Journal of oncology pharmacy practice : official publication of the International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners
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J Oncol Pharm Pract · Mar 2013
A controlled before and after study to evaluate a patient and health professional partnership model towards effective medication reconciliation.
Preventable medication errors impact substantially on the Australian healthcare system. Where 'poor communication of medical information at transition points is responsible for as many as 50% of all medication errors', a leading contributor for this type of medication error is lack of consumer knowledge about medicines information. This study was aimed at designing and testing the effectiveness of a consumer-healthcare professional partnership model towards effective medication reconciliation. This model aims to empower consumers about their medicines information, so that they would contribute more effectively to medication reconciliation and thereby minimise medication errors occurring at transition points. Components of this model were informed by qualitative data gleaned from patient opinion surveys, focus group sessions involving nurses, doctors and pharmacists working at the hospital and results of a literature search of medication safety tools. Programme development was informed by health improvement approaches centred on a Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle. Evaluation for effectiveness was conducted within a framework of a controlled before and after study. ⋯ revealed that there was a 1.4-fold increase in the reporting rate of pharmacists intervention. The study could not demonstrate that the designed intervention was effective in minimising near-misses. However, there is statistically insignificant reduction in errors for patients that were correctly exposed to the intervention. Anecdotal evidence suggests there is utility for a patient population keen to claim greater ownership of their medicines information. Further, we advocate that patient education about medicines and the establishment of a consumer-healthcare professional model occur prior to ward admission.
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J Oncol Pharm Pract · Mar 2013
Adherence to hepatitis B screening and prophylactic lamivudine for prevention of rituximab-associated hepatitis B reactivation.
Treatment with rituximab can be associated with hepatitis B reactivation leading to fulminant hepatitis and sometimes fatal hepatitis. The manufacturer has recommended screening the high-risk patients and monitoring hepatitis B virus carriers during and several months after the therapy. Prophylaxis with lamivudine has been recommended to prevent reactivation in hepatitis B virus carriers receiving rituximab. An institutional guideline was developed and implemented. This study evaluated the adherence to these clinical guidelines of hepatitis B screening in patients receiving rituximab-based treatment, the use of lamivudine prophylaxis, and the prevalence of positive hepatitis B virus surface antigen in this patient population in southeast Michigan. ⋯ The prevalence of hepatitis B virus surface antigen positivity is low in this study; however, antibody to hepatitis B virus core antigen positivity is high. Education to clinicians is warranted to increase awareness and further improve adherence to the clinical guidelines.
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J Oncol Pharm Pract · Dec 2012
Case ReportsPseudohyperkalemia in a patient with chronic lymphoblastic leukemia and tumor lysis syndrome.
Recognition of pseudohyperkalemia is essential to prevent medical mismanagement of erroneous hyperkalemia. The purpose of this case is to describe pseudohyperkalemia attributed to malignant leucocytosis in a patient with chronic lymphoblastic leukemia and tumor lysis syndrome. Methods for determination of pseudohyperkalemia are discussed. ⋯ This case describes pseudohyperkalemia attributed to malignant leucocytosis in a patient with chronic lymphoblastic leukemia (CLL). Practitioners should consider pseudohyperkalemia as the underlying cause of elevated potassium levels in patients with malignant leucocytosis who do not have signs or symptoms of systemic hyperkalemia.
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J Oncol Pharm Pract · Dec 2012
Case ReportsSuspected serotonin syndrome in a patient being treated with methylene blue for ifosfamide encephalopathy.
Methylene blue has been used not only as a diagnostic agent, but also as an agent in the treatment of ifosfamide-induced encephalopathy (IIE) for several years. Recently, several cases of suspected serotonin syndrome have been reported in patients who received methylene blue in combination with serotonin active agents. ⋯ To date, cases of serotonin syndrome, which resulted from concurrent methylene blue and serotonin active agents, have been published in the anesthesia literature. We report the first known case of serotonin syndrome in a patient receiving methylene blue for IIE.
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J Oncol Pharm Pract · Sep 2012
Deaths reported from the accidental intrathecal administration of bortezomib.
Medication errors due to the inadvertent intrathecal administration of vincristine and other antineoplastic agents continue to occur despite the development of preventative strategies. Three fatalities due to bortezomib being accidentally given intrathecally instead of by the intended intravenous route have recently been reported by the European Medicines Agency. ⋯ A number of recommendations aimed at preventing the possibility of accidental intrathecal administration of bortezomib are made. These need to be incorporated into standard practice internationally and pharmacists must take the lead to ensure this occurs as a matter of urgency.