An Emerging Role of Pharmacist in Pre-chemotherapy Counseling Among Breast Cancer Patients

Abstract

Dang, et al.: Role of Pharmacist in Counselling among Breast Cancer PatientsThe understanding of adult patients receiving cancer chemotherapy of their regimen is important for better control of chemotherapy-related side effects. Often, patients forget, misunderstand or unsatisfied with the information received. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of pharmacist-led pre-chemotherapy counselling on the knowledge of chemotherapy treated breast cancer patients. It is a randomized and prospective study where patients were randomly distributed into intervention group who received pharmacist-led pre-chemotherapy counselling and control group who did not receive pharmacistled pre-chemotherapy counselling. Knowledge assessments and perception of the patients were carried out after pharmacist-led pre-chemotherapy counselling in both intervention and control group using a structured validated questionnaire. Overall, 38 out of 40 patients completed the study with a 97% response rate. Significant improvement in the understanding of chemotherapy regimen and its side-effects was observed in the intervention group as compared to the control group. Besides, patients counselled by pharmacists were able to recall back the information even at the sixth cycle of the chemotherapy regimen compared to the control group. Majority of the breast cancer patients agreed that pharmacist-led pre-chemotherapy counselling was effective. This study suggests that pharmacist-led pre-chemotherapy counselling improves patient knowledge and understanding of the chemotherapy regimen received.

Impact of prechemotherapy preparation on knowledge, coping attitude and satisfaction among newly diagnosed patients with cancer

“…Moreover the mean age of study and control group were fifty three and with no statistical significant differences between both groups regarding sociodemographic characteristics. These results approximately agreement with Chan et al [16] that assess emerging role of pharmacist in prechemotherapy counseling-amongbreast-cancer-patients. His result showed that all sample was female although males were not excluded.…”

“…In line with the present results Waller et al [3] indicated that providing preparatory information can improve knowledge in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Furthermore, Dang et al [19] recommended pre-chemotherapy counseling to improve patient knowledge and understanding of the chemotherapy regimen received.…”

Impact of clinical pharmacy recommendations and patient counselling program among patients with diabetes and cancer in outpatient oncology setting

“…These include detection and/or prevention of therapy‐related problems, extensive education and counselling about the efficient use of medications, awareness of side effects and implementation and monitoring of all the plans for optimal therapeutic outcomes (Han et al., 2016; Hughes, Wibowo, Sunderland, & Hoti, 2017). Moreover, pharmacist‐led pre‐chemotherapy counselling could improve patient knowledge and understanding of the chemotherapy regimen received (Dang, Amiruddin, Lai, Low, & Chan, 2017).…”

Quantitative association of educational status and effect of patient counseling among cancer patients: A cross-sectional analysis in a tertiary care hospital in South India

“…Dang et al has conducted a pre-chemotherapy counseling by pharmacist in breast cancer patients. 18 Hardly any studies demarcated the counseling into pharmacological and non-pharmacological elements.…”