Redispensing of expensive oral anticancer medicines: A practical application
Kübra Akgöl1, Lisanne N van Merendonk1, Hannerieke J Barkman1
1Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Summary
Redispensing returned oral anticancer medicines, following strict quality criteria, significantly reduces financial waste and environmental impact. This practice offers a sustainable solution for managing unused high-cost medications in pharmacies.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Practice
- Oncology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Oral anticancer medicines present a significant financial and environmental burden due to unused medication.
- Returned oral anticancer medicines could be redispensed if quality is assured.
- This study focused on identifying and implementing quality criteria for redispensing oral anticancer medicines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and implement quality aspects and criteria for redispensing oral anticancer medicine in daily pharmacy practice.
- To quantify the reduction in financial waste and environmental burden through redispensing.
Main Methods:
- Systematic analysis to determine eligibility for redispensing.
- Quantification of returned oral anticancer medicines accepted for redispensing over one year.
- Calculation of financial waste and environmental burden reduction.
Main Results:
- Four quality categories identified: product presentation, physical condition, authentication, and additional aspects.
- A standardized redispensing procedure was implemented.
- 79% of returned oral anticancer medicines (10,415 dose units) were accepted for redispensing, valued at €483,301.
- Potential reduction of 1132.1g of potent active pharmaceutical ingredient.
Conclusions:
- Strict quality control procedures enable successful redispensing of oral anticancer medicines.
- Redispensing significantly reduces financial waste and environmental burden.
- This practice integrates into daily pharmacy operations, promoting sustainability.
Related Concept Videos
01:02Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs
794
Prescription drugs require a prescription from a medical practitioner and can only be obtained from a pharmacy. They have many applications, including treating pain, anxiety, and hypertension.
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...
794
01:22Drug Delivery: Miscellaneous Routes
420
Drug delivery methods like oral inhalation, nasal sprays, transdermal patches, eye drops, intravitreal injection, and rectal administration provide localized effects with reduced toxicity.
Oral inhalation and nasal sprays swiftly transfer drugs across the respiratory epithelium's mucosal layer. Inhaled glucocorticoids and bronchodilators directly target lung conditions such as asthma, while fluticasone nasal spray mitigates allergic rhinitis.
Transdermal patches transport drugs...
Oral inhalation and nasal sprays swiftly transfer drugs across the respiratory epithelium's mucosal layer. Inhaled glucocorticoids and bronchodilators directly target lung conditions such as asthma, while fluticasone nasal spray mitigates allergic rhinitis.
Transdermal patches transport drugs...
420
01:01Dosage Regimen: Fixed Dose
1.9K
Fixed-dose regimens are a common approach to administer drugs to achieve and maintain desired levels of the drug in the body. In this dosing strategy, a specific amount of medication is given at regular intervals, often multiple times a day, to ensure a consistent drug concentration in the bloodstream.
Fixed-dose regimens can be used for various routes of administration, including intravenous (IV) injections and oral medications. For IV administration, a predetermined amount of the drug is...
Fixed-dose regimens can be used for various routes of administration, including intravenous (IV) injections and oral medications. For IV administration, a predetermined amount of the drug is...
1.9K
02:56Treatment Resistant Cancers
3.4K
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. A cancer cell is genetically unstable and hence can mutate faster. They can also modify their microenvironment and escape immune surveillance. The difficulties in treating cancer are further compounded by the emergence of rapid resistance to anticancer drugs. The most common ways to attain resistance in cancer cells include alteration in drug transport and metabolism, modification of drug target, elevated DNA damage response, or...
3.4K
02:50Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
5.0K
Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
5.0K
01:27Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists
259
5-HT3 receptor antagonists, such as dolasetron, granisetron (Kytril), ondansetron (Zofran), and palonosetron (Axoli), are crucial in managing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) and postoperative nausea. These drugs selectively block 5-HT3 receptors in the visceral vagal and spinal afferent nerves, chemoreceptor trigger zone, and the vomiting center. They have a rapid onset of action and can be given as a single dose before chemotherapy. Ondansetron and granisetron, in particular,...
259