Shauna Choi, PharmD

Oral chemotherapy drug development has significantly increased during the past several years and is anticipated to continue to grow, with an estimated one quarter of the 400 antineoplastics in the pipeline planned as oral drugs. Cancer patients currently have increasingly diverse treatment options comprised of oral therapy, intravenous therapy or both. This new treatment paradigm is shifting treatment responsibility from the medical infusion facilities and physician’s offices into the patient’s home. Many institutions and prescribers are realizing our health care system is unprepared to handle the challenges associated with oral treatment regimens and incorporating these agents into regimens, both alone and with intravenous therapies poses numerous risks to the patients.