Cancer safety prescribing

Question 1

Common medication errors

Answer 1

wrong patient
contraindicated medicine
wrong drug/ingredient
wrong dose/frequency
wrong formulation
wrong administration route
poor handwriting
incorrect IV administration
poor record keepinh
paediatric doses
poor administration techniques

Question 2

Why is chemotherapy prescribing different?

Answer 2

narrow therapeutic index
very toxic
patient specific dosage eg. body surface area (BSA)
multi-drug regimens
multiple day dosing
variable cycle lengths

Question 3

What is different about writing chemotherapy prescriptions?

Answer 3

must have consent form for each new regimen
awareness of side effects
first cycle prescribed by consultant
verified by pharmacist
funding approved