Gaps and Opportunities in Outpatient Cancer Care Across Europe: Insights From a Panel of Experts on the Role of the Pharmacist

Cancer is a major health priority in Europe and the risk of mortality is greater than for any other disease. Cancer care is complex, and interprofessional care has been identified as a key aspect in providing best-practice treatment and care for patients with cancer. Proximity of providers and fruitful interactions within the cancer care network are relevant to collaborative care models to tackle the complexity of cancer care. Pharmacists have been increasingly recognized as being well positioned to promote health and educate patients about their diseases and the appropriate use of prescribed medicines including anticancer agents. Although hospital pharmacists are acknowledged members of cancer care teams, community pharmacists are an untapped health resource, not fully integrated into the cancer care network, and often perceived as mere drug sellers rather than potential cancer patient allies. In this work, a panel of European experts explored the role of pharmacists and their integration into the cancer care network and developed actionable suggestions to take advantage of pharmacists’ role as medication experts with the final aim of optimizing cancer care.