Pharmaceutical care program for onco-hematologic outpatients: safety, efficiency and patient satisfaction

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Oral chemotherapy self-administration presents significant health system challenges.
• Managing oral antineoplastic agents requires robust patient support and monitoring.
• Ensuring safe and effective home-based cancer treatment is a growing concern.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a comprehensive pharmaceutical care program for cancer outpatients receiving oral antineoplastic agents.
• To enhance the safety and efficiency of oral chemotherapy administration in a home setting.
• To assess the impact of pharmacist-led interventions on patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study conducted in a Spanish tertiary hospital.
• Development of a pharmaceutical care program based on ASCO standards, including standard procedures, checklists, and patient brochures.
• Comparison of a control group (2011) with an intervention group (2013) receiving pharmacist monitoring through structured clinical interviews over six months.
• Data collection on demographics, clinical data, drug-related problems, drug interactions, adverse events, adherence, treatment permanence, and patient satisfaction.

Main Results:

• The intervention group experienced a significant reduction in medication errors compared to the control group (p = 0.008).
• Pharmacist interventions, primarily for patient education and drug interaction management, were accepted 88.8% of the time.
• Patient adherence increased by 20% at six months in the intervention group (p < 0.001), with high reported satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• The implemented pharmaceutical care program was successful in improving the quality and standardization of care for oral chemotherapy patients.
• The program effectively addressed safety concerns, including drug interactions and administration errors.
• Positive impacts on treatment efficiency, such as increased adherence and permanence, were observed, alongside high patient satisfaction.