Background Most antineoplastic drugs approved in Spain have been qualified as ‘Hospital Treatment-Diagnosis’ by the Spanish Medicines Agency, so community pharmacists can dispense them. Nevertheless, in Andalusia, from December 2010 as the result of Government Resolution SC 403/10 hospital pharmacists must dispense every single oral chemotherapy treatment. Pharmacist surveillance, patient counselling and cost reduction have been investigated, but consumption trends have not been measured.

Purpose To describe the evolution of consumption of oral chemotherapy drugs dispensed by a pharmacy department after Resolution SC 403/10 was approved.

Materials and methods Observational, descriptive study, carried out in a General Hospital.

The consumption of oral chemotherapy drugs was analysed from six months before SC 403/10 until two years after. Information obtained was stratified in six-month periods. Drug consumption was analysed using Defined Daily Doses (DDD/1000 inhabitants/year). Dispensing data were obtained from the pharmacist informatics devices (APD ATHOS). Costs were analysed using average drug acquisition prices.

Results 25 drugs were dispensed during the period of time studied. 4 periods of six months were analysed: 04/2011–09/2011, 10/2011–03/2012, 04/2012–09/2012, and 10/2012–03/2013.

Cost of oral chemotherapy was: 982,640 €, 1,729,191 €, 1,566,044 €, 1,512,347 €.

DDD/1000 inhab/year: 0.16; 0.19; 0.20; 0.21.

Cost increase was: 75.98%, -9.44%, -3.43%.

In the last period of time 5 drugs were responsible for more than:

• 70% of total used: capecitabine, imatinib, mercaptopurine, vinorelbine, and chlorambucil. They represented only 38% of the total cost.

• 67% of total cost: imatinib, lenalidomide, capecitabine, sunitinib, and pazopanib. They accounted for only 57% of the total consumption.

New drug consumption figures for 10/2012–03/2013 in DDD/1000 inhab/year:

• Greatest increases: capecitabine 0.008, vinorelbine 0.005, abiraterone 0.0026, gefitinib 0.0025, mercaptopurine 0.0021

• Greatest decreases: erlotinib 0.004, sunitinib 0.0037, sorafenib 0.0028, imatinib 0.0025, lenalidomide 0.0023.

Conclusions The consumption of oral chemotherapy drugs increased constantly, but expenditure declined. More commonly used drugs cost less.

No conflict of interest.