The basic rules of hockey include scoring by shooting the puck into the opponent’s net, ensuring no player enters the offensive zone before the puck, and minimizing penalties. Bernard Marini, a clinical associate professor of pharmacy at the College of Pharmacy and a specialist in hematology at Michigan Medicine, applies these straightforward principles as a coach for his daughter’s travel hockey team. He envisions cancer care becoming as accessible and straightforward as these hockey rules. Marini actively works toward this goal daily, rather than just hoping for change.
At Michigan Medicine, Marini contributes to a care team that provides crucial services for patients with blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. As the team’s medication expert, he examines patients’ genetic profiles, interprets drug literature, and reviews clinical trial data to develop effective treatment plans. “As pharmacists, we are consultants for the physicians because we are the experts in drug therapies,” Marini said. This expertise is vital in the complex field of cancer and hematology treatments.
Marini ensures timely adjustments in treatment plans, collaborating with doctors to optimize patient care. He emphasizes, “We work with the most expensive and dangerous medications you can imagine, but also the most effective — if they’re used in the right setting.” Despite the high-quality treatment at Michigan Medicine, Marini acknowledges existing barriers to such care for many. He advocates for accessible oncology practices and is a member of Common Sense Oncology, a global organization aimed at improving cancer care accessibility and equity.
Marini collaborates with 40 oncology colleagues to bring a pharmacist’s perspective to a diverse global team, which includes patients, advocates, regulatory experts, and oncologists. The organization advocates for better clinical trial designs that prioritize survival, quality of life, and address disparities in access to treatments. “Each year, countries like the United States spend billions of dollars on drugs that make a tiny improvement in outcomes while other countries can’t even get access to basic medications that would have a tremendous benefit on their population’s health,” Marini said.
As a proactive member, Marini helps run an online journal club, teaching healthcare professionals to critically evaluate clinical trials for patient-centered approaches. “I think things like the journal club are small ways that we can change practice over time to make it better for the patients we serve,” he said. Launched in 2023, Common Sense Oncology has already published guidelines for phase-three randomized clinical trials aimed at making them more patient-centered. These principles have been presented at national meetings like ASH and ASCO, promoting more patient-focused trials.
Marini also hosts the “WolverHeme Happy Hour” podcast with Anthony Perissinotti, discussing hematology topics. Marini aims to enhance oncology care accessibility and patient focus through his educational efforts and involvement in Common Sense Oncology.
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