Advanced Medical Specialties Joins US Oncolo...(the morethan 1100 oncologists in their n...)

Physician members of the US Oncology network have the opportunity to actively engage in a variety of national committees and working groups, much like an oncology think tank, to share and to create new and improved clinical and operational processes that advance the delivery of cancer care for their patients.

One specific physician-led initiative resulting from that collaboration is the development and implementation of an evidence-based approach to cancer care called Cancer Care Pathways. Pathways improve the quality of treatment decision making for all patients by providing physicians with up-to-date information on the clinical evidence supporting the use of various therapies.

Often, the need for new services and resources also result from the physician committees. One example is the company's efforts to improve the efficiency and safety of drug acquisition, management and delivery. Last year the company became the first oncology distributor to launch an ePedigree drug tracking system that tracks drugs, from the manufacturer to patient, helping to protect the integrity of the drug and improve overall safety. The company also launched a national oral oncology pharmacy to provide needed services to patients and practices in the emerging area of oral therapies.

US Oncology Research, one of the nation's largest community-based cancer research networks, is a 500-physician research network that provides many opportunities to offer patients the latest therapies in development, from Phase I - Phase IV trials. It has also played a pivotal role in the development of 24 of the last 30 cancer therapeutics approved by the FDA.

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