OBJECTIVES:

(1) Measure adherence to oral oncology (O) and neurology (N) SP-D/SPMTM and (2) compare quality of life (QoL) of patients in SP-D/SPMTM pre- and during-COVID19, given that specialty pharmacy drugs (SP-D) are high-cost medications that treat complex conditions. Improving adherence + quality of life (QoL) contribute to desired treatment outcomes. SP Medication Therapy Management (SPMTM) contributes to optimization of QoL and better adherence.

METHODS: From 01/01/19 (Index Yr (IY))-12/31/2021 (End of Study (EoS)) conduct retrospective, observational study of n=1600 unique O+N patients’ QoL and adherence to oral SP-D. PA included EQ-5D-5L, having 5 dimensions with Likert scales (5-point) and a visual analog scale (VAS100). Dimensions summarized: Mobility (M), Self-Care (S), Usual Activities (U), Pain/Discomfort (P/D), and Anxiety/Depression (A/D). Likert scales summarized: None, Slight, Moderate, Severe, and Extreme plus VAS100 for Overall Health State (OHS). Calculate Dimension means for IY and EoS; compare for differences=improved/diminished QoL. The mean of adherence metric, Proportion Days Covered (PDC), calculated at IY and EoS. Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient (PCC) calculated for means of Dimensions vs PDC.

RESULTS:

Completed PAs=1600 (20% of 8000 offered). Difference in mean PDC between IY and EoS=0.0036 (0.39%). Differences between Dimension means IY and EoS: M=+0.02 (22.2%), S=-0.12 (110%), U=-0.02 (53.1%), P/D=-0.03 (15.9%), A/D=+0.24 (67.5%), OHS=-0.81 (15.1%). (“-”difference=improvement in Dimensions 1-5; “+” difference=improvement in OHS. PCC R² + interpretations: M=0.0158, S=0.0227, U=0.01, P/D=0.0422, A/D=0.069, OAH 0.116, all indicating weak correlations. PDC IY=0.9325 and EoS=0.9361 (0.36% improvement).

CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID19-Delta phase, PDC IY and EoS improved 0.36% with both higher than industry standard=0.8. On average all QoL Dimensions (except M and A/D) improved EoS compared to IY. Larger comparative studies suggested.