A nationwide survey of hospital pharmacist interventions to improve polypharmacy for patients with cancer in palliative care in Japan.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There is no nationwide data on polypharmacy in palliative care in Japan. In this study, the research committee of the Japanese Society for Pharmaceutical Palliative Care and Sciences conducted an online survey on polypharmacy and inappropriate prescriptions involving its members who worked as hospital pharmacists.

Methods

The online questionnaire included questions about hospital pharmacist interventions for cancer patients who regularly used six or more drugs during a two-month period from October to November 2017.

Results

Of 2618 hospital pharmacists, 359 responded (13.7%). With regard to cancer patients receiving opioids, 40.9 and 22.3% of the respondents replied that percentages of patients prescribed six or more regular medications were "40-69%" and "7

SUBMITTER: Uchida M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6607579 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature