OBJECTIVES: Toxicity associated with anticancer therapy highlights the importance of medication management for cancer patients. Research has demonstrated the effect of a pharmacist-led intervention on different medication-related outcomes in cancer patients in different settings. This systematic review synthesized existing evidence on the types and impact of pharmacist-led interventions on medication-related outcomes in cancer patients.

METHODS: A systematic search of published research articles on Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts was conducted from inception till November 3, 2022. Original articles, randomized clinical trials, and quasi-experimental studies assessing pharmacist-led interventions on medication-related outcomes in cancer patients in any setting were included.

RESULTS: Among a total of 1937 records, 394 were removed due to duplication. 92 articles were included for full-text review after the title and abstract screening, 12 articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. Most of the studies (n=6) were conducted in oncology units of hospitals, and others in outpatient oncology clinics (n=2), hospital pharmacy (n=1), university pharmacy (n=1), and cancer center (n=1) and lung disease clinic (n=1). The common intervention approaches were patient education (n=6), medication review (n=6), patient counseling (n=3), and face-to-face consultations (n=2), with some studies involving more than one type of interventions. The medication-related outcomes observed in included studies were medication adherence (n=7), appropriateness (n=2), reconciliation (n=1), interaction (n=1), and adverse events (n=1). Pharmacist-led interventions showed a significant improvement in medication adherence rates in the intervention group in most studies (6 out of 7). In studies assessing medication appropriateness, a significant decrease in adapted medication adherence index (aMAI) score (7.3±6.1 to 5.4±4.7, p<0.001) and adverse drug event (ADE) score (4 to 2, p=0.023) were observed after an intervention.

CONCLUSIONS: The involvement of pharmacists as part of a multidisciplinary team in patient care and medication management for cancer patients has improved medication-related outcomes.