title: Chemotherapy drug shortages in paediatric oncology: A 14-year single-centre experience in Belgium.
abstract: Shortages of chemotherapy are a growing challenge for the healthcare system. We present the burden of drug shortages of chemotherapeutics in the paediatric hemato-oncology unit of a tertiary care hospital and solutions that were used to manage them. Between January 2001 and December 2014, 54 individual shortages were detected, affecting a total number of 21 different drugs. In total, 4127 shortage days were registered with a mean duration of 196.5 SD ± 144.0 days per individual drug shortage. Methotrexate, doxorubicin and carboplatin had the longest supply disruptions. Solutions to address the problems were purchase of a generic alternative, a change of individual treatment plans, cohorting of patients and import from abroad.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hemato-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium Department of Pharmacy, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium tiene.bauters@uzgent.be.
authors.forename: Tiene
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bauters
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Barbara Om
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Claus
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Unit, Queen Mathilde Mother and Child Center, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Antwerp University, Edegem, Belgium.
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Norga
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Huys
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Simoens
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hemato-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Geneviève
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laureys
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000600:supply & distribution* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D016568:Drugs, Generic / Q000600:supply & distribution / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016568:Drugs, Generic
keywords: Drug shortages; oncology; paediatrics