The Role of Clinical Pharmacists in Reducing Adverse Drug Reactions in Oncology Patients: A Multicenter study

Abstract

Author(s): Omar Abdulwahid Salih Al-Ani*

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a significant concern in oncology, impacting patient safety, treatment adherence, and quality of life. Clinical pharmacists play a vital role in identifying, managing, and preventing ADRs in cancer patients. This study is a multicenter trial with the objective to assess the effectiveness of clinical pharmacists in the prevention of ADRs in onco-hematology patients receiving chemotherapy, immunology, or targeted therapy. The study had a prospective design and involved 500 adult oncology patients with 150-200 subjects from each of the three centers. Patients were followed for 6 months and those with high ADR risk were identified. Clinical pharmacists in this study proactively addressed medications and potential drug interactions through Lexi-Interact® and Micromedex® databases as well as offering suggestions for action. The QoL of the patients was evaluated by the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire, which includes patient-reported outcomes. Data was analyzed using SPSS® version 25.0 and p < 0.05 was used as the level of significance. The findings indicated that the radical group had a significant decrease in severe ADRs compared to the control group (p<0.05) and had increased compliance in receiving chemotherapy schedules (92% and 84% respectively; p= 0.015). Quality of life was significantly better in the intervention group (M= 78.4; SD = 12.1 vs M = 70.3; SD = 15.5; t = -2.3; p = 0.002) and hospitalizations and treatment drop out were significantly lower. The study concluded that clinical pharmacist interventions significantly reduced ADRs, enhanced treatment adherence, and improved patient-reported QoL, highlighting their essential role in oncology care.

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