TY - JOUR T1 - Mandatory dexamethasone strictly monitored by pharmacists reduces the severity of pemetrexed-induced skin rash JF - European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy JO - Eur J Hosp Pharm SP - 283 LP - 285 DO - 10.1136/ejhpharm-2016-000957 VL - 24 IS - 5 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 Y1 - 2017/09/01 UR - http://ejhp.bmj.com/content/24/5/283.abstract N2 - 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. ER -