Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.) logoLink to British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.)
. 1983 Jan 1;286(6358):32–36. doi: 10.1136/bmj.286.6358.32

Development and operation of a pharmacy-based intravenous cytotoxic reconstitution service.

M Anderson, D Brassington, J Bolger
PMCID: PMC1546658  PMID: 6401452

Abstract

An intravenous cytotoxic reconstitution service has proved extremely popular with both medical and nursing staff. Since the pharmacy has taken over the responsibility for presenting these medicines in a readily usable form, many potential hazards to inexperienced medical staff have been eliminated, and much time and money have been saved. The pharmacists are in an excellent position to offer advice on many aspects of excellent position to offer advice on many aspects of cytotoxic treatment and are well equipped to spot prescription errors. They are often asked to supply information concerning rates and methods of administration as well as compatibility data of different diluents with various cytotoxic agents. The eventual objective of the service is to provide reconstituted cytotoxic drugs for all patients in the pharmaceutical district receiving chemotherapy. As it is not practical to have pharmacists available 24 hours a day, some form of batch production of syringe-loaded drugs could be used. In the immediate future the practicality of storing syringe-loaded drugs in a deep freeze (at -20 degrees C) with rapid thawing will be considered.

Full text

PDF
32

Images in this article

33FIG 2
on p.33
36p36-a
on p.36

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Brooke D., Bequette R. J., Davis R. E. Chemical stability of cyclophosphamide in parenteral solutions. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1973 Feb;30(2):134–137. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Donner A. L. Possible risk of working with antineoplastic drugs in horizontal laminar flow hoods. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1978 Aug;35(8):900–900. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Falck K., Gröhn P., Sorsa M., Vainio H., Heinonen E., Holsti L. R. Mutagenicity in urine of nurses handling cytostatic drugs. Lancet. 1979 Jun 9;1(8128):1250–1251. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(79)91939-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Harris C. C. The carcinogenicity of anticancer drugs: a hazard in man. Cancer. 1976 Feb;37(2 Suppl):1014–1023. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197602)37:2+<1014::aid-cncr2820370805>3.0.co;2-z. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hoffman D. M., Grossano D. D., Damin L., Woodcock T. M. Stability of refrigerated and frozen solutions of doxorubicin hydrochloride. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1979 Nov;36(11):1536–1538. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hoffman D. M. The handling of antineoplastic drugs in a major cancer center. Hosp Pharm. 1980 Jun;15(6):302–304. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kirschenbaum B. E., Latiolas C. J. Stability of injectable medications after reconstitution. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1976 Aug;33(8):767–791. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Knowles R. S., Virden J. E. Handling of injectable antineoplastic agents. Br Med J. 1980 Aug 30;281(6240):589–591. doi: 10.1136/bmj.281.6240.589. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ladik C. F., Stoehr G. P., Maurer M. A. Precautionary measures in the preparation of antineoplastics. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1980 Sep;37(9):1184–1186. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lassila O., Toivanen A., Nordman E. Immune function in nurses handling cytostatic drugs. Lancet. 1980 Aug 30;2(8192):482–482. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(80)91920-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Reimer R. R., Hoover R., Fraumeni J. F., Jr, Young R. C. Acute leukemia after alkylating-agent therapy of ovarian cancer. N Engl J Med. 1977 Jul 28;297(4):177–181. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197707282970402. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Rosner F. Acute leukemia as a delayed consequence of cancer chemotherapy. Cancer. 1976 Feb;37(2 Suppl):1033–1036. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197602)37:2+<1033::aid-cncr2820370807>3.0.co;2-u. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Rosner F., Grünwald H. Multiple myeloma terminating in acute leukemia. Report of 12 cases and review of the literature. Am J Med. 1974 Dec;57(6):927–939. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(74)90171-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Sieber S. M., Adamson R. H. Toxicity of antineoplastic agents in man, chromosomal aberrations antifertility effects, congenital malformations, and carcinogenic potential. Adv Cancer Res. 1975;22:57–155. doi: 10.1016/s0065-230x(08)60176-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Tortorici M. P. Precautions followed by personnel involved with the preparation of parenteral antineoplastic medications. Hosp Pharm. 1980 Jun;15(6):293, 295-6, 298-9 passim. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Zimmerman P. F., Larsen R. K., Barkley E. W., Gallelli J. F. Recommendations for the safe handling of injectable antineoplastic drug products. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1981 Nov;38(11):1693–1695. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Medical Journal (Clinical research ed.) are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES