been numerous reports of shortages of injectable drugs for cancer in the last decade. We assessed physician experiences with drug shortages in a population-based cohort of medical oncologists caring for patients with lung or colorectal cancer.We surveyed medical oncologists caring for patients with lung or colorectal cancer in the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance Consortium from 2012 to 2013 (participation rate, 53%). Oncologists reported experiences with shortages of leucovorin, fluorouracil, dexamethasone, cyanocobalamin, paclitaxel, cisplatin, and etoposide in the prior year and whether they had used a less-effective alternative because of a shortage. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess for associations between physician or practice characteristics and encountering shortages.Among 330 respondents, 74% reported experiences with a shortage of at least one drug in our survey, and 28% reported using a less-effective alternative because of a shortage. Although physician demographic characteristics did not predict reports of drug shortages, practice characteristics did. Veterans Affairs (VA) oncologists were less likely to report experiencing any shortage than oncologists in single-specialty group practice (odds ratio [OR], 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2 to 0.9). The reported use of a less effective alternative to any drug was also less common among VA oncologists (OR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1 to 0.9) and oncologists affiliated with health maintenance organizations (OR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2 to 0.9) compared with physicians in single-specialty groups.Most oncologists encountered drug shortages in the year before our survey, but experiences with shortages varied with practice structure. Further research is needed to quantitatively assess the impact of drug shortages on patients and evaluate various strategies for managing them.

SUBMITTER: Kehl KL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4371121 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Oncologists' experiences with drug shortages.

Kehl Kenneth L KL Gray Stacy W SW Kim Benjamin B Kahn Katherine L KL Haggstrom David D Roudier Maryse M Keating Nancy L NL

Journal of oncology practice 20141230 2

<h4>Purpose</h4>There have been numerous reports of shortages of injectable drugs for cancer in the last decade. We assessed physician experiences with drug shortages in a population-based cohort of medical oncologists caring for patients with lung or colorectal cancer.<h4>Methods</h4>We surveyed medical oncologists caring for patients with lung or colorectal cancer in the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance Consortium from 2012 to 2013 (participation rate, 53%). Oncologists reported ...[more]

PMID: 25549653

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Project description:BACKGROUND:Thirty years after the origin of the field of psycho-oncology, limited data exist about the work practices of professionals providing psychosocial care to children with cancer and their families. METHOD:A survey was designed to assess training, work environment, theoretical orientation, services provided, subspecialty areas or areas of special interest, satisfactions, challenges, and continuing education needs of pediatric psycho-oncologists. Members of national and international psycho-oncology organizations were invited to participate in the web-based survey. RESULTS:Seven hundred eighty-six professionals from 63 countries responded. The sample consisted mostly of psychologists (41%), physicians (20%), and social workers (14%). Approximately half of the participants worked in a designated psycho-oncology unit. Psychologists and social workers provided the majority of psychosocial services. Individual sessions with parents were most common (42%), followed by sessions with children (41%), survivors (36%), families (31%), and siblings (25%). Therapies provided include cognitive behavioral therapy (50%), relaxation (43%), psychodynamic psychotherapy (27%), play therapy (26%), and imagery (23%). Two-thirds reported having appropriate supervision, 37% were conducting research, and only half felt their salary was appropriate. Differences in therapeutic modalities were found by country. Clinicians desire training on clinical interventions, improving communication with medical staff, research, and ethics. CONCLUSIONS:An international cohort of clinicians providing pediatric psycho-oncology services perform a wide variety of tasks, use a range of therapeutic approaches, and report considerable work satisfaction. Problem areas include professional inter-relations, inadequate supervision, and need for additional specialized training. Opportunity exists for global collaboration in pediatric psycho-oncology research and practices to enhance clinical effectiveness and reduce professional isolation.

Dataset Information

Oncologists' experiences with drug shortages.

Publications

Oncologists' experiences with drug shortages.

Similar Datasets

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