Managing Multiple Myeloma in the Face of Drug-Induced Adverse Drug Reaction.

Drug-induced liver injury has been reported to cause up to 10% of adverse drug reactions in the United States. Risk factors for druginduced liver injury include female gender, older age, interacting medications and drugs that are metabolized by the liver. This case report describes a patient who was newly initiated on tizanidine, an alpha2 adrenergic agonist used for muscle spasm and musculoskeletal pain, and bortezomib, a proteasome inhibitor used for multiple myeloma. Both medications are metabolized by cytochrome P450 isoenzyme 1A2. The medications were suspected of causing acute hepatitis based on the timing of their initiation and evidence to suggest that they can cause acute hepatitis. The Naranjo adverse drug reaction scale was scored as possible. In addition, the drugs' blood levels may have been increased by acyclovir and hydralazine, both inhibitors of cytochrome P450 isoenzyme 1A2. A dilemma for the team was how to best manage bortezomib. It is part of first line treatment for multiple myeloma when combined with lenalidomide and dexamethasone. Other proteasome inhibitors are available for multiple myeloma treatment. When starting chemotherapy, it is important to be aware of medications that cause a rise in liver enzymes, potential drug interactions, and how best to manage the clinical consequences.

Immune-checkpoint inhibitor toxicity during a pandemic: Overcoming patient fears to provide care. A case report.

BACKGROUND: Pembrolizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that is used to treat a variety of cancers. It exerts its mechanism of action by blocking the programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1). Toxicity concerns include immune-related toxicities, including colitis, hepatitis, pneumonitis, nephritis, endocrine toxicities and more rarely, myocarditis and other organ system toxicities. OBJECTIVE: To review a real-world case involving immunotherapy induced myocarditis after a patient received pembrolizumab and discuss how the current pandemic created complexity in toxicity management. DISCUSSION: An 83 year old male with metastatic lung cancer developed fatal myocarditis after receiving 2 doses of pembrolizumab. Applying the Naranjo score, the likelihood of pembrolizumab causing the myocarditis is probable, with a score of 6. Severe cardiac toxicities are rare with pembrolizumab, but can still occur. It is vital to be aware of these toxicities, and educate patients on signs and symptoms. Complicating the situation even further was the global pandemic, which created fear and hesitation in the patient and the patient's family to seek medical treatment out of fear of exposure. This pandemic adds another layer to the complexity of care for patients with cancer and management of toxicities. Pharmacists play a significant role in ensuring the safety and efficacy of medications, especially oncology agents. CONCLUSION: Proper education of patients regarding symptoms and when to report are paramount to assisting in early detection and intervention for immunotherapy-related adverse events. New management and treatment strategies will need to be discussed and implemented considering the changing landscape around the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Saddle pulmonary embolism with fluorouracil: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: As a single agent, fluorouracil has been documented to have a small but present chance of causing extravasation of the port when not properly administered. It has also been shown that cancer patients receiving chemotherapy are at increased risk of deep vein thrombosis, symptomatic or silent. CASE REPORT: A 43-year-old male patient with stage III colon cancer receiving FOLFOX developed a saddle pulmonary embolism involving possible extravasation that was discovered following cycle 3 of chemotherapy. CT scan and lower extremity Doppler confirmed non-occlusive deep vein thrombosis along with saddle pulmonary embolism.Management and outcome: For acute management, patient underwent bilateral pulmonary artery thrombolysis. Following this, the patient was initiated on rivaroxaban indefinitely. The right subclavian port was removed, and a new port was placed in the left subclavian. Patient went on to receive three more cycles of chemotherapy. DISCUSSION: Fluorouracil, an inflammitant, has been shown to have damaging potential, especially in terms of the integrity of the endothelium. Over time, this can lead to serious complications such as cardiotoxicity, including deep vein thrombosis formation. Based on how and when the thrombi were discovered, it is not possible to deduce whether the port, the 5-FU, extravasation or other factors were the precipitators of the formation of the thrombi. The combination of chemotherapy treatment along with CVC placement appears to have an additive risk to the formation of a thrombus. Practitioners should take caution when evaluating for extravasation and CVC integrity and note other potential differentials for causes, including deep vein thrombosis/saddle pulmonary embolism formation.

Precision Pharmacotherapy: Integrating Pharmacogenomics into Clinical Pharmacy Practice.

Precision pharmacotherapy encompasses the use of therapeutic drug monitoring; evaluation of liver and renal function, genomics, and environmental and lifestyle exposures; and analysis of other unique patient or disease characteristics to guide drug selection and dosing. This paper articulates real-world clinical applications of precision pharmacotherapy, focusing exclusively on the emerging field of clinical pharmacogenomics. This field is evolving rapidly, and clinical pharmacists now play an invaluable role in the clinical implementation, education, and research applications of pharmacogenomics. This paper provides an overview of the evolution of pharmacogenomics in clinical pharmacy practice, together with recommendations on how the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) can support the advancement of clinical pharmacogenomics implementation, education, and research. Commonalities among successful clinical pharmacogenomics implementation and education programs are identified, with recommendations for how ACCP can leverage and advance these common themes. Opportunities are also provided to support the research needed to move the practice and application of pharmacogenomics forward.