Community Oncology Alliance Position: The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) opposes the processes known as “white bagging” and “brown bagging” because the safety and integrity of the medication is not assured thereby jeopardizing highly individualized patient treatment protocols and ultimately patient prognosis. Background: White and Brown Bagging are an Increasing Trend in Oncology Many practices

Community Oncology Alliance Position: The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) strongly opposes the use of “fail-first” step therapy for patients with cancer and other serious diseases because it puts the health of patients in jeopardy by delaying treatment with the physician preferred first and best therapy choice. Background: In many cases, patients with cancer will no

Community Oncology Alliance Position:The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) believes that 340B Drug Pricing Program discounts should follow the patient, not be “awarded” to a hospital. Hospitals should only receive 340B discounts when treating underinsured, uninsured, and indigent patients. COA also believes any 340B drug discounts that serve to create profit centers for hospitals, which is

Community Oncology Alliance Position: The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) strongly supports and encourages the use of physician in-office dispensing and/or pharmacies for patients with cancer as an integral part of modern, patient-centered, coordinated, safer, high-quality cancer care. Background: In-office dispensing (IOD) affords several benefits that a specialty or retail pharmacy cannot provide, the most important

Summary: The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) is committed to advancing knowledge and acceptance of biosimilars as an important, promising element in reducing drug costs and overall health care spending, and the financial toxicity of cancer care for patients. COA will work to support biosimilars and innovative biosimilar (biologic) development with all stakeholders, including policymakers,