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Hospital Pharmacy Directors Expect Reduced Patient Referrals from Community-Based Oncology Clinics in 2006
Westlake Village, CA, April 11, 2006 (PR Newswire) – ICI, Inc., a leading provider of expertise-based oncology market research, finds that pharmacy directors expect the percentage increase (16%) in patient referrals from community-based oncology clinics to be slightly less than what was reported for 2005 (22%). The study, which is entitled Hospital Dynamics in a Changing Reimbursement Environment, was conducted in March with 67 pharmacy directors from across the country.
For 2006, CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) established payment for most drugs in the hospital outpatient setting at 106% of the average sales price (ASP), which is similar to what was implemented for the oncology office clinic setting in 2005. As a result of insurance payer changes (including Medicare), reimbursement was identified by pharmacy directors surveyed as the major underlying reason for change in the usage of oncology products at their institution. Twenty-two % of pharmacy directors believe elimination of the Medicare 2005 Demonstration Project (which focused on fatigue, pain and nausea related therapies) will have an impact on their institution.
Pharmacy directors also expressed concern over chemotherapy and supportive care drug margins in association with Medicare patients for 2006 as compared to 2005.
Despite the potentially lower margins, more pharmacy directors expect increases (not decreases) in utilization of all biologics (particularly Rituxan®) and oral chemotherapy in 2006. And, more pharmacy directors believe the use of all intravenous (IV) chemotherapy drugs will increase in 2006, especially with respect to Hycamtin®, Eloxatin®, Taxotere® and paclitaxel. Overall, the majority of directors expect increases for supportive care products such as Aranesp® and Neulasta®, Amend®, Aloxi® and Zofran® while Anzemet® and Kytril® are expected to decrease.
The objectives of this study (to be conducted in three waves this year) are to:
- Evaluate the response of pharmacy directors to Medicare ASP-based reimbursement on drugs for 2006.
- Determine the impact of reimbursement changes (both in the oncology clinic setting as well as the hospital settings) on chemotherapy and supportive care product utilization.
- Determine potential practice pattern shifts resulting from reimbursement changes.
To obtain detailed information or a subscription for the study (which contains 160 pages and more than 250 metrics), please contact Greg Hall, PD, JD, LLM at 818-707-9441 or ghall@icimrr.com .
About Cancer Consultants, Inc.
Founded in 1997, Cancer Consultants, Inc. provides comprehensive oncology marketing solutions to cancer care providers, including hospitals, physicians, and the pharmaceutical industry. Cancer Consultants, Inc. consists of four distinct companies: Interactive Clinical Intelligence, Inc., providing a syndicated and primary market research solutions; OncoInteractive, Inc., an interactive agency providing strategic oncology marketing services and publishers of Women&Cancer magazine; OncoEd, Inc., providing medical writing, continuing medical education, and symposiums; and CancerConsultants.com, a Web development and information distribution firm that provides easy access to cancer information. Cancer Consultants, Inc. is based in Ketchum, Idaho.
About Interactive Clinical Intelligence
A Cancer Consultants, Inc. company, Interactive Clinical Intelligence (ICI) is a leading provider of oncology market research with patients, physicians and other oncology healthcare providers to the pharmaceutical industry. ICI manages the largest market research database of oncology healthcare providers in the United States from which it conducts, focus groups, telephone based market research and Internet market research interacting with over 1600 oncology providers each month. In addition to performing custom market research, in-licensing evaluations, and ATU work, ICI publishes syndicated oncology market research quarterly in Medical Oncology, Hematology, Urology and Gynecologic Oncology.
About Our Reports
ICI’s syndicated and omnibus research follows key drivers and emerging forces shaping the oncology marketplace on a quarterly basis. These studies span a wide variety of tumor types and therapies and include the following published reports:
The Medical Oncology report is a quantitative study providing an in-depth analysis of current attitudes, usage and trends in the treatment of colon, breast, prostate, ovarian, pancreatic and lung cancers.
The Hematology report is a quantitative study providing an in-depth analysis of current attitudes, usage and trends in the treatment of NHL, multiple myeloma, MDS, and AML.
The Impact of MMA report is a quantitative study that targets medical oncologists and office practice managers in community oncology clinics to track and assess awareness and behavioral changes that result from the implementation of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, new drug administration G-codes, Part D, and the Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP).
- Hospital Dynamics in a Changing Reimbursement Environment Report
This quantitative study consists of responses provided by hospital administrators and hospital pharmacists knowledgeable about the hospital environment and the impact of Medicare reimbursement changes in the hospital setting.
Contact:
Sugata Biswas
Vice President, ICI
818-707-9774
Email: sbiswas@icimrr.com
Greg Hall
Vice President, ICI
818-707-9771
E-mail: ghall@icimrr.com
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