%0 Journal Article %A Naoko Usui %A Yoko Kondo %A Noriko Ryota %A Hidekazu Suzuki %A Norio Okamoto %A Masumi Sando %A Eriko Tani %A Masanari Hamaguchi %A Ayako Tanaka %A Motohiro Tamiya %A Takayuki Shiroyama %A Naoko Morishita %A Emiko Tanaka %A Tomonori Hirashima %T Mandatory dexamethasone strictly monitored by pharmacists reduces the severity of pemetrexed-induced skin rash %D 2017 %R 10.1136/ejhpharm-2016-000957 %J European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy %P 283-285 %V 24 %N 5 %X Objective The present study aimed to retrospectively examine the effectiveness of mandatory dexamethasone (m-DEX) strictly monitored by pharmacists collaborating with medical physicians and nurses for reducing pemetrexed (PEM)-induced skin rash in patients with non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (ns-NSCLC).Methods We compared the rash grades during the first cycle of PEM-containing regimens between patients who received m-DEX after February 2012 and those who received dexamethasone (DEX) at their physician's discretion (d-DEX) before January 2012.Results Of 163 patients with ns-NSCLC included in this study, 89 received d-DEX and 74 received m-DEX. The mean DEX doses the night before and the day after PEM administration were significantly higher in the m-DEX group than in the d-DEX group. The frequency of grade ≥2 skin rash was significantly lower in the m-DEX group than in the d-DEX group.Conclusions The use of m-DEX strictly monitored by pharmacists might significantly reduce the severity of PEM-induced skin rash. %U https://ejhp.bmj.com/content/ejhpharm/24/5/283.full.pdf