Practical implications in shelf-life extension of anticancer admixtures

Abstract

Compounding units assigned a restrictive shelf-life for anticancer admixtures results in economic loss due to wastage of partially used vials. Novel approaches in the preparation of doses are continually sought which ensure maximal drug utilisation without compromising patient safety. Purpose To perform cost analyses of captured and retrospective cytotoxic waste data and delineate the risks and benefits associated with shelf-life extension. Material and methods For the observational model, fieldwork was conducted over 2 months in a cross sectional study at two public hospitals which have cytotoxic units, covering haematology and oncology care. Data were recorded by means of a validated data collection sheet. [excerpt]