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NCCN to Launch Cancer Medication Information for Patients in September 2009

By Kathryn Barker, NCCN Staff and Ed Li, NCCN eBulletin Drugs & Biologics Editor

In an effort to expand access to salient information products for patients as well as clinicians, NCCN is developing NCCN Cancer Medication Information (NCCN CMI) Sheets™, a comprehensive set of patient medication guides. These sheets, which are consistent with and derived from the chemotherapeutic/biologic regimens defined in the NCCN Chemotherapy Order Templates®, are a product of the collective experience of NCCN Guideline Panel Members and the recommendations listed in the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology® and the NCCN Drugs and Biologics Compendium™. This new information product is not only a tool for educating patients undergoing cancer treatment but also a mechanism for providing patients with information that is consistent with other NCCN recommendations and references.

The need for such an educational tool has been clearly expressed by both physicians and patients, as there is a broad problem of inadequate and or inconsistent patient-friendly medication information. The FDA echoed this sentiment in a December 2008 report, finding that “the printed consumer medication information voluntarily provided with new prescriptions by retail pharmacies does not consistently provide easy-to-read, understandable information about the use and risks of medication.”[i] Additionally, the FDA found that most patient information leaflets were very general and did not provide much concrete information or specific instructions.

One purpose of the NCCN CMI sheets is to reconcile issues such as the aforementioned complexity and lack of specificity of information available to patients. General or inconsistent medication information is of little benefit to patients because such information may not enable patients to fully understand the nature of their medication and potential side effects. NCCN CMI sheets are written in patient-friendly language and tailored specifically to the regimen the patient is receiving. NCCN CMI sheets will also provide a focused list of relevant toxicities and self-care instructions specific to the patient’s treatment. As a result, patients will have access to specific, concise, understandable, and relevant information rather than a large set of general instructions that could be potentially overwhelming or confusing.

Likewise, NCCN Cancer Medication Information Sheets™ exist as a tool for clinicians charged with the responsibility of educating and counseling patients on the risks, benefits, and self-management of chemotherapy/biologic regimens. Patients will be able to reference CMI sheets for information on medication administration, additional tests that may be required, potential drug interactions and self- care tips including instructions on when to call a physician, what side effects may be expected and how to manage accompanying symptoms. Additionally, NCCN CMI will help assure clinicians that even while their patients are home, they will have a reliable reference resource at their disposal.

NCCN will launch NCCN CMI sheets at the NCCN 4th Annual Congress: Hematologic Malignancies on September 11th in New York City. Selected sheets will be available at this September 2009 conference and others will follow later in 2009. They will be distributed in the form of tear-off pads for the convenience of users.

Study Finds Much of Private-Sector Consumer Medication Information Not Consistently Useful. FDA News Release. Accessed July 23, 2009.

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