Despite widespread adoption of independent checks for administering intravenous chemotherapy there remain very few such safeguards for oral chemotherapies, new research indicates.

In the study, now online ahead of print in the Journal of Oncology Practice (doi: 10.1200/JOP.2015.005892), Canadian researchers observed and interviewed 28 staff members at cancer center clinics, one cancer center pharmacy, and four community pharmacies. A total of 57 systematic independent checks for intravenous chemotherapy were found, but only six for oral agents. When partial checks were included there were 64 checks for IV medications and 17 for orally administered drugs.

Although the study focused on processes in Nova Scotia, recent investigations in the United States have similarly found major shortcomings.

The research was led by Melissa C. Griffin, MHSc, a clinical engineer at the Techna Institute, HumanEra, of the Centre for Global eHealth Innovation, University Health Network in Toronto, and involved other researchers at UHN, the University of Toronto, and Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.

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