Maher Ishak, the owner and manager of Woodbury Pharmacy in Highland Mills, New York, has received multiple letters of gratitude from customers for his attention to their needs. Maher Ishak also drew praise for Woodbury Pharmacy as the best pharmacy in Orange County, New York, two years in a row.
With the advent of oral cancer medications, more patients can treat their condition at home with fewer office visits and without the need for intravenous chemotherapy. However, despite these and many other benefits, studies still show that patients have issues adhering to their doctors’ instructions for use. As of late 2014, statistics show compliance levels ranging from only 16 percent all the way to 100 percent.
Reported reasons for noncompliance include intolerance of side effects, difficulty remembering dosage times, and prohibitive cost. Patients also report a lack of support as well as a lack of faith in the drugs themselves. Dr. J. Leonard Lichtenfeld of the American Cancer Society has urged pharmacists to take an active role in providing patients with tools to remember why, how, and when they should take their cancer medications. Dr. Lichtenfeld particularly emphasizes the role of the community pharmacist, who is more likely to understand the patient's support network and to help him or her make use of it throughout the treatment process.
With the advent of oral cancer medications, more patients can treat their condition at home with fewer office visits and without the need for intravenous chemotherapy. However, despite these and many other benefits, studies still show that patients have issues adhering to their doctors’ instructions for use. As of late 2014, statistics show compliance levels ranging from only 16 percent all the way to 100 percent.
Reported reasons for noncompliance include intolerance of side effects, difficulty remembering dosage times, and prohibitive cost. Patients also report a lack of support as well as a lack of faith in the drugs themselves. Dr. J. Leonard Lichtenfeld of the American Cancer Society has urged pharmacists to take an active role in providing patients with tools to remember why, how, and when they should take their cancer medications. Dr. Lichtenfeld particularly emphasizes the role of the community pharmacist, who is more likely to understand the patient's support network and to help him or her make use of it throughout the treatment process.