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Published on: August 1, 2019
Improving Pharmacist-Led Pediatric Patient Education on Oral Chemotherapy at Home
Anika Patel1, Christopher M Nguyen1, Kristin Willins1
1School of Pharmacy, Chapman University, Irvine, CA 92618, USA.
Insights
Oral chemotherapy (OC) requires comprehensive education for pediatric cancer patients managing treatment at home. Pharmacists are key, but need better resources and training to ensure safe administration of these hazardous medications.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pediatric Pharmacy
- Patient Safety
Background:
- Oral chemotherapy (OC) is increasingly used for pediatric cancer patients in outpatient settings.
- Pediatric patients face unique challenges with home administration of hazardous OC medications.
- Comprehensive patient education is crucial for mitigating safety risks associated with home OC use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the importance of pharmacist-led patient education for oral chemotherapy in pediatric oncology.
- To identify challenges and barriers in current OC education practices for children and caregivers.
- To explore innovative strategies for optimizing OC consultations in pediatric outpatient care.
Main Methods:
- Development of a comprehensive OC education checklist for pharmacists.
- Creation of an infographic OC handout for patients and caregivers.
- Exploration of telepharmacy, smartphone applications, and AI in pediatric OC consultations.
Main Results:
- A standardized education checklist and infographic handout were developed to improve patient knowledge and awareness.
- Pharmacists' role in OC consultations is vital but hindered by a lack of guidelines and resources.
- Innovative technologies show promise for enhancing OC patient care and consultations.
Conclusions:
- Enhanced pharmacist training and resources are needed for effective pediatric OC education.
- Standardized educational tools and innovative technologies can improve safety and adherence for pediatric OC.
- Further research is warranted to optimize oral chemotherapy education for pediatric patients in outpatient settings.
Abstract:
Oral chemotherapy (OC) has been increasingly used in pediatric patients diagnosed with cancer, which is primarily managed in the outpatient setting. Different from adults, pediatric patients face unique challenges in administering these hazardous medications at home. Because of the complexity of pediatric pharmaceutical care and the hazardous nature of chemotherapy agents, comprehensive patient education is imperative to mitigate the potential safety risks associated with OC administration at home. Pharmacists play a vital role in patient education and medication consultations. However, the lack of practice guidelines and limited resources supporting OC counseling are noted. Additional barriers include insufficient knowledge and training on OC, which can be improved by continuing education. In a regional children's hospital, a comprehensive OC education checklist was developed for pediatric patients and their caregivers to standardize consultations led by pharmacists. An infographic OC handout was also formulated to improve patient knowledge and awareness. Moreover, innovative approaches such as using telepharmacy, smartphone applications, and artificial intelligence have been increasingly integrated into patient care, which can help optimize OC consultations for children and adolescents. Further studies are warranted to enhance oral chemotherapy education specifically tailored for pediatric patients in outpatient settings.
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