New prescription drug benefit: the role of the oncologist.
Increasingly, cancer drugs are being developed for oral self-administration, and those oral drugs are frequently among the most sought-after by oncologists and patients, as their targeted mechanisms offer the promise of greater effectiveness with fewer toxicities. It is quite timely, therefore, that the Medicare program on January 1, 2006, will launch a new prescription drug benefit to cover, for the first time, oral and other self-administered prescription drugs for cancer and other diseases. The new benefit, Part D, is clearly a positive development for cancer patients, but it introduces new complexity to the process of selecting and financing prescription drug coverage. Oncologists, like other physicians, should be prepared to advise their patients concerning options for coverage.
Bailes
Joseph S
JS
American Society of Clinical Oncology, The Woodlands, TX 77393, USA. bailesj@houston.rr.com
Brennan
David R
DR
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000191:economics*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007342:Insurance Benefits / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006278:Medicare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents