Reusing cytostatics in a centralised pharmacy preparation unit.

OBJECTIVE: To measure and provide an economic assessment of the preparations returned to a centralised cytostatic drug preparation unit, analyse reasons for their return, propose measures for minimising returns and assess their impact on the Medical Oncology division's outpatient services. METHODS: This prospective study contained two phases. During the first, we registered all returns, motives, cases of reuse and costs. In the second phase, we analysed returns at the Oncology outpatient division after having adopted measures to minimise the returns. RESULTS: During the first phase, 218 preparations (worth € 51,131) were returned. The Oncology Day Hospital returned 1% of the preparations worth 1% of the total value; during the second phase, these figures were 0.56% of the preparations and 0.14% of the total value. CONCLUSIONS: Favouring reporting on and identifying expensive treatments with little stability and using returned preparations as a quality indicator for Oncology has improved management of the central cystostatic preparation unit.

[Pharmacoeconomic aspects of oral cytostatic agents]. / Aspectos farmacoeconómicos de los citostáticos orales.

When validating oral chemotherapy, pharmacists should confirm the suitability and correctness of the prescription, applying the same safety standards as those used for parenteral cytostatic drugs. There are an increasing number of cancers for which orally administered drugs are available, which increases patient satisfaction as these drugs can be taken at home without the need to visit a hospital. As oral cytostatic treatments increase, so does the importance of ensuring optimal treatment compliance. The new oral cytostatic agents are less toxic, reduce indirect costs and imply less loss of time for patients and their families. However, the cost of these agents should be below a threshold acceptable for society. As an aid to decision making, pharmacoeconomic tools should be used.

[Costs of a cytostatic drug preparation unit in a hospital in Mexico]. / Costes de una unidad de preparación de citostáticos en un hospital de México.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the cost of preparing cytostatic drugs in the intravenous preparation unit in a hospital in Mexico. METHOD: The annual cost of preparing cytostatic drugs based on the information of 92 days, considering the costs of drugs, the mixing service (including standard solution, quality control, services and waste) and salaries were estimated. The costs are estimated in Mexican pesos in 2006. RESULTS: The cost per cytostatic drug varies from 82 to 23,000 Mexican pesos, depending on the type of drug used. It is estimated that the annual cost of preparing drugs for chemotherapy is 38,901,231.04 Mexican pesos (2,839,505.02 euro) distributed as follows: 96.8% for drug costs, 1.21% for staff salaries and 1.99% for the preparation service. CONCLUSIONS: The estimation of the costs of preparing cytostatic drugs serves as a reference for future economic studies in the hospital pharmacy area in Mexico.