Specialty Pharmacy and Oncology

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For many patients, a cancer diagnosis can mean a lot of different medications. “Oncology for a long time has just been giving chemotherapy IV drugs. A lot of emphases has been switching to oral drugs because then that cuts down on travel visits and patients can take them at home,” said Dr. Venkata Parsa, a medical oncologist at Lee Health.

Dr. Parsa says, 40 percent of the drugs he prescribes patients can be taken at home. “So, it’s really beneficial to have an onsite pharmacy because it’s a lot of time spent and wasted for the staff and our standpoint and also for the patient’s standpoint trying to get the drugs authorized, trying to get the drugs shipped.”

To help close the gap between patients, physicians, and insurance companies, Lee Health established specialty pharmacies. “We help to make sure we can get the medications, get it affordable for the patient, get it to their house, and then monitor the medication clinically to make sure the medication is working and safe for them,” said Lee Health specialty pharmacist Dakota Freudenberg.

Freudenberg works alongside the physician and patient to monitor the medication and make changes if necessary. “It gives satisfaction to everybody and for the patient, they feel like you care,” said Dr. Parsa.

Saving physicians and patients time while ensuring they get the care they need during their cancer journey.

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Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Lee Health – Caring People. Inspiring Care.

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