[Reduction in Patient Waiting Times in Pharmacies by a Protocol to Minimize Inquiries to Doctors under an Agreement between a Hospital and Community Pharmacies].

Cooperative care between hospitals and community pharmacies is important to safe and effective pharmacotherapy for outpatients. We developed a protocol comprising three agreements about alternative drugs and dosing schedules with the aim of minimizing inquiries about prescriptions to doctors. The protocol was implemented under an agreement between core hospitals in Gifu City and community pharmacy members of the Gifu City Pharmaceutical Association from October 2019. Here, we examined the impact of this protocol on patient waiting time in pharmacies. Before introduction of the protocol, median patient waiting time for questionable prescriptions requiring an inquiry to a doctor was significantly longer than that for prescriptions not requiring an inquiry (23.0 min vs. 10.0 min, p<0.001). After introduction of the protocol, median time for prescriptions which were questionable but nevertheless under the protocol did not require an inquiry to a doctor was significantly reduced compared with those which were questionable and still did require an inquiry (15.0 min vs. 24.0 min, p=0.038). In conclusion, introduction of a protocol aimed at minimizing inquiries about prescriptions to doctors from a community pharmacy was useful in reducing the waiting time of patients, and also likely in decreasing the working times of medical doctors and pharmacists.

[Suggestion of Approached Method and the Personal Prescription Notebook Proposed for Pharmacotherapeutic Management of Patients with a Memory Disorder].

Patients with cognitive dysfunction caused by dysmnesia face difficulties in memorizing and learning general concepts; therefore, they encounter trouble in taking medications. Recently, a prescription notebook has been shown to be useful for patients receiving pharmacotherapy; however, it is not yet clear whether a common prescription notebook is useful for patients with a memory disorder. In our study, using a questionnaire for 61 patients, we first determined the benefits of and improvement in the drug administration guidance provided by a pharmacist to patients with a memory disorder compared with those undergoing medical examination by a doctor. Although 35-74% of patients could not communicate with a pharmacist or doctor, most found it easier to communicate with a pharmacist than with a doctor. Moreover, we investigated whether a common prescription notebook and our designed notebook, called the personal notebook, were useful to patients with a memory disorder. Although 89% of patients with a memory disorder use a common prescription notebook, 41% of them answered that they found it difficult to use. On the other hand, 66% of the patients with a memory disorder answered that they wished to use the personal notebook. Remarkably, all patients within 5 years of onset of a memory disorder wished to use this notebook. These findings indicate that it is useful for patients within 5 years of onset of a memory disorder to use the personal notebook. We propose a method to improve the use of a prescription notebook for patients with a memory disorder through this survey.

Comparison between hypersensitivity reactions to cycles of modified FOLFOX6 and XELOX therapies in patients with colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE: Although hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) to oxaliplatin (L-OHP) therapy are well-documented, few reports have compared different therapies in terms of HSR occurrence. In this study, we compared the frequency and pattern of HSRs to modified FOLFOX6 (mFOLFOX6; 5-fluorouracil, levofolinate calcium and L-OHP infusions) and XELOX (capecitabine and L-OHP) therapies, and sought to identify risk factors associated with HSRs. METHODS: Patients who had received mFOLFOX6 or XELOX chemotherapeutic regimens for unresectable colon or rectal cancer or as adjuvant chemotherapy following colon cancer surgery between April 2012 and August 2015 were included. Potential correlation between treatment modalities (regimen, dosage and route of administration of L-OHP, and injection timing for dexamethasone administration) and HSRs was assessed. RESULTS: Among the 240 patients included in the study, 136 had received mFOLFOX6 therapy and 104 had received XELOX therapy. Although the frequency of HSRs did not differ between the two groups, incidence of HSRs in the first cycle was higher in the XELOX therapy group. Treatment method or cumulative dosage was not identified as a risk factor for HSR; however, the incidence of ≥grade-2 HSR was higher in cases where the cumulative L-OHP dosage was ≥600 mg/m2 and in patients in whom dexamethasone was not co-infused with L-OHP. CONCLUSION: Although HSR rates were comparable among patients treated with mFOLFOX6 and XELOX, HSRs tended to occur more frequently during the first cycle of XELOX therapy as compared to that with mFOLFOX6 therapy. Our findings warrant careful assessment of ≥grade-2 HSRs in patients who are prescribed cumulative L-OHP dosages of ≥600 mg/m2.

Neutropenia as a prognostic factor and safety of second-line therapy with S-1 for advanced or recurrent pancreatic cancer.

The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the safety of S-1 as second-line therapy and to evaluate the association between neutropenia occurring during first-line gemcitabine (GEM) therapy and survival for advanced or recurrent pancreatic cancer (APC). Between January, 2010 and December, 2014, 123 APC patients received chemotherapy at the Ogaki Municipal Hospital (Ogaki, Japan). Of those, 37 received GEM as first-line and S-1 as a second-line therapy (GEM→S-1 group). A further 60 patients received GEM as first-line therapy, but did not receive second-line therapy (GEM group). The median overall survival in the GEM→S-1 (n=37) and GEM (n=60) groups was 323 days [95% confidence interval (CI): 138-218.9 days] and 172 days (95% CI: 105-184.4 days), respectively (P=0.0004). The median overall survival in the mild (grade ≤2; n=63) and severe (grade ≥3; n=34) neutropenia groups was 178 days (95% CI: 182-275 days) and 330 days (95% CI: 297-514 days), respectively (log-rank test, P=0.0023). The severe non-haematological toxicities associated with S-1 as second-line therapy were nausea (2.7%) and hand-foot syndrome (2.7%). Second-line S-1 treatment was discontinued due to adverse events in 5.4% (2/37) of the cases. In conclusion, neutropenia occurring during GEM therapy administered as first-line treatment to APC patients was strongly associated with a better prognosis. S-1 therapy as second-line treatment was associated with a low incidence of severe adverse events and the patients were able to successfully continue treatment.

Effect of renal function on pemetrexed-induced haematotoxicity.

PURPOSE: Pemetrexed (PEM) is an anticancer agent used for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma and thymoma. Reportedly, PEM has higher efficacy and safety when used in combination with platinum-based agents. However, there are only few reports on the safety of PEM in patients with an eGFR of ≤45 mL/min. We examined the effect of renal function on the safety of regimens containing PEM. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 221 patients with lung cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma or thymoma who received treatment with a PEM-containing regimen between 2009 and 2014. Subgroup analyses were performed on the basis of pre-treatment renal function: group A [creatinine clearance (CLcr), <45 mL/min]; group B (CLcr, 45-80 mL/min); and group C (CLcr, ≥80 mL/min). For the purpose of this analysis, the lowest documented blood cell counts and haemoglobin levels, the highest levels of serum creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and CLcr from the time of initial administration up to prior to the start of second administration were considered. RESULTS: Groups A, B and C had 8, 123 and 90 patients, respectively. The incidence of grade 2 thrombocytopaenia was significantly higher in group A as compared to that in groups B (P < 0.01) and C (P < 0.05). On multivariate analysis, only a CLcr of <45 mL/min was an independent risk factor for thrombocytopaenia of ≥grade 2. CONCLUSION: When administering a PEM-containing regimen, thrombocytopaenia of ≥grade 2 is more likely to develop in patients with a CLcr of <45 mL/min.

Influence of serum albumin levels during opioid rotation from morphine or oxycodone to fentanyl for cancer pain.

Morphine, oxycodone, and fentanyl are commonly used to control cancer pain. Because these drugs have differences in receptor affinity or pharmacokinetic parameters, changing the opioid formulation may result in an unexpected outcome, depending on the patient's condition. This study investigated whether low serum protein levels influence the effectiveness of opioid rotation by determining the impact of serum albumin levels on the analgesic effect before and after opioid rotation from morphine or oxycodone to fentanyl in cancer patients. The patients were classified into 3 groups according to their serum albumin levels before opioid rotation: group 1, <2.5 g/dL; group 2, from 2.5 g/dL to <3.0 g/dL; and group 3, ≥3.0 g/dL. There was no significant change in the percentage of patients with good pain control after rotation in group 1 or group 2; however, the percentage of patients with good pain control increased significantly in group 3. When the percentage of patients whose numerical rating scale scores increased, were unchanged, or decreased after rotation were compared, a significant difference in the percentage of those showing improvement was noted among the 3 groups and between groups 1 and 3. These findings suggest that monitoring serum albumin levels during fentanyl therapy is useful for pain management, and that the effectiveness of opioid rotation to fentanyl in patients with serum albumin levels of <2.5 g/dL should be carefully evaluated after rotation.

[An appropriate opioid rotation method for treatment of cancer pain--nationwide usage survey of opioid analgesics].

The use of opioid for treatment of cancer pain has become common with the spread of the WHO method for relief of cancer pain. However, it cannot yet be said whether such usage is appropriate. To understand how opioid analgesics are actually used, we conducted a nationwide mail-based questionnaire survey of doctors dealing with cancer pain treatment. Results indicate that at opioid rotation to fentanyl patch due to insufficient effect, the second opioid is used in a potency equianalgesic or less of the first, so the efficacy of the second is often insufficient. In cases where previous medication had an insufficient effect, taking rescue doses into account, we believe it is important to rotate opioid at 30- 50% above the equianalgesic dose.