2:30pm Tuesday 10th November 2009
By Michelle Archard
A HEALTHCARE assistant was spurred into action to improve the supply of cancer fighting drugs after a breast cancer patient was unable to get her prescription.
The woman had tried unsuccessfully to get the hormone letrozole, which is marketed by Novartis Pharmaceuticals as Femara, at five different pharmacies.
Femara is taken by postmenopausal women after surgery in the early stages breast cancer, and helps reduce the risk of the disease returning.
Julie Gamman, who has worked at Southend Hospital’s breast care unit for more than four years, began her own investigation into what was happening.
She said: “We had had a number of calls from ladies who were unable to get the drug at their local pharmacies.
“We normally give them a month’s supply at the clinic and then they get their prescription from their GP.
“I made some enquiries and discovered the hold up was in the distribution chain, not at the manufacturers and that if any pharmacist rang Novartis directly, the drugs would be sent out immediately.”
Julie produced a leaflet explaining the situation for all patients on the drug, which so impressed Novartis, the company took up the idea.
It now supplies a book of tear-off slips which Femara patients can hand to their pharmacist if necessary.
It gives a customer care line to call with a promise to deliver the drugs as soon as possible.
Julie said: “I was really chuffed when the company adopted my idea.
“I just wanted to prevent patients becoming so distressed they were prepared to stop taking the drug. It was a very simple solution which needed just a couple of phone calls.”
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