PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Naoko Usui
AU  - Yoko Kondo
AU  - Noriko Ryota
AU  - Hidekazu Suzuki
AU  - Norio Okamoto
AU  - Masumi Sando
AU  - Eriko Tani
AU  - Masanari Hamaguchi
AU  - Ayako Tanaka
AU  - Motohiro Tamiya
AU  - Takayuki Shiroyama
AU  - Naoko Morishita
AU  - Emiko Tanaka
AU  - Tomonori Hirashima
TI  - Mandatory dexamethasone strictly monitored by pharmacists reduces the severity of pemetrexed-induced skin rash
AID  - 10.1136/ejhpharm-2016-000957
DP  - 2017 Sep 01
TA  - European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy
PG  - 283--285
VI  - 24
IP  - 5
4099  - http://ejhp.bmj.com/content/24/5/283.short
4100  - http://ejhp.bmj.com/content/24/5/283.full
SO  - Eur J Hosp Pharm2017 Sep 01; 24
AB  - 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.