Abstract
There are no nationally recognised guidelines for the handling and administration of chemotherapy in South Africa. The Independent Clinical Oncology Network’s Chemotherapy Administration Standards and Guidelines Resource Documentwas developed over 2 years and first introduced at a South African international oncology conference in 2017. A working group consisting of oncologists and oncology nurses was set up to address this deficiency. Pragmatic guidelines suitable to a wide range of local chemotherapy administration practices were developed using an iterative, multidisciplinary, collaborative process. The consensus was that these guidelines should be appropriate to the South African context. Safety, standard operational procedures, recommended professional competencies and training were central to the document. Guidelines for prescribing, storing, mixing, dispensing, administering and disposing of chemotherapy were included. Patient consent and involvement, patient and staff safety, recommended professional competencies, management of accidents and errors, error reporting and local legal requirements are dealt with in detail. The hope is that these guidelines will be used as a resource document for South African chemotherapy practices, both public and private. The document is supported by standard operating procedures and action steps. These were developed to promote the use of the guidelines and to support pragmatic quality assurance measures at practice level. These standards and guidelines will be regularly updated, based on needs identified and deficiencies noted.
Highlights
Cancer chemotherapy administration is a complex medical procedure
The non-standardisation or paucity of chemotherapy administration standards, processes and competencies in South Africa are addressed in this document by using a patient-centric, multidisciplinary, practical approach
The safety of both oncology patients receiving chemotherapy and staff involved in administering it served as a guiding principle
Summary
Cancer chemotherapy administration is a complex medical procedure. It requires high levels of competency and safety to prevent errors that may cause harm to patients and staff. The modern era of oncology offers a wide range of treatment options for cancer patients. These novel chemotherapeutic and hormonal agents, targeted and immune therapies, and new combinations provide the opportunity to improve patient outcomes.[1] To capitalise on these gains and optimise outcomes, safe, error-free and competent chemotherapy administration processes are crucial
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