Oral anticancer medicines in acute oncology; recognition by non-specialist clinicians and risk reduction measures

Eur J Hosp Pharm. 2018 Jul;25(4):204-206. doi: 10.1136/ejhpharm-2016-000891. Epub 2016 Apr 27.

Abstract

Objective: This study investigated the awareness of non-oncology specialist medical staff about commonly used oral anticancer medicines (OAMs).

Methods: Interviews conducted with a range of non-oncology specialist doctors.

Results: The recognition of OAMs was poor by all grades of doctors, with capecitabine being the only drug recognised by more than half the doctors (26 of 40; 65%). Consultant medical staff scored significantly better than most junior grades of staff.

Conclusions: A barrier to safe patient care appears to be the initial identification of OAMs on acute admission. Once a drug had been identified as an OAM, doctors are aware that they should not prescribe it and should contact the acute oncology service for advice. A range of measures has been introduced to improve the identification of OAMs by doctors.

Keywords: CHEMOTHERAPY; CLINICAL PHARMACY; MEDICAL EDUCATION & TRAINING; ONCOLOGY; PHARMACOTHERAPY.