2008 Volume 34 Issue 6 Pages 578-585
Since thalidomide was introduced for the treatment of multiple myeloma at Yamanashi University Hospital in 2005,we have been taking measures to ensure its proper use based on a guideline for this purpose provided by The Japanese Society of Clinical Hematology.In the course of our efforts towards this goal,we have supplied patients taking thalidomide with a drug use diary.The diary is given to the patient's caregiver together with thalidomide with the aims of controlling the drug dosage and monitoring the patient's condition when he or she is at home.
To evaluate the usefulness of the diary,we had patients,caregivers and attending physicians fill out a questionnaire.The results showed it was a useful means of controlling the thalidomide dosage and potentially helpful to the attending physicians and pharmacists concerned in monitoring patients' conditions when they were at home.However,a problem was noted in the distribution of the diary,which requires to be solved if the diary is to be made as effective as possible.
