Anna Vioral on Multidisciplinary Chemotherapy Safety Standards

Anna Vioral, MSN, MEd, RN, OCN®, Oncology, West Penn Allegheny Health System, summarizes a three year effort to standardize and integrate a set of multidisciplinary chemotherapy safety standards, which used the preexisting recommendations from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and Oncology Nursing Society (ONS).

Vioral notes that a number of chemotherapy and targeted agents have now expanded to non-oncology spaces, which includes rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, nephritis, multiple sclerosis, and ectopic pregnancies. Regardless of the setting, these agents still contain harmful and severe side effects. The goal of the project was to develop interdisciplinary standards, which are required to manage the complex processes involved in chemotherapy delivery.

The study developed 16 system wide guidelines based on the 31 combined preexisting ONS and ASCO safety standards. The 16 guidelines promote a multidisciplinary approach to prescribing, ordering, mixing, dispensing, administering, and safe handling of chemotherapy.

Vioral notes it is important to include each entity in the standards because each group plays an important role in ensuring safe chemotherapy delivery.

<<<

View more from the 2012 ONS Congress