Oncology pharmacy practice in a teaching hospital in Nepal.
OBJECTIVE
To highlight the patient care activities performed by pharmacists during their ward rounds in medical oncology ward of a tertiary care hospital in western region of Nepal.


METHODS
The study was conducted for 3 months. Two pharmacists joined the clinicians and nurses in the ward rounds every morning as a member of healthcare team. The data used in this study was obtained from different documented files in hospital and were analyzed as per study objectives.


RESULTS
During 3 months (May 20, 2008 to August 20, 2008), pharmacists provided answers to eight queries asked by clinicians and nurses for the patient care purpose. During the same period pharmacists detected four cases of medication errors and provided suggestions on them. A total of 30 adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports were reported to the regional pharmacovigilance center during the study time. Altogether there were 84 types of adverse drug reaction seen on those patients. Most of them were related to hematological system.


CONCLUSIONS
The study evaluated the drug information provided by pharmacists, spontaneous reporting of ADRs by the pharmacists, and their intervention on treatment plan of patients during ward round. This suggests pharmacists can play a significant role on patient care when he or she joins round with other healthcare personnel in the oncology ward.
Khanal
Saval
S
Manipal Teaching Hospital, Phulbari, Pokhara, Nepal. khanalsaval@gmail.com
Poudel
Arjun
A
Sharan
Krishna
K
Palaian
Subish
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D008875:Middle Aged; D009390:Nepal; D016522:Oncology Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000592:standards*; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D024382:Professional Role