Evaluation of a team-based clinical pharmacist in cancer chemotherapy.

Abstract

e16535 Background: In Japan, pharmacists have both a dispensing and clinical role. This study was designed to evaluate the benefit of a team-based clinical pharmacist in cancer chemotherapy. Methods: Subjects include head and neck cancer inpatients who received cancer chemotherapy in May 2010 (Group A) and who received cancer chemotherapy in August 2010 (Group B). A retrospective study was performed using patient records. In group A, a pharmacist was responsible for both dispensing and clinical pharmacy interventions. In group B, a pharmacy resident, who as a team-based clinical pharmacist, provided interventions with three physicians. Endpoint of this study were (1) To determine the number of pharmacist interventions that reduces the number of adverse reactions in cancer chemotherapy, (2) To determine the number of monitoring for adverse events in patients with cancer chemotherapy, (3) To determine the number of times the pharmacist verify patient drug adherence, and (4) To determine the duration of hospitalization. Results: There were 34 patients in group A and 29 in group B, with no significant differences in age, performance status, type of cancer, and chemotherapy regimens between the two groups. (1) There were 35 pharmacist interventions to reduce the adverse drug events in cancer chemotherapy patients compared to 0 pharmacist interventions in group B. Of the 35 interventions, 14 interventions were about use of opioids in pain control and 10 interventions were about cancer chemotherapy. (2) In group B, there were a total of 311 adverse events monitored, compared to 156 adverse events monitored in group A. (3) The number of verifications by pharmacists with patient adherence in cancer chemotherapy was 127 in group B, compared to 62 verifications in group A. In group B, pharmacists found 92% (11/12) of patients as noncompliant, and pharmacists found 18% (2/11) of patients as noncompliant in group A. (4) There is no statistical significance in the difference of duration in hospitalization between the two groups. Conclusions: This is the first retrospective study which shows the benefits of a team-based clinical pharmacist on cancer chemotherapy in Japan. A team-based pharmacist could contribute to reduce the adverse drug events in patients.