Reducing adverse drug events in the outpatient chemotherapy setting

Cancer agents have the potential for severe, and occasionally fatal, adverse drug events. Many receive accelerated approval for use after small clinical trials, with adverse drug events being identified after additional experience in the postmarketing clinical setting. Moreover, chemotherapy risks may be especially high in tertiary care settings where patients are frequently subject to complex treatment protocols with high dosages, novel agents, or novel combinations of agents. Recommendations from the study on medication errors by Gandhi et al. contribute to international efforts to prevent adverse drug reactions and improve their early recognition and treatment. See also pages 2477–83.