title: Pharmacists contribute to the improved efficiency of medical practices in the outpatient cancer chemotherapy clinic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Outpatient cancer chemotherapy is increasing with the development of anticancer agents, and roles of medical staff are becoming more and more important in cancer chemotherapy. We showed here roles of pharmacists with experience in oncology and evaluated outcomes of their activities in medical practices in cancer chemotherapy clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two pharmacists were newly assigned to the outpatient cancer chemotherapy clinic, where they were in charge of verification of prescription orders, mixing of anticancer injections, monitoring adverse drug reactions, implementation of supportive care and provision of information about cancer chemotherapy to medical staff and patients. The number of patients, amounts of mixing of anticancer injections and hospital revenue were compared before and after assignment of pharmacists. Management of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in breast cancer patients receiving the combination chemotherapy with anthracycline and cyclophosphamide were also compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pharmacists spent 75 hours per month in patient education and adverse drug reactions monitoring, which led to the reduction of the workload of physicians. As a consequence, the number of outpatients and the resultant hospital revenue markedly increased. In addition, facilitation of proper use of anti-emetic drugs led to the improved control of chemotherapy-induced nausea with reducing the cost for anti-emesis by 16%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pharmacists contributed to the improved efficiency of medical practices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Gifu University Hospital, Yanagido, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirotoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iihara
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: Sayoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurahashi
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itoh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004469:Economics, Hospital; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010595:Pharmacists; D024382:Professional Role; D011786:Quality Control; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D018943:Anthracyclines; D000932:Antiemetics; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003520:Cyclophosphamide