Community pharmacists are not yet ready to manage oral anti-cancer agents: beyond safe dispensing and basic education
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: We write in response to the recent publication of Tan et al. [1], where pharmacists in community settings do not feel prepared to support patients with oral anti-cancer agents (OAAs). We provide additional insights that specific clinical knowledge and systems are critical in managing OAAs. The Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) scope of practice outlines various roles for pharmacists in managing patients with cancer. HOPA also published standards related specifically to OAAs [2]. These standards outline five specific areas for supporting patients taking these medications that include prescribing, education, dispensing/distribution, monitoring/follow-up, and practice management, which reflect the complex, multidisciplinary nature of OAAs. Although these recommendations provide an essential roadmap for oncology pharmacy practice, HOPA largely presumes that pharmacists are integrated within cancer centres and oncology clinics. OAAs are increasingly dispensed in specialty pharmacies in the USA, and few are dispensed by community pharmacists. Community pharmacists may not have the oncology-specific training or work in a setting with infrastructure and interprofessional collaboration needed to fully implement these standards. This commentary argues that community pharmacists, though central to medication access, are not yet adequately prepared to dispense and support patients on OAAs. Dispensing and supporting these therapies requires advanced clinical expertise, dedicated time, and system-based processes, beyond traditional community pharmacy practice. Table 1 summarizes the five major domains of HOPA’s OAA practice standards and key pharmacist responsibilities [2].
DOI: 10.1093/ijpp/riag059
Language: English
Subfield: Pharmacy
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7161267045