Page 41 - UHN's Year In Review 2013-14: Courage is Daring to Lead
P. 41
princess margaret cancer centre
Pharmacist takes action: Program eases stress, cost for cancer patients
At the time, Chuk was The goal was to improve patient
Manager, Outpatient care and reduce workload
Pharmacy at Princess for health care providers by
Margaret Cancer Centre. streamlining the access process
She was all too familiar and exhausting every opportunity
with the stress patients for maximum drug coverage.
and families experienced –
along with the frustration of Winning initiative
health care teams – trying Results were so positive the
to navigate a piecemeal MRS test project became a
system to secure coverage permanent program at the
for drugs not publicly funded. Princess Margaret with one,
and now two full-time
Taking action specialists. This year, the
The win-win solution? Chuk cancer centre received the 2013
and the UHN Pharmacy Quality Award from the Cancer
team developed a centralized Quality Council of Ontario for
Medication Reimbursement implementing this innovative
Specialist (MRS) position to approach.
support and guide clinicians • Drug coverage and access
and patients through the secured for 98.3%
maze of processes related (529 of 538 patients)
to drug coverage and
medication procurement. • Average turnaround for drug
access, seven days vs. three
The oncology-focused, weeks to three months
on-site MRS would proactively
coordinate processes among • Estimated total medication
UHN’s Pharmacy team (left to right):
Pharmacist Karen Chuk will That encounter galvanized public agencies, private costs avoided $2+ million
Anna Lee, Drug Strategy Specialist; Esther Fung, Director, never forget the heartbreaking Chuk’s determination to insurance programs, and (average $3,700 per patient)
Corporate Business and Outpatient Operations; Yvonne Ta, moment when a terminally ill find a better way to help manufacturer compassionate • Total cases handled, 886
Medication Reimbursement Specialist; Vivian Choy, cancer patient told her, “I’m patients struggling with the supply or patient assistance (all drugs, all patients)
Manager, Outpatient Pharmacy, Princess Margaret, and stuck. I can either pay my double burden of cancer and programs.
Karen Chuk, now Manager, Outpatient Pharmacies, mortgage or pay for my drugs, financial woes. (Continued on next page)
Toronto General Hospital. (Photo: UHN PhotoGraphics) but I can’t do both.”
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Pharmacist takes action: Program eases stress, cost for cancer patients
At the time, Chuk was The goal was to improve patient
Manager, Outpatient care and reduce workload
Pharmacy at Princess for health care providers by
Margaret Cancer Centre. streamlining the access process
She was all too familiar and exhausting every opportunity
with the stress patients for maximum drug coverage.
and families experienced –
along with the frustration of Winning initiative
health care teams – trying Results were so positive the
to navigate a piecemeal MRS test project became a
system to secure coverage permanent program at the
for drugs not publicly funded. Princess Margaret with one,
and now two full-time
Taking action specialists. This year, the
The win-win solution? Chuk cancer centre received the 2013
and the UHN Pharmacy Quality Award from the Cancer
team developed a centralized Quality Council of Ontario for
Medication Reimbursement implementing this innovative
Specialist (MRS) position to approach.
support and guide clinicians • Drug coverage and access
and patients through the secured for 98.3%
maze of processes related (529 of 538 patients)
to drug coverage and
medication procurement. • Average turnaround for drug
access, seven days vs. three
The oncology-focused, weeks to three months
on-site MRS would proactively
coordinate processes among • Estimated total medication
UHN’s Pharmacy team (left to right):
Pharmacist Karen Chuk will That encounter galvanized public agencies, private costs avoided $2+ million
Anna Lee, Drug Strategy Specialist; Esther Fung, Director, never forget the heartbreaking Chuk’s determination to insurance programs, and (average $3,700 per patient)
Corporate Business and Outpatient Operations; Yvonne Ta, moment when a terminally ill find a better way to help manufacturer compassionate • Total cases handled, 886
Medication Reimbursement Specialist; Vivian Choy, cancer patient told her, “I’m patients struggling with the supply or patient assistance (all drugs, all patients)
Manager, Outpatient Pharmacy, Princess Margaret, and stuck. I can either pay my double burden of cancer and programs.
Karen Chuk, now Manager, Outpatient Pharmacies, mortgage or pay for my drugs, financial woes. (Continued on next page)
Toronto General Hospital. (Photo: UHN PhotoGraphics) but I can’t do both.”
40 41
