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Since 2018, French community pharmacists are involved in pharmaceutical care program performing medication review (MR). Near graduated pharmacy students from two faculties of pharmacy were assigned to implement and perform 3 MR in order to identify enablers and barriers of the implementation of MR by community pharmacists. Among 179 MR performed by 117 pharmacists during 5 months, they reported 3 main barriers: the time spending to initiate and perform all steps in MR (lack of time), patients recruiting, and compensation by health care system. Communications initiatives to patients and health professionals in primary care could facilitate patient MR adhesion. Simplification of administrative approach and optimization of software will be welcome and useful in order to reinforced MR implementation and leading.

The prescription of carboplatin is commonly based on the Calvert formula, and low serum creatinine values can lead to an overestimation of the glomerular filtration rate and of the carboplatin dose. Limited data recommend to cap carboplatin dose at 800 mg, but the risk of suboptimal carboplatin dose is concerning. This study compared hematologic toxicity occurrence and survival outcomes in lung cancer patients receiving carboplatin > or 800 mg with significant difference for all grades of thrombocytopenia in the uncapped group (37% patients vs. 3%, p = 0.02). For metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer patients, we also observed hematologic toxicity in the uncapped group with more severe anemia (30% of patients vs. 0%, p = 0.03) and all grades of thrombocytopenia (39 vs. 0%, p = 0.02) than the capped group. Concerning the secondary endpoint, we obtained a trend of lower progression-free survival and overall survival in patients receiving carboplatin >800 mg, but no significant difference appears for the both survival criteria. This study aims to improve the determination of carboplatin dosage to know the real impact of carboplatin capping and to find the optimum balance between excessive toxicity and substandard therapeutics outcomes.

Medication reconciliation (MR) is recognised as an important tool in preventing medication errors such as unintentional discrepancies (UDs). The aim of this study was to identify independent predictive factors of UDs during MR at patient admission to an orthopaedic and trauma department. The secondary objective was to build and validate a ready-to-use score to prioritise patients.A retrospective study was performed on 3.5 years of pharmacist-led MR in the orthopaedic and trauma department of a large university teaching hospital. Independent predictors of UD were identified by multivariable logistic regression. A priority score to identify patients at risk of at least one UD was constructed from the odds ratios of the risk factors, and validated in a separate cohort. Performance was assessed with sensitivity, specificity, C-statistic and Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit.In total, 888 patients were included and 387 UDs were identified, mainly drug omissions (65.1%). Five independent predictors of UD were identified: agegt;75 years (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.41 to 3.00; plt;0.001), admission during school holidays (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.17 to 2.44; p=0.005), female gender (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.53 to 3.16; plt;0.001), emergency hospitalisation (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.45 to 2.92; plt;0.001), and ≥5 medications on the best possible medication history (BPMH) (OR 3.29, 95% CI 2.20 to 4.94; plt;0.001). Based on these predictors, a priority score ranging from 0 to 10 was built and internally and externally validated (C statistic 0.72, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.76).This study confirms the high prevalence of UD in patients admitted to orthopaedic and trauma surgery departments. Five independent predictive factors of UD during MR were identified (female gender, emergency hospitalisation, hospitalisation during school holidays, age ≥75 years, and ≥5 medicines on the BPMH). The developed risk score will help to prioritise MR among patients at risk of medication error and is ready-to-use in other orthopaedic and trauma departments.

PURPOSE: Patients with cancer are at higher risk for contracting the COVID-19 infection and are more likely to have higher morbidity and mortality. This is a big challenge for oncology teams that have to treat patients to avoid contamination by SARS-CoV-2. The aim of the current work is to present oncology pharmacy practice guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic to secure the pharmaceutical care of patients with cancer. METHODS: The bureau of the French Society for Oncology Pharmacy proposed these recommendations according to the French High Authority of Health following the Guidelines of Good Practice, slightly modified according to the pandemic crisis situation. These guidelines were developed by a working group of 7 experts in oncology pharmacy practice. Furthermore, the guidelines were assessed by 31 independent reviewers. RESULTS: One hundred percent of reviewers approved the guidelines and 90% of them suggested some improvements. The final version incorporates the best comments and consists of 26 recommendations organized in 8 different sections. CONCLUSION: These guidelines allow secure pharmaceutical management of patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction Capecitabine is an antimetabolite antineoplastic agent widely used in the treatment gastrointestinal cancers. The common frequently reported cutaneous adverse drug reaction associated with capecitabin are a palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome, rash and hyperpigmentation. This case reports a capecitabine-induced palmar hypopigmentation. Case report We report the case of a 74-years old patient with jejunum adenocarcinoma treated by capecitabine. The patient developed a pseudo-vitiligo after 2 cycles capecitabine and without history of cutaneous disorders. The skin lesions were characterized with skin hypopigmentation on both hands. Management and outcome: The hypopigmentation slowly recovered after capecitabine discontinuation. Conclusion This is the first described case of pseudo-vitiligo induced by capecitabine. This impressive but non-severe adverse effect should be known by oncologists and oncology pharmacists to reassure the patients in particular about the possible recovery after discontinuation of capecitabine.

International audience; Oxaliplatin, a pivotal drug in the management of colorectal cancer, causes chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in a third of cancer survivors. Based on a previous cross-sectional study assessing oxaliplatin-related sensory CIPN in colorectal cancer survivors, a secondary analysis was designed to explore the possibility that different clusters of patients may co-exist among a cohort of patients with oxaliplatin-related CIPN. Other objectives were to characterize these clusters considering CIPN severity, anxiety, depression, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), patients’ characteristics and oxaliplatin treatments. Among the 96 patients analyzed, three clusters were identified (cluster 1: 52, cluster 2: 34, and cluster 3: 10 patients). Clusters were significantly different according to CIPN severity and the proportion of neuropathic pain (cluster 1: low, cluster 2: intermediate, and cluster 3: high). Anxiety, depressive disorders and HRQOL alteration were lower in cluster 1 in comparison to clusters 2 and 3, but not different between clusters 2 and 3. This study underlines that patients with CIPN are not a homogenous group, and that CIPN severity is associated with psychological distress and a decline of HRQOL. Further studies are needed to explore the relation between clusters and CIPN management.

This study was undertaken to assess the previously unevaluated safety and feasibility of oxaliplatin-desensitization procedure add a French ambulatory cancer unit, which is a current topic in oncology. Our findings demonstrated that oxaliplatin-desensitization was safe and feasible in our ambulatory cancer unit. In routine practice, all these procedures are done on an inpatient basis starting at least the day before. Those results could change oncological practices in France and improve patients' quality of life and lower costs associated with inpatient administration.

Objective The development of oncology day-hospital activities contributes to increase quality of life of patients and consequently have changed their perception about waiting. The extemporaneous preparation of antineoplastic has become difficult to achieve given the increasing activity, and hospital pharmacists have taken up the challenge by the implementation of the antineoplastic preparation in anticipation. Because anticipation can lead to an important number of preparations to be discarded, we also develop a recycled process for other patients to limit these waste extra costs. We aim to demonstrate the positive balance of anticipated preparation in this 4-year study report. Data sources: This prospective study was conducted in a major European oncology day-hospital from January, 2012 to December, 2015. The data were extracted from our software WinSimbad™ and updated as needed. The number and cost-associated of preparation ungiven chemotherapy doses (recycled or discarded) were compared to the global drug budget of our hospital in order to not exceed 2%. Data summary: 303,100 antineoplastic have been prepared. Approximately 35% of them were anticipated with an average of 5,431±984 that were finally ungiven. Two-third was recycled and the cost of the ungiven preparations finally discarded represents 1.7±0.15% of the global drug budget. Conclusions This study assesses the drug wastage and its associated cost of this concept through a prospective study and discusses the cost of ungiven antineoplastic preparations. With prior consideration of the need to define the acceptable rate of discarded ungiven preparation, the hospitals with an high oncology day-hospital activity should implement this approach.

Resume Les nausees et vomissements induits par les traitements anticancereux sont des effets indesirables indissociables de la prise en charge des jeunes patients atteints de cancer, et leur prevention et traitement sont un enjeu majeur en oncologie. Il existe des similitudes entre les adultes et les enfants, par exemple, sur le pouvoir emetisant des anticancereux ou sur les medicaments qui peuvent etre utilises. Il existe en revanche des specificites pediatriques, comme certains facteurs de risque individuels ou l’evaluation de l’intensite des nausees. Si les medicaments utilises sont sensiblement les memes, les donnees relatives a leur efficacite dans la population pediatrique sont limitees, d’autant plus en ce qui concerne les nouvelles classes therapeutiques. Cette revue de la litterature souhaite mettre a disposition du clinicien et du soignant une synthese relative aux medicaments utilisables dans les nausees et vomissements induits par les traitements anticancereux en oncologie pediatrique. Cette revue reprend dans un premier temps les specificites physiopathologiques, les facteurs de risques et les methodes d’evaluation des nausees et vomissements induits par les traitements anticancereux. Elle detaille par la suite les medicaments disponibles en France dans cette indication, les alternatives medicamenteuses evaluees et aborde egalement la question des therapies et methodes complementaires.

(1) Background: Oxaliplatin is among the most neurotoxic anticancer drugs. Little data are available on the long-term prevalence and consequences of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), even though the third largest population of cancer survivors is made up of survivors of colorectal cancer. (2) Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted in 16 French centers to assess the prevalence of CIPN, as well as its consequences (neuropathic pain, anxiety, depression, and quality of life) in cancer survivors during the 5 years after the end of adjuvant oxaliplatin chemotherapy. (3) Results: Out of 406 patients, the prevalence of CIPN was 31.3% (95% confidence interval: 26.8&ndash, 36.0). Little improvement in CIPN was found over the 5 years, and 36.5% of patients with CIPN also had neuropathic pain. CIPN was associated with anxiety, depression, and deterioration of quality of life. None of the patients with CIPN were treated with duloxetine (recommendation from American Society of Clinical Oncology), and only 3.2%, 1.6%, and 1.6% were treated with pregabalin, gabapentin, and amitriptyline, respectively. (4) Conclusions: Five years after the end of chemotherapy, a quarter of patients suffered from CIPN. The present study showed marked psychological distress and uncovered a failure in management in these patients.

Community pharmacists (CPs) have traditionally had limited access to patients’ estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) during the medication-dispensing process. The increasing access to shared electronic health records is making eGFR available, but the skills needed to detect and manage clinically relevant drug-related problems (DRPs) are poorly documented. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the role of CPs in the medication-dispensation process for elderly patients with renal impairment. A total of 70 CPs participated in this 6 month study. Community pharmacists asked all patients ≥65 years to bring their laboratory test values for the next medication-dispensing process. Drug-related problem detection rates were compared between CPs (prospective period) and expert pharmacists (retrospectively). The clinical relevance of each DRP was assessed by nephrologists and general practitioners using an appropriate tool. Community pharmacists recruited n = 442 patients with eGFR &lt, 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and detected n = 99 DRPs, whereas expert pharmacists detected n = 184 DRPs. The most frequently detected DRPs were dosage problems and contraindications. According to assessment by clinicians, CPs and expert pharmacists identified 54.0% and 84.7% of clinically relevant DRPs, respectively. This study suggests a positive impact of the systematic availability of eGFR to CPs on the detection of several DRPs with clinical relevance.

Background FIGHTDIGO study showed the feasibility and acceptability of handgrip strength (HGS) measure in routine in 201 consecutive patients with digestive cancer treated with ambulatory chemotherapy. The present study focuses on the second aim of FIGHTDIGO study: the relationships between pre-therapeutic dynapenia and chemotherapy-induced Dose-Limiting Toxicities (DLT). Methods In this ancillary prospective study, DLT were analyzed in a sub-group of 45 chemotherapy-naive patients. Two bilateral consecutive measures of HGS were performed with a Jamar dynamometer before the first cycle of chemotherapy. Dynapenia was defined as HGS

Background The role of olanzapine in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in addition to the antiemetic therapeutic combination with aprepitant, setrons, and corticosteroids has not been well defined. Objective To investigate the effectiveness of the addition of olanzapine to a standard triplet therapy for the prevention of CINV in patients who experienced CINV during their first chemotherapy course, despite receiving a well-managed prevention protocol. Setting One comprehensive cancer centre in France. Method In a retrospective study with comparator, patients with a high risk of emesis were assigned to two groups during two different 6-month periods, before and after the introduction of olanzapine in clinical practice, respectively. In the olanzapine group, the antiemetic protocol for the second course of chemotherapy was reinforced by the addition of olanzapine at 5 mg/day from day 1 to 5 in contrast with the control group. Main outcome measure The proportion of patients who experienced neither nausea nor emesis during the delayed phase (24-120 h). Results The 25 patients in each group exhibited comparable characteristics and emetic chemotherapy level. During the first course, no significant difference was observed. During the second course, nausea and vomiting were ameliorated in 12 patients in the olanzapine group and 4 patients in the control group (p

Melanoma is a skin cancer that represents an actual public health problem. Its incidence is increasing every year. Environmental risk factors have been clearly identified. Early diagnosis of a suspicious skin lesion should be possible by any health professionals because the prognosis is correlated with the evolution of the disease and the presence of metastases. The advent of new therapies in metastatic forms with the development of immunotherapies and kinases inhibitors has significantly changed the management of this disease. New therapies are available in retail pharmacies and involve health professionals out of the hospital. This article is intended for community and hospital pharmacists and summarizes recommendations for primary and secondary prevention. It updates on new targeted therapies. It wants to give advices to the community pharmacists about the effective use of those treatments for melanoma.

Highlights • The COVID-19 pandemic causes unprecedented impact on cancer patients. • Cancer patients are greater susceptible to COVID-19 infection and intense symptoms. • A rethink of the care pathway is required to reduce the risk of contamination. • Oncologists must detect and manage drug-related problems with anti-COVID-19 drugs. • Caution is needed about interactions between anticancer and viral experimental drugs., The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is disrupting our health environment. As expected, studies highlighted the great susceptibility of cancer patients to COVID-19 and more severe complications, leading oncologists to deeply rethink patient cancer care. This review is dedicated to the optimization of care pathways and therapeutics in cancer patients during the pandemic and aims to discuss successive issues. First we focused on the international guidelines proposing adjustments and alternative options to cancer care in order to limit hospital admission and cytopenic treatment in cancer patients, most of whom are immunocompromised. In addition cancer patients are prone to polypharmacy, enhancing the risk of drug-related problems as adverse events and drug-drug interactions. Due to increased risk in case of COVID-19, we reported a comprehensive review of all the drug-related problems between COVID-19 and antineoplastics. Moreover, in the absence of approved drug against COVID-19, infected patients may be included in clinical trials evaluating new drugs with a lack of knowledge, particularly in cancer patients. Focusing on the several experimental drugs currently being evaluated, we set up an original data board helping oncologists and pharmacists to identify promptly drug-related problems between antineoplastics and experimental drugs. Finally additional and concrete recommendations are provided, supporting oncologists and pharmacists in their efforts to manage cancer patients and to optimize their treatments in this new era related to COVID-19.

Polypharmacy of elderly oncology patients and fragmented medication management are well‐known risk factors for drug–drug interactions (DDIs). These interactions can occur among antineoplastic, ongoing chronic treatment(s) and chemotherapy‐associated treatments, like antiemetics. Clinically relevant interactions based on enzyme‐ or transporter‐inhibition phenomena of active drugs can increase the frequency of their DDIs. We describe a strongly suspected elderly cancer patient's DDI between aprepitant and opium powder in the context of an irinotecan‐based regimen manifested by nightmares and visual hallucinations. We discuss this DDI's hypothetical pharmacological mechanisms and management.

Summary Objectives While many international studies widely describe pharmacists’ interventions (PIs) on drug-related problems (DRP) in community pharmacies, in France, these activities are underreported. The aim of this study is to describe the PI rate, given as the number of interventions in among all prescriptions reviewed during the study period. Material and methods This study was conducted in one French rural community pharmacy during a 7-month period. Age, sex, type of prescriber, type of problems, intervention and the outcome were prospectively recorded. PIs were prospectively formalized and classified using the validated tool from the French Society of Clinical Pharmacy. In addition, all interventions were reviewed by an independent pharmacist. Results Among the 20,238 prescriptions, n = 211 pharmacists’ interventions on 159 prescriptions (0.79%) were performed. Prescriptions were ordered by general practitioners in 78.6%. The most common DRP were the improper prescription (30.8%), a drug or medical device not received by the patient (21.8%, all linked to drug shortages) or a dosage problem (18.9%). Antibiotics were the most common drugs involved in DRP (13.3%). The main PI were the drug switch/establishment of a therapeutic alternative (38.4%), dose adjustment (25.6%) and optimization of the dispensing/administration modalities (25.1%). The overall acceptance rate of PIs was 93.4%. Conclusion We found a PI rate, as well as acceptance rate by prescribers, in the same range than as reported in studies performed in other countries. A consequent large part percentage of PIs can be classified as “administrative”. This first prospective French study needs to be further supported by multi-site studies.

BACKGROUND Systematic prescription analyses by clinical pharmacists result in pharmacist interventions (PIs) to reduce prescription errors and improve medication safety. PIs are particularly critical in oncology, because antineoplastic drugs are highly toxic with low therapeutic indexes especially in a pediatric population. The aim of this study is to describe PIs in a pediatric oncology department and to identify potential risk factors associated with prescription errors. PROCEDURE We conducted a 20-month observational study in a pediatric oncology department concerning electronic prescription of injectable chemotherapies was conducted. PIs were analyzed for drug-related problems (DRPs), type of intervention, population characteristics, involved drugs, and the potential risk factors. RESULTS Clinical pharmacists made 90 PIs for 10,214 antineoplastic prescriptions for a rate of 88 PIs per 10,000 prescriptions. The majority of DRPs were dosage errors (61.8%), imputable to measurements (weight and/or height) in 47.4% or unreported dose reduction. The most common patient ages were in the range 1-10 years and the most common time for medical double checks was 2-9 pm. There were statistically more prescription errors in standardized protocols (P

The current format of French residency in hospital pharmacy was created in 1983 and is a 4-year specialized training. So far, training has not been recognized as a prerequisite for hospital pharmacy practice. Since 2011, pharmacy residents and hospital pharmacists representative structures have lobbied for that recognition and the government has worked in that direction. The ideology of the concept was validated after a period of probation and the regulatory procedure began late 2012. Two key elements were initially identified as obstacles: first the European legislation on recognition of professional qualifications and then the fear that there might not be enough hospital pharmacists trained in order to complete the care missions in hospital pharmacies in France. The European legislation has now been amended in order to recognize professional qualifications and a demographic analysis of hospital pharmacists leads to the conclusion that these items are no longer obstacles. In 2014, hospital pharmacy residency, through the Specialized Studies degree, should be recognized as a prerequisite for hospital pharmacy practice.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, Pharmaceutical care activities at hospital admission have a significant impact on patient safety. The objective of this study was to identify predictive factors for clinically significant pharmacist interventions (PIs) performed during medication reconciliation and medication review at patient hospital admission. A 4-week prospective study was conducted in 4 medicine wards. At hospital admission, medication reconciliation and medication review were conducted and PIs were performed by the pharmaceutical team. The clinical impact of PIs was determined using the clinical economic and organizational (CLEO) tool. Clinical characteristics, laboratory results, and medication data for each patient were collected and analyzed as potential predictive factors of clinically significant PIs. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression were subsequently used to identify independent predictive factors for clinically relevant PIs. Among 265 patients admitted, 150 patients were included. Among 170 PIs performed at hospital admission, 71 were related to unintentional discrepancies (41.8%) during medication reconciliation, and 99 were related to drug-related problems (DRPs) (58.8%) during medication review. Overall, 115 PIs (67.7%) were considered to have a clinical impact. By multivariate analysis, number of medications ≥5 (P = .01) based on the best possible medication history, and Charlson comorbidity index score ≥2 (P

International audience; No abstract available

Capecitabine, an oral prodrug of 5-fluorouracil, is approved in stage III colon cancer (1) and metastatic colorectal and breast cancer (2) (3). Palmo-plantar erythrodysesthesia, also known as Hand Foot syndrome (HFS), is its most limiting toxicity. Although it is not life threatening, it can compromise efficacy because of dose reduction. It has been reported in pivotal trials in 53% of patients receiving capecitabine, requiring dose reduction in 17% of patients (2). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.