Pharmacist Telemedicine Partially Offset Palliative Access Loss During Oncology Clinic Staffing Shortage

This single-site quality improvement pilot describes a consultative pharmacist-led telemedicine workflow for established patients with cancer, offering pharmacists in palliative and oncology settings an implementation template while leaving patient-centered symptom outcomes unmeasured.

📅 Journal publication: Sep 30, 2026 · Last updated: Oct 25, 2026

pharmacist-led telemedicinepalliative caresupportive oncologyopioid titrationadjuvant analgesicscollaborative practice agreementquality improvementaccess to carehealth professional shortage areacancer pain Palliative Care

Also in Oncology

Background Information

Pharmacists drive telemedicine to bridge palliative care gaps.

Pharmacist-led telemedicine can maintain patient access to palliative care during staffing shortages, critical in oncology settings. Monthly encounters rose by 28%, with 52% of visits involving opioid titration and 100% oncologist acceptance of pharmacist recommendations. This pilot demonstrates pharmacists' ability to fill care gaps, though it's limited to a single center's experience. Pharmacist-led telemedicine sustains palliative care access during staffing shortages.

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Authors: Cubbison C, Kematick B, Bacon M, Scullion B, Lally K

Citation: Cubbison C, Kematick B, Bacon M, et al. Pharmacist-Led Telemedicine Follow-Up to Preserve Outpatient Palliative Care Access During a Regional Cancer Center Staffing Shortage: A Brief Quality Improvement Report. Journal of pain and symptom management. 2026. doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2026.09.028

Article Links: PubMed · Journal / DOI

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Executive Summary

Study Design

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Secondary Outcomes & Safety Profile

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