Stability of Hospira filgrastim following changes to thermal and photic storage conditions
Study objectives: Protein-based medicines have specific storage requirements to ensure chemical stability and purity, but exposure to different environmental conditions can occur in normal use. The effect of extended unrefrigerated… Read More »
Practical stability studies: a powerful approach for reducing the cost of monoclonal antibodies
Abstract:Contrary to manufacturer’s product specifications, the stability over time of monoclonal antibody-based drugs is greater than widely assumed, according to extensive investigations on the effects of different conditions on physicochemical… Read More »
Clinical pharmacy interventions in oncology
Abstract:Medication errors can lead to inappropriate use or harm, and can occur anywhere along the prescribing continuum. The pharmacist can play an important role in evaluating and reporting errors, and… Read More »
New stability studies for fludarabine according to the European Pharmacopoeia 7.0
Abstract:New stability tests of fludarabine in standard, therapeutically relevant concentrations were performed. A new HPLC method was used which separates all related substances mentioned in the European Pharmacopoeia. Stability could… Read More »
Food interactions and oral anticancer therapy
Abstract:Oral delivery for anticancer drugs is an attractive option, especially for palliative treatment. As this approach becomes more widely used, however, it is imperative to consider interactions that do not… Read More »
Managed-entry agreements as a way of enabling patient access to innovation
Abstract:Conditional reimbursement schemes between pharmaceutical companies and purchasers have been pioneered by the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA). This article provides an insight into the aims of AIFA’s ‘managed-entry scheme’, the… Read More »
New drugs—how much are they worth: the Italian experience
Abstract:The financing and delivery of health care in Italy, including current schemes to limit the growth in pharmaceutical expenditure, are discussed. Of particular focus is the Onco-AIFA (Agenzia Italiana del… Read More »
Treatment of metastatic breast cancer: an overview
Abstract:Important progress has been achieved in the field of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in the last decade. The integration of targeted agents either with endocrine or chemotherapy currently represents the… Read More »
Treatment of early breast cancer: an overview
Abstract:In the western world, adjuvant systemic therapy together with widespread use of screening has led to a consistent decrease in breast cancer mortality since the nineties. This review article summarises… Read More »
Clinical rule on safe methotrexate prescribing and dispensing in The Netherlands
Abstract:A national clinical rule for proper handling of methotrexate was developed and implemented in The Netherlands in 2010 following a number of fatal incidents. The aim was to increase patient… Read More »
Storage containers for cytostatic agents: an overlooked aspect of shelf life
Abstract:The need for extended shelf lives for cytostatic agents requires the use of appropriate storage containers. It is important that hospital pharmacies obtain further information from manufacturers of the containers… Read More »
Pharmacist prescribers in cancer care: innovate, challenge and inspire
Abstract:2003–04 saw the first qualified pharmacist prescriber in the UK. Cancer care pharmacists embraced this opportunity and, with the emergence of oral chemotherapy, redesigned services. Pharmacists are experts in medicines… Read More »
IAPO Patient-Centred Healthcare Indicators Review summary
Abstract:This paper explores IAPO’s (International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations) Patient-Centred Healthcare Indicators Review, which sought to identify and assess current initiatives aiming to measure the patient-centredness of organizations, countries and… Read More »
How can we improve safe handling of antineoplastic drugs: can devices be helpful
Abstract:Safe handling procedures should be implemented in all areas where antineoplastic drugs are delivered, stored, prepared, administered, and disposed of in order to reduce contamination in the workplace and the… Read More »
Drug shortages and ensuring the quality of medicine
Abstract:Drug shortages are a growing problem worldwide. Patients find themselves without access to life-saving medicines, and susceptible to threats from illegal or substandard alternatives. The problem is a complex one… Read More »
Cancer care in the Holy City of Karbala, Iraq
Abstract:Following war and economic crisis, Iraq’s health system is in a poor state. In the Holy City of Karbala cancer patients are among those who suffer the most. There is… Read More »
Personalized medicine with tyrosine kinase inhibitors: the erlotinib case
Abstract:Large variability in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of tyrosine kinase inhibitors warrants dose stratification rather than the use of fixed doses in all patients. Large population-based studies are required to… Read More »
The use of bar codes in hospitals – a pharmaceutical perspective
Abstract:The identification of medication at the moment of administration has been an issue for a long period of time. Identifying bar codes provide an assurance that the right medication has… Read More »
Monitoring of treatment toxicity in oncology patients in clinical practice
Abstract:An example of pharmacovigilance application in Italy is presented. In a multicentre, observational study, toxicities among patients receiving intravenous oncology treatments for breast cancer and colorectal cancer were gathered and… Read More »
The pharmacovigilance pharmacist in the service of the patient
Abstract:The new good pharmacovigilance practice legislation aspires to excellent protection and promotion of public health and offers a rare opportunity to strengthen and rationalise public health; however, full and effective… Read More »
Community pharmacists: are they the missing link
Abstract:Community and specialized pharmacies play a central role in ensuring the provision of necessary medications for cancer patients. New challenges have arisen in the form of oral cytotoxic drugs and… Read More »
Guidelines for supportive care and rehabilitation in oncology: where are we in 2012
Abstract:The ASORS working group of the German Cancer Society is drafting a set of guidelines on supportive care and rehabilitation for cancer patients that aim to be evidence-based and as… Read More »
Trabectedin + pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) is back!
Abstract:Oncologists have welcomed the return of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) after an 18-month halt in production. Patients with recurrent ovarian cancer benefit from PLD as monotherapy or in combination with… Read More »
ECOP 2012 Conference Report
Abstract:ESOP held its first conference from 27–29 September 2012 in Budapest, Hungary. The Scientific Programme included ‘clinical’ and ‘practical’ track. The keynote lecture focused on personalized anticancer therapy, prominent themes… Read More »
Saving money in the European healthcare systems with biosimilars
Abstract: Introduction:The use of biotechnological manufactured drugs, or biologicals, has increased massively over the past few years. Used especially in the treatment of cancer and other severe diseases, biologicals incur… Read More »
Radio-frequency identification – a useful tool in the preparation and administration of cyto statics
Abstract:Improper handling or use of cytostatic drugs can endanger patients and hospital staff. The Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute (MMCI) has implemented a system to improve the quality and safety of… Read More »
Oncology pharmacist in the decision-making process—health technology appraisal
Abstract: Health Technology Assessment is essential for the managed entry of new cancer medicines into clinical practice. The cancer pharmacist has an integral role in this process, working closely with clinicians… Read More »
Report from the 6th Masterclass in Oncology Pharmacy
Abstract:The 6th Masterclass in Oncology Pharmacy, organized by ESOP and the Austrian Society of Oncology Pharmacy, attracted delegates worldwide to discuss theoretical and practical aspects of oncology pharmacy. The 6th… Read More »
36th ESMO Congress report: practice changing studies and personalized treatment
Abstract:The 37th Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) held 28 September to 2 October 2012 in Vienna, Austria, was a record breaker on all levels. With 16,394… Read More »
Circulating knowledge: an oncology pharmacist improves quality in patient care
Abstract:One of the central Asian countries, Kazakhstan–as big as Europe with only 16 million people–is looking for western-level health care. An intrepid oncology pharmacist reports how she introduced new equipment… Read More »
Hannah, you can do it!
Abstract:Hannah, you can do it! is a guide of the difficult stages of leukaemia in children illustrated through the entire course of little Hannah’s medical treatment. The issues are told… Read More »
Integral oncology patient information system (OncoBASS): 5-year assessment
Abstract:Computerized drug-ordering software can prevent medical errors and provide benefits to the patient. The OncoBASS project was developed as an integral oncology patient information system. Five-year results from inception of… Read More »
Pharmacologic treatment of cancer-induced pain
Abstract:No essentially new drug to treat pain has appeared over the last decades. Pain treatment in cancer has although improved and more patients may demand and achieve substantial pain relief.… Read More »
Test 1
If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame
We know about our responsibilities. We have heard the request for patient support. But has anyone else? Every second man and every third woman is diagnosed with cancer during their… Read More »
The water usually runs down the hill, but the spirit is able to climb!
As we present this issue of European Journal of Oncology Pharmacy (EJOP), the first European Conference of Oncology Pharmacy has already taken place in Budapest, Hungary, 27–29 September 2012. Over… Read More »
Pharmacists’ work—ensuring adherence
In 2003, WHO highlighted the worldwide issue of declining outcomes of chronic diseases resulting from poor adherence to treatment, describing it as a problem of ‘striking magnitude’ [1]. Adherence rates… Read More »
Packaging and Safety Symposium 2013
Each vial of a chemotherapeutic drug passes through the hands of many people around the world before it is finally administered to a patient. During the process of production, testing,… Read More »
The potential for doctors to contribute to biosimilar guidelines
EMA has developed guidelines for the regulatory approval of ‘generic’ biotechnology derived proteins, or ‘biosimilars’. The first product-specific version of these guidelines has gone through two rounds of public consultation,… Read More »
Letter of Welcome
On behalf of the European Society of Oncology Pharmacy (ESOP) and the Organising Committee, we warmly welcome you to the first European Conference of Oncology Pharmacy (ECOP), in the time-honoured… Read More »
