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Clinical Trials/NCT06656936
NCT06656936
Not yet recruiting
Not Applicable

Expanding Access to Colorectal Cancer Screening Through Community Pharmacies: The PharmFIT Study

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center2 sites in 1 country1,500 target enrollmentJuly 1, 2026

Overview

Phase
Not Applicable
Intervention
Not specified
Conditions
Not specified
Sponsor
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Enrollment
1500
Locations
2
Primary Endpoint
Service Penetration (Effectiveness)
Status
Not yet recruiting
Last Updated
4 months ago

Overview

Brief Summary

This study will conduct a randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of a pharmacy-based FIT intervention, Pharmacy-based FIT (PharmFIT), on colorectal cancer screening (CRC) screening rates in primary care patients who are not up to date on CRC screening. Through collaboration with community partners in North Carolina and the Pacific Northwest region, 1) the impact will be evaluated, 2) the implementation will be assessed, and 3) the costs of the PharmFIT intervention cost will be estimated. Patients (n=1,200) will be individually randomized to a usual care arm or a PharmFIT arm and we will determine whether there are statistically significant differences in CRC screening rates. Concurrently, a mixed methods approach will be used to assess a range of preliminary implementation outcomes, identify outcome barriers and facilitators, and identify implementation strategies to support future research. Also, the cost of PharmFIT will be calculated, using collaborative process flow diagramming (PFD) to inform micro-costing and budget impact analysis. Supported by preliminary work from the investigators, demonstrating widespread acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary effectiveness of PharmFIT, the rationale to conduct this hybrid 1 effectiveness-implementation trial1 is to generate new knowledge about pharmacy-based interventions to effectively increase CRC screening uptake and implementation. The central hypothesis is that the PharmFIT intervention will increase screening uptake by improving access to, and opportunities for, this preventive service through the involvement of a multidisciplinary, multisite, team-based care approach to CRC screening.

Detailed Description

The long-term goal of this study is to reduce CRC mortality by increasing access to CRC screening. The overall objective is to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of a pharmacy-based FIT (PharmFIT) intervention. PharmFIT is a collaborative patient care service intervention that involves primary care clinics identifying active patients who are due for screening and referring them, outside of a medical visit, to community pharmacies to receive their CRC screening via FITs. The program consists of 1) Patient eligibility assessments and endorsement by the Primary Care Provider (PCP); 2) Counseling on FIT use and return by the pharmacists; 3) Reminders to complete screening by the pharmacy staff; 3) Test result communication by the pharmacists/PCPs; and 4) Patient navigation and care coordination for follow-up care by both pharmacists and PCPs.

Registry
clinicaltrials.gov
Start Date
July 1, 2026
End Date
January 31, 2029
Last Updated
4 months ago
Study Type
Interventional
Study Design
Parallel
Sex
All

Investigators

Responsible Party
Sponsor

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

  • Clinic and pharmacy staff (n up to 100)
  • Age ≥18 years
  • Employed at a participating primary care clinic or pharmacy
  • Fluent in English
  • Has access to a computer with internet

Exclusion Criteria

  • Clinic and pharmacy staff
  • Floaters/per diem employees
  • Those who would object to having their interview audio recorded
  • Those who would object to participation in evaluation surveys
  • Inclusion Criteria: Patients (n=1400)
  • Age 45-75 years
  • Patient at a participating primary care facility (medical visit within last 18 months)
  • Current resident of NC or WA state
  • Not up to date with recommended screening (e.g., no colonoscopy within 10 years, no FIT-DNA test within 3 years; no FIT/FOBT within 12 months)
  • English and Spanish speakers

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Service Penetration (Effectiveness)

Time Frame: 6-months post randomization

Receipt of any USPSTF guideline recommended CRC screening (FIT, FIT-DNA, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, CT colonography, or barium enema), using a yes \["1"\] vs. no \["0"\] dichotomous outcome in the 6 months following randomization.

Appropriateness of the PharmFIT intervention

Time Frame: 6-months post enrollment

Perceptions that PharmFIT is agreeable, palatable, or satisfactory.

Acceptability of the PharmFIT intervention

Time Frame: 6-months post enrollment

Perceptions that PharmFIT is relevant to, fits or is compatible with a given practice site, provider, or patient.

Feasibility of the PharmFIT intervention

Time Frame: 6-months post enrollment

Extent to which PharmFIT was successfully implemented and used within the clinics and pharmacies, measured by the Implementation Outcomes Questionnaire (IOQ) Feasibility Subscale.

Fidelity to the PharmFIT intervention

Time Frame: Baseline, 6-months post enrollment

PharmFIT delivered as intended; adherence; integrity; quality of PharmFIT intervention delivery, measured using the study's REDCap tracking database (e.g., patient communications delivered, FIT kits distributed, results reports, etc.).

Cost of the PharmFIT intervention

Time Frame: Through study completion, up to 12 months after PharmFIT intervention implementation

Incremental cost of each additional patient screened in the intervention arm compared to usual care. Comparison of the programmatic costs incurred, and number of subjects screened in Arm 1(trial PharmFIT) compared to Arm 2 (usual care), measured as cost of intervention minus the cost of usual care, divided by the number screened in Arm 1 minus the number screened in Arm 2. Intervention costs will be assessed using periodic episodes of direct observation of PharmFIT outreach activities, time logs maintained by the intervention team, and assembly of administrative data capturing non-personnel/non-labor expenditures, such as costs associated with materials printing, FIT processing, and mailing costs. Usual care costs will be estimated using data collected from collaborative process flow diagramming sessions.

Secondary Outcomes

  • Reach(6-months post enrollment)
  • Timely FIT completion(60 days post FIT receipt)
  • Timely follow-up colonoscopy(6-months post enrollment)

Study Sites (2)

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