Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38377985›Full record

ArticleJournal of oncology pharmacy practice : official publication of the International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners2025

Revitalizing oncology medications access in Saudi Arabia: Current challenges and recommendations by the Saudi Oncology Pharmacy Assembly.

Nora Alkhudair, Jude Howaidi, Mohammed Alnuhait, Majed Alshamrani, Mansour Khan, Atika Alharbi, Fouad Alnajjar, Eshtyag Bajnaid, Hajer Almodaheem, Mansour Alhowimel and 8 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of oncology pharmacy practice : official publication of the International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Nora AlkhudairDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-5998-4345
Jude HowaidiDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed AlnuhaitDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Majed AlshamraniPharmaceutical Care Services, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Mansour KhanPharmaceutical Care Services, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-3702-3754
Atika AlharbiPharmaceutical Care Services, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0003-1057-7631
Fouad AlnajjarDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Eshtyag BajnaidPharmaceutical Care Services Administration, King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Hajer AlmodaheemDeputyship of Therapeutic Affairs, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mansour AlhowimelUnified Procurement, National Unified Procurement Company, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ali AlzahraniMedical Oncology Department, Comprehensive Cancer Center, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Amr KhardalyDeputyship of Therapeutic Affairs, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0003-2762-9813
Mohammed AlnahedhPharmaceutical Care Division, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Hamdi ElsoudiClinical Pharmacy Department, Pharmaceutical Care Services Administration, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Hana AlabdulkareemDrug Policy and Economic Center, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed AlrashidanCorporate pharmaceutical planning, logistic & contracts management, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Musa AlzahraniDepartment of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Abdullah AlrajhiDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0001-9522-9446

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BackgroundCancer care is posing immense challenges to healthcare systems globally. Advances in screening, monitoring, and treating cancer improved patient outcomes and survival rates yet amplified the disease burden. Multiple barriers might impede early access to innovative therapies. We thoroughly examined the current challenges in oncology medication access in Saudi Arabia and provided consensus recommendations to revitalize the process.MethodsA focus group discussion was conducted. Expert healthcare providers (pharmacists and physicians) were invited to participate based on prespecified criteria. The research team conducted a qualitative analysis of the discussion to identify themes and formulate recommendations.ResultsFourteen experts were equally distributed into two groups, limiting the number in each group to 7. Pharmacists were 12 (∼86%), and physicians were 2 (∼14%). Ten were practicing in governmental hospitals, four representing different sectors; regulatory bodies, including Ministry of Health, National Unified Procurement Company, and Saudi Food and Drug Authority. Five themes were identified: national cancer burden, local data availability, pharmacoeconomic evaluation, patients reported outcomes, administration, and procurement. Consensus recommendations were formulated to optimize the formulary management process, enabling informed decision-making and facilitating early medication access for cancer patients.ConclusionsThe formulary management process can be enhanced by addressing the national cancer burden, promoting local data availability, conducting pharmacoeconomic evaluations, focusing on patient outcomes, and improving administration and procurement procedures. Implementing these recommendations can improve access to oncology medications and improve patient care outcomes in Saudi Arabia.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic AgentsHealth Services AccessibilityNeoplasmsFocus GroupsHumansMedical OncologyPharmacistsSaudi ArabiaAntineoplastic AgentsaccessformularymanagementmedicationOncology

Identifiers

PMID38377985
PMCPMC11898367

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.