Management of returned anti-neoplastic treatments and their reuse in oncology patients.
OBJECTIVE
Analyse the profile of parenteral preparation and treatment (anti-neoplastic and supplementary) that were dispensed and returned to the Pharmacy Department, the reasons why they were not administered, their reuse and the associated direct costs.


METHODS
Longitudinal study over eight months (October 2004-May 2005) in a tertiary hospital with centre for preparing anti-neoplastic agents (including supplementary treatment) in its Pharmacy Department. The variables studied, downloaded from the Oncofarm® application, are as follows: (a) patients and diagnostics; (b) returned treatments, classified by reason returned, pharmaco-therapeutic scheme, cycle and day; (c) returned preparations (anti-neoplastic and supplementary) that were reused; and (d) direct costs. Data is presented with its absolute and relative frequencies and confidence intervals of 95% normalised at 1000 patients/day.


RESULTS
84 treatments were returned by 66 patients for a total of 139 preparations corresponding to 3,429 patients/day. This figure represents 24.5 (CI 95%, 19.6 to 30.2) treatments that were prepared and not administered per 1,000 patients/day, mainly due to clinical causes (n = 47). Colon neoplasia and treatment with 5-fluorouracil and levofolinic acid presented the highest number of returns. The returned preparations made up 1.45 % (CI 95%, 1.2 to 1.7) of those produced. The percentage of reuse is 98%, which results in savings of euro 10,432.55 (90% of the cost of the treatments that are returned).


CONCLUSIONS
The application of quality, effectiveness and safety criteria to anti-neoplastic treatments that are prepared and returned to the Pharmacy Department allows a more efficient preparation process.
Yuste-Vila
D
D
Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital Universitario Dr. Peset, Valencia, España. yuste_marvil@gva.es
Albert-Mari
A
A
Jiménez-Arenas
V
V
Jiménez-Torres
N V
NV
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents