1. Evolving Best Practice for Take-Home Cancer Drugs.
- Author
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Pardhan A, Vu K, Gallo-Hershberg D, Forbes L, Gavura S, and Kukreti V
- Subjects
- Consensus, Humans, Medical Oncology, Ontario, Antineoplastic Agents, Neoplasms drug therapy
- Abstract
Purpose: Take-home cancer drugs (THCDs) have become a standard treatment of many cancers. Robust guidelines have been developed for intravenous chemotherapy drugs, but few exist for THCDs with a focus on decentralized models. Hence, Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) established the Oncology Pharmacy Task Force (OPTF) to develop consensus-based recommendations on best practices for THCDs to ensure that patients receive safe, consistent, high-quality care in the community once they leave the cancer center/practice with a prescription., Methods: The OPTF included 34 members with comprehensive representation. Guidance from leading authorities was extracted through literature review, thematically analyzed, and synthesized to develop 29 recommendations. The consensus process (> 70% agreement) included a three-step modified Delphi method followed by an extensive review process., Results: Sixteen recommendations were developed: training and education for providers (2), drug access (1), prescribing (4), patient and family/caregiver education (3), communication (1), dispensing (3), monitoring for patient adherence and adverse effects (1), and incident reporting (1)., Conclusion: Through a rigorous methodology, the OPTF derived a robust set of recommendations similar to the ASCO/Oncology Nursing Society and ASCO/National Community Oncology Dispensing Association guidelines, further validating and strengthening the applicability across multiple jurisdictions, including those with decentralized models. Unique aspects in a decentralized model include the need for two pharmacy professionals, with one doing cognitive verification of the script and the other dispensing the medication; moreover, they optimize interprofessional communication between community providers and the cancer center/practice health care team., Competing Interests: Kathy VuStock and Other Ownership Interests: Incyte Vishal KukretiHonoraria: Amgen, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, CelgeneNo other potential conflicts of interest were reported.
- Published
- 2021
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