Measures Taken by Chemotherapy Center for Patients Discharged from Hospital to Share Information About Treatment

Abstract

  Having provided chemotherapy at its outpatients clinics since 2002, the Saku Central Hospital in February 2006 established a Chemotherapy Center for Patients Discharged from Hospital. At this center, pharmacists check doctors' prescriptions, review all medications patients have been taking and dispense the prescriptions in a sterilized state. In addition, they are assigned on a daily basis to collect information on, and give guidance to, the patients. At the outpatient clinics, the length of time that can be set aside for the tabulation of information from patients' case records and for contact with the patients is inevitably likited. Given this situation, we began case study meetings in order to share information about patients between pharmacists in charge of guidance on the control of drugs at the time of their hospitalization and those who are in charge of chemotherapy at the Center. Later, these case study meetings were joined by physicians and nurses who thought it necessary to share information, thus leading to the establishment of a Conference at the Center. At this conference, pharmacists introduce information about patients at the time of their hospital admission and a discussion begins with the participation of various hospital staff members to solve given problems. By so doing, it has become possible to come to grips with the conditions of inpatients, enabling us to shift to services at the Center smoothly and give proper guidance when a medication produces undesirable effects. We consider the Conference signifies a step forward to the practice of medical care by teams.