Advancing Subcutaneous Oncology: Building System Readiness Across Healthcare

As cancer systems face mounting pressures, including growing treatment volumes, workforce constraints, and limited infusion capacity, new delivery models are increasingly being explored to support more efficient, patient‑centred care. Subcutaneous oncology therapies represent one such care delivery innovation, with potential implications for patient experience, clinical workflows, and health‑system capacity.

This session will examine subcutaneous administration from a system readiness and implementation standpoint, focusing on the practical considerations required to integrate new delivery models into routine cancer care. Discussion will centre on operational realities such as clinic workflows, pharmacy preparation, nursing time, protocol development, and institutional planning.

Overall, the session aims to foster a balanced, evidence‑informed discussion on how health systems can prepare for and safely implement Sub‑Q oncology therapies, with a focus on feasibility, operational impact, and patient experience, while improving health system capacity. Speakers David D. Jones, Managing Director, Merck Canada (Keynote Address)

Filomena Servidio-Italiano, President and CEO, Colorectal Cancer Resource and Action Network

Kathy Vu, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto

Dr. Monika K. Krzyzanowska, Chief, Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre

Chris Hannay, Business of health reporter, The Globe and Mail (Moderator)

*The views expressed on the Economic Club of Canada platform are not that of the Economic Club or its affiliates but of the speakers alone and the organizations they represent.*

Audio Recap

Key Takeaways

• Sub‑Q as a capacity and care‑delivery lever: Speakers highlighted how integrating subcutaneous (Sub‑Q) oncology therapies can help relieve pressure on infusion chairs, extend system capacity, and support more flexible, patient‑centred models of cancer care.

• Time, autonomy, and the patient–caregiver experience: Patient advocacy perspectives underscored that moving from hours‑long IV infusions to brief Sub‑Q injections can significantly reduce “chair time,” support work and family responsibilities, and restore a greater sense of autonomy for both patients and caregivers.

• Implementation: right drug, right patient, right model: Panellists emphasized that safe adoption depends on starting with lower‑risk drugs and carefully selected patients, redesigning prescribing, pharmacy, and nursing workflows, and maintaining strong governance and safety oversight as home and community‑based delivery models are piloted. To read further and explore the full insights from this event, download the complete Key Takeaways document below.