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DEERFIELD, Ill — Walgreens has received a U.S. patent for new proprietary technology in its Connected Care Oncology specialty pharmacy program.
An evidence-based, patient-centered solution, Walgreens Connected Care Oncology focuses on driving medication adherence and improving patient outcomes, and the technology helps guide interactions with patients, helping them to stay on their treatment regimens and manage any potential side effects, Walgreens said Monday.
Specifically, the technology gives Walgreens and AllianceRx Walgreens Prime specialty pharmacy teams a set of questions and informational scripts to use in conversations with Connected Care Oncology patients. Questions and scripts are adapted in real time via branching logic within the technology. Each patient interaction is tailored to individual variables — such as prescribed medication, adverse events and adherence — and provides support based on patients’ current situations.
In addition, Walgreens and AllianceRx Walgreens Prime capture the data and provide it to the patient’s oncologist for informational purposes and continuity of care.
“As more and more cancer patients are self-administering oral oncolytic medications without medical supervision, there is no way for providers to know if the patient is taking the medication as prescribed or what side effects they may be experiencing,” according to Rick Miller, senior director of specialty clinical services at AllianceRx Walgreens Prime and one of the Walgreens Connected Care Oncology patent developers. “This is where our interaction guiding system, coupled with pharmacy experts, becomes extremely valuable as it drives communication with our patients and allows our pharmacists to gather important information about their treatment.”
Walgreens noted that, historically, chemotherapy and other cancer drugs have been administered under the direct supervision of a medical professional in an outpatient clinic or in-patient hospital, but medical science more recently has created oral cancer medicines called oncolytics that patients can take at home. And while oncolytics offer convenience, they are powerful medicines designed to treat cancer via complex treatment plans that are critical to patient outcomes, the company said.
“Oral oncology is a growing area of cancer care, one that requires appropriate patient management and support to maximize the best potential outcomes and make our patients lives easier,” Matt Farber, senior director of patient care and advocacy at Walgreens, said in a statement. “The complexity of managing patients on oral oncolytics led us to develop this technology that, when coupled with pharmacists’ clinical expertise, helps us to deliver the best care to our patients as they go through their cancer treatment. We are honored to be awarded this patent, as it demonstrates our continued commitment to patient care and innovation.”
