Assessing oncology providers attitudes and practices toward nonformulary drugs and mapping current obstacles in Saudi Arabia
Introduction: Formulary drug list is a continually updated list of medications routinely stocked by hospitals and other healthcare facilities and deemed effective, safe, and cost saving. Non-formulary drug (NFD) refers to medications not on the formulary, due to cost or lack of clinical data. This s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319016423003353 |
| _version_ | 1827583811655827456 |
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| author | Nora Alkhudair Abdullah A. Alhifany Basha Alsubaie Leena Alshubaiki Abdullah M. Alrajhi Mohammed alnuhait |
| author_facet | Nora Alkhudair Abdullah A. Alhifany Basha Alsubaie Leena Alshubaiki Abdullah M. Alrajhi Mohammed alnuhait |
| author_sort | Nora Alkhudair |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Formulary drug list is a continually updated list of medications routinely stocked by hospitals and other healthcare facilities and deemed effective, safe, and cost saving. Non-formulary drug (NFD) refers to medications not on the formulary, due to cost or lack of clinical data. This study aimed to examine the processing of NFD requests by oncology providers (OPs) in Saudi Arabia. Method: A cross-sectional survey in Saudi oncology centers gathered perspectives of healthcare practitioners, mainly oncology pharmacists and physicians, on NFDs and request processes, aiming to understand variations, reasons for NFDs, and suggestions for an improved, unified NFDs request algorithm. Result: A total of 93 physicians and pharmacists responded, 57 % were pharmacists, 43 % were physicians, and 94.6 % worked in the governmental sector. Around 31.2 % reported that it takes one week to receive a decision on their NFD request, while 28 % reported it takes two weeks to one month. Furthermore, 35.5 % of participants reported that the complete NFD process, from the initial order placement to the receipt of medications, spans a duration of 2–4 months, while 8.6 % noted a longer duration exceeding six months. The participants reported that the most common obstacles while requesting NFD were procurement delays and lengthy processing times. Additionally, 26.9 % agreed that formulary restrictions hindered medical care and 40.3 % reported delays in patient care. While 33.8 % were forced to use fewer effective options, and 22.1 % referred patients to palliative care. Conclusion: The current practice of NFDs has negative consequences on cancer patient outcomes due to delays in patient care or the use of less effective drugs. Thus, we recommend having a national NFD access program. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T23:13:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-162103c897cf487887df0371a0317161 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1319-0164 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T23:13:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-162103c897cf487887df0371a03171612023-12-15T07:22:55ZengElsevierSaudi Pharmaceutical Journal1319-01642023-12-013112101840Assessing oncology providers attitudes and practices toward nonformulary drugs and mapping current obstacles in Saudi ArabiaNora Alkhudair0Abdullah A. Alhifany1Basha Alsubaie2Leena Alshubaiki3Abdullah M. Alrajhi4Mohammed alnuhait5Clinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi ArabiaClinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaClinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaClinical Pharmacy Department, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, AlFaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; Corresponding author.Introduction: Formulary drug list is a continually updated list of medications routinely stocked by hospitals and other healthcare facilities and deemed effective, safe, and cost saving. Non-formulary drug (NFD) refers to medications not on the formulary, due to cost or lack of clinical data. This study aimed to examine the processing of NFD requests by oncology providers (OPs) in Saudi Arabia. Method: A cross-sectional survey in Saudi oncology centers gathered perspectives of healthcare practitioners, mainly oncology pharmacists and physicians, on NFDs and request processes, aiming to understand variations, reasons for NFDs, and suggestions for an improved, unified NFDs request algorithm. Result: A total of 93 physicians and pharmacists responded, 57 % were pharmacists, 43 % were physicians, and 94.6 % worked in the governmental sector. Around 31.2 % reported that it takes one week to receive a decision on their NFD request, while 28 % reported it takes two weeks to one month. Furthermore, 35.5 % of participants reported that the complete NFD process, from the initial order placement to the receipt of medications, spans a duration of 2–4 months, while 8.6 % noted a longer duration exceeding six months. The participants reported that the most common obstacles while requesting NFD were procurement delays and lengthy processing times. Additionally, 26.9 % agreed that formulary restrictions hindered medical care and 40.3 % reported delays in patient care. While 33.8 % were forced to use fewer effective options, and 22.1 % referred patients to palliative care. Conclusion: The current practice of NFDs has negative consequences on cancer patient outcomes due to delays in patient care or the use of less effective drugs. Thus, we recommend having a national NFD access program.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319016423003353OncologyPharmacistsPhysiciansFormularyMedicationsHealthcare |
| spellingShingle | Nora Alkhudair Abdullah A. Alhifany Basha Alsubaie Leena Alshubaiki Abdullah M. Alrajhi Mohammed alnuhait Assessing oncology providers attitudes and practices toward nonformulary drugs and mapping current obstacles in Saudi Arabia Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal Oncology Pharmacists Physicians Formulary Medications Healthcare |
| title | Assessing oncology providers attitudes and practices toward nonformulary drugs and mapping current obstacles in Saudi Arabia |
| title_full | Assessing oncology providers attitudes and practices toward nonformulary drugs and mapping current obstacles in Saudi Arabia |
| title_fullStr | Assessing oncology providers attitudes and practices toward nonformulary drugs and mapping current obstacles in Saudi Arabia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing oncology providers attitudes and practices toward nonformulary drugs and mapping current obstacles in Saudi Arabia |
| title_short | Assessing oncology providers attitudes and practices toward nonformulary drugs and mapping current obstacles in Saudi Arabia |
| title_sort | assessing oncology providers attitudes and practices toward nonformulary drugs and mapping current obstacles in saudi arabia |
| topic | Oncology Pharmacists Physicians Formulary Medications Healthcare |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1319016423003353 |
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