Medication errors in cancer outpatients

A study published by the Journal of Clinical Oncology reviewed the records from visits to three adult clinics and one pediatric oncology clinic in America to determine the rates and types of medication errors and the factors associated with the errors in outpatients with cancer.

More than 10,000 medications were studied, errors were found in adult (7.1%) and in pediatric (18.8%) visits, more than half of the 112 medication errors had the potential to cause harm and 15 resulted in in injury. Most of the errors involved wrong does due to confusion over two sets of orders: at diagnosis and adjusted dose.

The authors wrote that with increasing opportunities for medication errors inthe home setting, better communication could prevent many of the errorrs and help improve cancer care for adults and children.

Source: "Medication Errors Among Adults and Children With Cancer in the Outpatient Setting" Journal of Clinical Oncology, 10.1200/JCO.2008.18.6072 (JCO Early Release, published online ahead of print Dec 29 2008)

NICE backed cancer-drug refund scheme

NICE backed the scheme that the NHS should pay for the bone marrow-cancer drug, Velcade, which costs about £18,000 per patient, only when it worked. Initially, NICE recommended that the drug should not be made available on the NHS, but changed its mind following an appeal by the drugmaker, Janssen-Cilag and its proposal of a refund scheme.

Last February, the OFT said in a report that drug companies are paid hundreds of millions of pounds too much by the NHS for branded medicines but it does not reflect the value of those drugs to patients.

OFT recommended value-based pricing would give companies stronger incentives to invest in drugs for those medical conditions where there is greatest need.