Our Mission
OCE brings you the latest information about Oral Chemotherapy Medicines. We are a resource established by NCODA with their partners and sponsors for you and your doctors to help communicate vital information about these medicines.
About OCE
Helping To Bridge The Gap
Oral Chemotherapy Education (OCE) was conceived by NCODA as a resource to provide information about oral chemotherapy drugs and their side effects to both cancer patients and caregivers. We know having cancer or caring for someone with it can be overwhelming, but finding reliable information about the medicines should not. We aim to help caregivers by providing them a tool to pass on to their patients with cancer that will answer drug related questions and help empower patients to become a more active participant in their cancer treatment.
Read MoreThe care of cancer patients in the United States is evolving at an increasingly rapid pace. From 2015 through the first four months of 2016, the FDA has had over 40 new drug approvals and safety notifications1. With all of these new treatment advancements, it is becoming increasingly difficult for healthcare professionals to obtain the optimal teaching materials to educate their patients. Confounding the issue, many of these new agents are oral medications, shifting the site of care from the oncology practice to the patients’ homes. In addition, the burden of patient education often rests solely with the cancer care team. Oral Chemotherapy Education is a concise, patient-friendly resource for both healthcare professionals and patients alike.
To develop uniform and effective teaching tools, the National Community Oncology Dispensing Association, Inc. (NCODA) created the first-ever collaboration with the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS), the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), and the Hematology Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) to produce co-branded Oral Chemotherapy Education.
Through OCE, these partners and many participating sponsors endeavor to maintain a comprehensive, up-to-date library of OCE Sheets for all commercially available oral cancer drugs. The OCE sheets are available on this website free-of-charge as a resource for patients with cancer and their caregivers.
OCE sheets are written with the needs of cancer patients in mind. We have strived to use appropriate language and to present pertinent content in an easy-to-understand format to improve patients’ understanding of how to take medications correctly. A medication schedule and an outline of potential side effects, as well as information about how to manage those side effects, are key components of the OCE Sheets.
1 - Hematology/Oncology (Cancer) Approvals & Safety NotificationsFrequently Asked Questions
When and how often is the Oral Chemotherapy Education updated?
The NCODA OCE Maintenance Team reviews the education regarding clinical changes and updates on a routine basis with varying frequencies of review based on the nature of the material. The education is reviewed quarterly for updates by clinical pharmacists across the country, however we also strive to stay up-to-date on major and immediate changes, so that we are able to ensure that the education is as current as possible.
Can I print out the Oral Chemotherapy Education documents?
The OCE documents are available for print and download. While in their electronic format, the documents are also editable in the designated form sections for customization such as for additional counseling notes and/or specific contact information for patient communication