OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to compare the possible time savings from reduction of nursing and pharmacy time to manage advanced esophago-gastric cancer (AEGC) patients using capecitabine-based regimens versus traditional 5-FU based intravenous (IV) chemotherapy in the Hong Kong public hospital setting. METHODS: This was a time-and-motion study conducted in 2 public hospitals of Hong Kong based on the simulation of previously data on both capecitabine-based regimen (XELOX and XP) and IV 5-FU-based regimen (FOLFOX and FP).  The preparation, dispensing and administration time for XELOX, XP, FOLFOX and FP were compared. The capital item utilization including hospital bed, infusion pump etc and length of patient attendance were recorded.   Each subject was based on 24-week cycle in the analysis.  The projected cost saving in nursing and pharmacy time was estimated if all AEGC in Hong Kong were prescribed capecitabine-based regimen. RESULTS: The average nursing time for FOLFOX and FP was 83.7 and 83.4 minutes versus XELOX and XP was 33.7 and 39.8 minutes respectively.  The average pharmacy dispensing time for FOLFOX and FP was 25.3 and 71.4 minutes versus XELOX and XP was 18.7 and 19.9 minutes respectively.  The total time saved for each patient for a 24-week cycle in FOLFOX versus XELOX was 734.8 minutes in nursing and 154.0 minutes in pharmacy as well as in FP versus XP was 182 minutes in nursing and 269.2 minutes in pharmacy.  Nursing and pharmacy could potentially spare 3.3 full time equivalent (FTE) and 1.5 FTE if all AEGC patients were converted to capecitabine-based chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Capecitabine-based chemotherapy regimens saved in both nursing and pharmacy time as compared to traditional 5-FU based IV chemotherapy in the Hong Kong public hospital setting.