Commentary: Impact of Cost on the Safety of Cancer Pharmaceuticals

A chapter, Impact of cost on the safety of cancer pharmaceuticals, by Fitzner and Oteng Mensah in a recent book, Cancer Policy: Pharmaceutical Safety1, aims to inform readers about the economics associated with the interplay between safety, costs of cancer treatment, and outcomes of cancer care. That chapter includes a general discussion of safety-related costs, cancer care expenditures, and processes that aim to ensure drug safety. It also identifies the negative effects of the high cost of care on patients with cancer and their families. The authors’ focus on safety and cost of cancer pharmaceuticals, while appropriate for the book in which it appears, is limited. Pharmaceutical costs and their impact are only part of the safety story. A more holistic approach to thinking about patient safety can be constructive.