Impact of clinical pharmacist intervention on tamoxifen-related problems among breast cancer women in Babil Province
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60988/p.v37i2S.190Keywords:
breast cancer; tamoxifen; clinical pharmacist intervention; drug-related problems; IraqAbstract
Patients with breast cancer (BC) are frequently exposed to drug-related problems (DRPs) due to the long-term administration of highly toxic chemotherapeutic agents such as tamoxifen. Clinical pharmacists play a vital role in monitoring these issues and mitigating their frequency and severity. This study has aimed at evaluating the impact of clinical pharmacy interventions on the incidence and intensity of DRPs, including drug interactions, adverse effects, and inappropriate tamoxifen dosing. A pre–post interventional study was conducted at the Babylon Oncology Center, involving 70 women diagnosed with BC who were receiving a monthly tamoxifen treatment. The clinical pharmacist identified a total of 94 DRPs; an average of 1.34 per patient. The most frequent adverse effects attributed to tamoxifen were grade-2 hot flashes (16.9%), grade-2 osteoporosis (13.1%), grade-2 musculoskeletal pain (12.3%), weight gain (10%), and hand / foot swelling (6.9%). Three months following the pharmacist-led interventions, the number of DRPs was reduced to 48. A statistically significant difference was observed between the pre- and post-intervention DRP counts (p<0.05). These findings underscore the pivotal role of clinical pharmacists in improving treatment outcomes for BC patients through the effective reduction of DRPs.
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