Clinical 15
Pharmacy Practice News • June 2014
Oncology More Aggressive Care Needed Jessica Poirier Duda, PharmD, BCOP, a clinical specialist pharmacist in hematology/oncology at the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital & Richard J. Solove Research Institute at The Ohio State University, in Columbus, said she was not surprised by the results of either study because other investigators have documented poor adherence to guideline therapy. “Both studies confirm the need for appropriate supportive-care medications while patients are on specific chemotherapy agents, such as aspirin for immunomodulatory agents and acyclovir for proteasome inhibitors,” Dr. Duda commented. She added that the studies confirm the risks for certain significant adverse drug events when appropriate prophylaxis is not used. Beyond that, “there are two important take-away points,” Dr. Duda said. “One, there is still an important need for pharmacist interventions to make
‘I plan to present my findings to the physicians who care for these patients, and I hope to develop a best practice advisory to incorporate into the [CPOE] system.’ —Ruth Dede, PharmD sure patients are prescribed appropriate prophylaxis. There are many potential interventions to improve adherence, such as the development of chemotherapy treatment plans, medication reconciliation with chemotherapy, and nursing and
provider in-services. Second, we have a unique opportunity to educate patients on these supportive therapies, so they understand the importance of why they need to take the medications to improve adherence.” For example, she said, there
is a difference between telling patients they need to start acyclovir while on bortezomib, and explaining the risk for shingles with bortezomib and the importance of taking acyclovir as prescribed. Overall, Dr. Duda said, the studies underscore the importance of active involvement of pharmacists to ensure safe and appropriate delivery of chemotherapy. —Kate O’Rourke Drs. Chang, Dede and Duda reported no relevant financial conflicts of interest.
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NEW PRODUCT
CutisPharma Releases Oral Vancomycin Solution Kit
C
utisPharma has announced the introduction of FIRST®Vancomycin oral solution compounding kits for the treatment of Clostridium difficile. The solution can be compounded in 60 seconds by adding a premeasured measured white grape–fllavored solution n to a bottle of preweighed vancomycin hydrochloride powder and shaking the components to achieve the desired admixture, the company noted in a press release. The first-line therapy for mild to moderate cases of C. difficile is metronidazole, and the second-line therapy for severe infections or treatment failure is oral vancomycin, according to CutisPharma. These antibiotics, however, are only commercially available in oral solid dosage forms. The FIRST® -Vancomycin oral solution compounding kit provides an alternative for patients who have difficulty swallowing and for those who require feeding tubes. Pharmacists frequently use lyophilized, sterile vancomycin hydrochloride powder for injection and sterile water for injection to compound an oral vancomycin solution. This process can take up to 20 minutes and the solution can be unpalatable for some patients, the company noted. The kits are available in two concentrations: a 25 mg/mL strength in 5and 10-ounce sizes, and a 50 mg/mL strength in 5-, 7- and 10-ounce sizes, “for multiple and flexible dosing,” CutisPharma stated. For more information, visit www.cutispharma.com.
—Paul Bufano
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