Inappropriate continuation of medication when patients are admitted acutely: the example of capecitabine.

摘要

Some cytotoxic drugs which are widely used to treat cancer are administered orally. Any hospital which has an emergency department (ED) must expect to admit patients who are taking oral chemotherapy drugs prescribed locally or elsewhere. The risks of repeat prescriptions of these medicines have long been recognised. The warning on this subject, issued by the UK National Patient Safety Agency, reported 445 incidents; 187 (42%) concerned capecitabine (Xeloda~R), an oral chemotherapy agent used singly or in combination with other drugs to treat a variety of cancers particularly of the breast and gastrointestinal tract.