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IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ONCOLOGISTS
NO MORE DUES!
The Maryland and District of Columbia Society of Clinical Oncology now offers FREE professional memberships to physician oncologists. Click here for the flyer. As a member, you get the following benefits:
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Member News
Arun Bhandari, MDCSCO board member, has just been named to serve on the Maryland Health Care Commission. He also serves on the Maryland State Council of Cancer Control. Dr. Bhandari is with Chesapeake Oncology Hematology Associates in Annapolis.
CDER Drug Safety Priorities 2021 Report
The CDER Drug Safety Priorities 2021 report details CDER's work to manage drug safety issues through modernized safety surveillance methods and innovative responses to safety concerns. The report highlights key safety-related milestones and accomplishments of 2021, as well as the many ways in which CDER has continued to be involved in promoting and protecting public health during the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The report focuses on the programs and initiatives at the core of CDER's drug safety operations, including the FDA Adverse Event Reporting Systems, the Sentinel System, and the Safe Use Initiative. It also features ongoing activities to address the national opioid crisis and misuse and abuse of other substances, work in addressing unexpected -- and potentially cancer-causing -- impurities in medicines, use of a broad range of communications tools and technologies such as Drug Safety Communications to transparently communicate drug safety to the public, and research being conducted CDER-wide to better understand drug safety risks.
Upcoming MDCSCO Events
Date TBD: Allied Professionals Event
April 19: Spring Specialty Symposium
June 21: ASCO Update
September 28: Hot Topics Forum and Awards Dinner
October 25: Fall Specialty Symposium
Drug Safety Communication
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is investigating a possible increased risk of death with the cancer medicine Ukoniq (umbralisib) approved to treat two specific types of lymphomas, which are cancers that affect the body’s immune system. We determined that initial findings from a clinical trial evaluating Ukoniq to treat a related type of cancer found a possible increased risk of death in patients taking the medicine. Because of the seriousness of this safety concern and the similarities between the two types of cancer for which this drug is approved and the type of cancer that was studied in the clinical trial, we are alerting patients and health care professionals that we are re-evaluating this risk against the benefits of Ukoniq for its approved uses.
For more information, read the complete Drug Safety Communication.
Why the Patient Voice Matters
Recently Bristol Myers Squibb’s U.S. Policy & Government Affairs team held an interactive discussion with state & federal policymakers on the importance of the patient voice in the legislative process.
The forum provided an opportunity for attendees to hear directly from current legislators as they provided their insights on effective advocacy strategies and engagement with elected officials. During the discussion, the panelists shared what they seek to learn when meeting with advocates, first-hand examples of advocacy campaigns that have impacted their decision-making, tips for virtual advocacy engagement, and advice for any advocate looking to get involved in the legislative process.
To listen to this recent webinar please use the following link:
Why the Patient Voice Matters: Legislator Roundtable Forum (virtualpolicyforum.com)
Vaccines.gov Website and Text Service
Vaccines.gov, which compliments state and pharmacy websites connecting Americans to vaccines, is available in English and Spanish to help people find a vaccine location. A text message service is also available by texting your ZIP code to 438829 (GETVAX) and 822862 (VACUNA) to find three locations nearby that have vaccines available. The National COVID-19 Vaccination Assistance Hotline is also available to help those who prefer to get information by phone on where to get a vaccine. Call 1-800-232-0233 to find a location near you.
Speaker Program On Demand Site
The Pfizer Oncology team has created a Speaker Program On Demand Site that now houses a program presented by Jennifer R. Klemp, PhD, MPH, entitled Addressing Cancer Health Disparities: Understanding Drivers and Looking Toward Change. This program is for healthcare professionals and illustrates the disparate health outcomes that exist across the cancer care continuum. The program provides an understanding of the factors contributing to healthcare disparities, the effect on health outcomes, and potential approaches to overcoming barriers that may negate optimal cancer care in vulnerable populations. Click here to review the program brochure.
State Cancer Fact Sheets Available
The 2021 State Cancer Fact Sheets for all fifty states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are now available on myAffiliates and ASCO’s webpage. The fact sheets contain key cancer and health care data from each state and highlight the impact of NIH funding in your state. These fact sheets are useful background materials for meetings with legislative staff and can aid your advocacy efforts. Contact [email protected] for help with coordinating your advocacy activities.
Corporate Members
Affiliates
March 2023 Issue
MDCSCO Insights
Click here for all current and past issues of Strategies
Critical Conversations: A Cancer Learning Series
Click here for series recordings
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CALL TO ACTION: Clinical Treatment Act Implementation
Beginning on January 1, 2022, all states and territories will be required to cover and reimburse for the routine costs of care for services associated with Medicaid enrollee participation in a qualifying clinical trial. The Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) issued a State Medicaid Director Letter outlining new Medicaid state plan requirements, including what is/is not a covered service, definition of a qualifying clinical trial, coverage determinations, and state exceptions for compliance as presented in the legislation.
CMCS is instructing states to submit a state plan amendment (SPA) describing coverage, benefits, and payment methodology used to pay service providers for routine costs associated with clinical trials in each state. The SPA should be issued at least one day prior to the effective date of the proposed changes. To ensure equitable, transparent, consistent, and comprehensive coverage requirements across all states, ASCO drafted a SPA offering specific and technical coverage and reimbursement recommendations. The SPA is intended to serve as a model submission from state Medicaid agencies to CMCS. We have also attached an accompanying "challenges" document which provides the rationale for the provisions included in the SPA and other implementation considerations.
We urge State Affiliates to send the attached SPA and challenges document to your State Medicaid Agency requesting they consider our recommendations as they draft their own. With the CLINICAL TREATMENT Act effective in less than two weeks, we recommend sending this as soon as possible. Please contact Gina Hoxie at [email protected] with any questions or for additional information.