Studies Regarding Quality Enhancement of Affairs by Pharmacist and Clinical Evaluation of Cancer Chemotherapy

Abstract

Cancer is the major cause of death in Japan; hence, countermeasures against cancer are conducted as a national policy. Although the development in the field of cancer chemotherapy has been significant, it is also complicated. Therefore, pharmacist intervention is essential to ensure that the patients receive safe and appropriate medication. There are multiple stages of cancer chemotherapy, and these include working out the chemotherapeutic regimen, prescribing the regimen, checking the prescription, mixing the preparation of anticancer drugs, explanation to patient, and clinical evaluation of therapy. Hence, we conducted wide-ranging studies in this field. We studied proper use of antiemetic drugs, which were administered prophylactically against chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in working out the chemotherapeutic regimen, and we developed a safe and efficient method by using computer regarding prescription checking and mixing preparation of anticancer drugs. In addition, we evaluated the effectiveness of chemotherapy against standard therapy. These study results could provide us with useful knowledge regarding the development of safe cancer chemotherapy and confirm the effectiveness of therapy, and we could feed back these outcomes into the clinical setting. The results revealed that when problems are resolved because of pharmacist intervention in clinical practice, the pharmacist could support the medical examination of the physician, obtain practical results directly linked to the benefit of the patient, and contribute towards the development of safe and effective cancer chemotherapy. Since the need for pharmacists in clinical practice is increasing, our results would provide essential information regarding the contribution of pharmacists to cancer chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy regimen checks performed by pharmacists contribute to safe administration of chemotherapy

“…2 The benefits of CPOE for safe cancer chemotherapy administration have been previously reported in Japan. 3,4 However, prescribers may not favor the usage of CPOE for various logistical reasons. 5 In Japan, CPOE has been developed and implemented within cancer center hospitals nationwide.…”

Cancer-Chemotherapy-Related Regimen Checks Performed by Pharmacists of General Hospitals Other than Cancer Treatment Collaborative Base Hospitals: A Multicenter, Prospective Survey

“…In institutions without electronic medical records, the efficacy of regimen checks may be improved if pharmacists who perform regimen checks cooperate with hospital pharmacists who check the patients' charts every day and ward nurses; although, only the physician's contact information was given in this study. Technology plays an essential role in today's healthcare environment [24,25]. The lack of electronic charting in some institutions, likewise, has a negative impact on generalizability [26].…”