[An approach to ambulant cancer chemotherapy by the pharmaceutical department system]

In recent years, cancer chemotherapy has been switching from hospital treatment to ambulant treatment. In such a situation, pharmacists are required to carry out their work unfailingly and smoothly in checking chemotherapy regimens, admixtures of drugs and providing information, for example. At Tokai University Hachioji Hospital, we have been trying to computerize a regimen-check, quantitative calculations for admixtures of anticancer drugs and the comment-input function of the pharmaceutical department so that our work will be more efficient and precise. The regimen-check system receives automatically, the patients' own data and the information of injection prescriptions and of the clinical laboratory from the Hospital Information System. Then pharmacists put the information to the regimen master file for recording in order to manage dosages, the accumulated dose and dose schedule. Also by registering the amount of dissolution of each anticancer drug beforehand, the quantitative calculation system makes it possible to automatically convert dosages on electronic medical charts to a liquid measure needed for the admixtures of drugs and to print the information on the prescription of injections. Additionally, the comment-input function makes it possible to print information on injections such as chemical information needed for regimen-checks and doctors' answers to questions about prescriptions. The pharmaceutical department system enables pharmacists to check regimens accurately and quickly to calculate the precise quantity for admixtures of drugs and to share information among pharmacists. The system has also contributed to the efficiency and medical safety of the ambulant cancer chemotherapy.