Enhancing access to expensive oncology medications in Pakistan: The critical role of pharmaceutical patient assistance programs in oncology care.

This article aims to explore the access of patient assistance program (PAPs) and the role of pharmacists in improving access to oncology care in Pakistan. PAPs aim to reduce the financial burden of cancer in Pakistan, with pharmaceutical companies providing medication at reduced costs, ranging from 33% to 90%. Pharmacists play a pivotal role in managing these programs, facilitating PAP, pharmacist, oncology care setting, cancer therapy more accessible to those who faced financial barriers to accessing them.

Examining clinical pharmacist interventions and identifying opioid medication-related issues in patients with cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Opioid medications are crucial for managing pain among patients with cancer. Yet, inappropriate prescribing and medication issues can compromise patient safety and quality of care. Clinical pharmacists play a significant role in optimizing opioid therapy and addressing issues related to opioid medication use. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine clinical pharmacist interventions and identify opioid medication-related issues in patients with cancer. METHOD: We conducted a retrospective observational study at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center in Lahore, Pakistan, conducting a chart review from 1st July 2021 to 31st December 2021. RESULTS: Out of 10,534 opioid medication orders, we documented a total of 974 interventions based on our inclusion criteria. Tramadol and morphine accounted for most of these interventions, comprising 49.27% (n = 475) and 40.04% (n = 386), respectively. Regarding clinical significance, 41.70% (n = 406) were deemed significant, while 37.36% (n = 365) were somewhat significant. The majority of interventions, i.e., 54.05% (n = 521), primarily aimed at optimizing patient outcomes, followed by a secondary aim of improvements in communication, i.e., 25.52% (n = 246). CONCLUSION: This study establishes the evaluation of clinical pharmacist interventions on opioid medication use in patients with cancer, an issue particularly in oncology settings in Pakistan. The findings emphasize the crucial role of clinical pharmacists in addressing issues related to opioid issue medications, thus improving patient safety and optimizing opioid use for patient well-being.

Anti-cancer medicine shortages in an oncology tertiary hospital of Pakistan: A five-year retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Anti-cancer medicine shortages are advancing challenges for patients and hospitals. This study aims to evaluate anti-cancer and supportive medicine shortages in a tertiary hospital in Pakistan and propose solutions. METHOD: A retrospective observational research was performed in a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan from 2016 to 2020. Data was retrieved from the hospital database using a questionnaire regarding short medicines' generic name, brand, dosage, source, total source, frequency, causes, impact, management, and analyzed by Microsoft Excel 2013. RESULTS: Between January 2016 and December 2020, 43 individual medicine shortages were observed, with an average of 8.6 shortages per year. There were shortages of 22 medicines, including 8 anti-cancer (36.4%) and 14 supportive agents (63.6%). Total shortage days were 27,100, with an average of 1232 days (SD 757) per medicine. Supportive medicines' shortages were frequent, but oncology agents' shortages were constant. The most affected dosage form was injection. Cardiovascular drugs and alkylating agents were the most affected class in supportive and anti-cancer medicines, respectively. The use of "alternative medicine" and "patient needs based importation" were the most common mitigation strategies. CONCLUSION: Shortages of oncology medicines are challenging in Pakistan. The most prominent causes are the lack of updated governmental regulations, registration, and import issues. The tertiary care hospital has very few sources of supply, so it imports these drugs on a need basis to manage the shortages. But it is still concerning because of the huge financial burden on patients and institutions due to expensive import, and therapy become delayed as the import process takes time. Moreover, the most affected drug class was alkylating agents, and dosage was both injectable and oral medicines.

Comparative study of oral and IV dexamethasone premedication in the prevention of docetaxel induced allergic reactions.

BACKGROUND: The hypersensitivity reactions after docetaxel administration is a main concern in this study. The aim of this study is to check the incidence of hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) after receiving a single dose of intravenous dexamethasone before docetaxel administration. METHOD: In this retrospective study, 1 year data from Jan 1st 2018 to Dec 31st 2018 was retrieved from hospital information system (HIS). We examined 210 patients who visited hospital during the last 12 months during their cancer treatment and took dexamethasone orally 3 days prior to docetaxel administration or 20 mg intravenously before 15 minutes of docetaxel. RESULTS: Out of 210 patients, only 50 patients were taking IV dexamethasone injection prior to docetaxel constitutes only 23.5% while patients who were taking oral dexamethasone were found to be 160 which constitutes 75%. There was no hypersensitivity reaction with oral and IV dexamethasone before docetaxel administration. Majority of the patients were without taking oral dexamethasone before docetaxel administration which not only saved time but also improve patient compliance. CONCLUSION: No hypersensitivity reaction had been found either in oral or intravenous dexamethasone prior to docetaxel administration by using patient data from Hospital Information System (HIS). However, intravenous dexamethasone not only improve patient compliance but also reduce the risk of hypersensitivity reactions but the cost of intravenous dexamethasone is higher than the cost of oral dexamethasone. In conclusion, single dose of intravenous IV dexamethasone is preferred treatment option.

Extrapyramidal symptoms resulting from risperidone use in a four year old child: A case report.

Extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) are the major constraint in the use of antipsychotic agents. It is usually forewarned whenever therapy with these agents is considered. In this case, we present a child diagnosed with relapsed Wilm's tumour, who developed EPS just after a short duration of initiation of risperidone prescribed as an appetite stimulant. The patient became symptom free after management and risperidone was discontinued. Although risperidone has been approved to treat different indications in adolescents and children, scarce scientific evidence and our case report, are suggestive of further studies to establish safety of risperidone use in preschool children.

A repeated point prevalence survey of antimicrobial use in specialized cancer care hospital of Pakistan: findings and implications.

Background: The extensive use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials in immunocompromised patients is inevitable in situations where culture and sensitivity testing is challenging. However, their overuse leads to an increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is a growing concern. Method: A repeated point prevalence survey (PPS) was conducted to assess the pattern of antimicrobial prescribing in a specialized cancer care hospital in Pakistan using the methodology employed by the European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control. Results: Out of 313 hospitalized patients, 156 (49.8%) were prescribed one or more antimicrobials, 82 (50.9) in 2017 and 74 (48.7) in 2018. The average bed occupancy in the hospital was 80.3%. Fever in neutropenic patients (20.2%), lower respiratory tract infections (17.8%), and sepsis (14.9%) were the three most common clinical indications. The total number of prescribed antimicrobials was 242, of whom, 41 (16.9%) were given orally and 201 (83.1%) were given parenterally. The most commonly used antimicrobials were piperacillin plus enzyme inhibitor (31.8%), meropenem (7.9%), ceftriaxone (6.2%) and vancomycin (6.2%). Of the total prescribed antimicrobials, 42 (17.3%) antimicrobials were used in surgical departments, 89 (36.8) in adult medical departments, 73 (30.1%) in pediatric medical departments and 38 (15.7) in the intensive care unit (ICU). In addition to these antibacterials, there was relatively high use of antivirals (acyclovir; 4.1%) and antifungals (fluconazole; 3.7%, amphotericin B; 2.9%). Conclusion: The study concluded that broad-spectrum antimicrobial usage in cancer hospitals in Pakistan is high, which can be a risk factor for the emergence of AMR. Repeated PPS is a fruitful way to maintain a focus on inappropriate antimicrobial use and develop pertinent intervention programs targeteing specific issues to improve future use.