Enhancing the Delivery of Take-Home Cancer Drugs in Ontario

Guideline Objective

Take-home cancer drugs (THCD) are medications used for the active treatment of cancer and are usually dispensed for administration in the home (e.g., oral chemotherapy). These drugs have become a standard treatment for many cancers and present opportunities and challenges for patients, providers, and the health system.

Robust guidelines with clear processes have been developed for intravenous cancer drugs (IVCD) and as a result, its delivery is viewed as more comprehensive, organized, safer and person-centred than THCD.

Currently, dispensing models for THCD remain variable across Ontario. To date, there has been no formal examination of delivery models for THCD nor have specific standards and expectations been established in the province. As such, in April 2017, CCO convened the Oncology Pharmacy Task Force. The mandate of this Task Force was to advise Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) on how to enhance the current system for THCD delivery to optimize quality and safety; subsequently, to deliver a report to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) based on the findings of the Task Force.

The objective of this report is to present consensus-based recommendations and alternate models of THCD delivery that optimize quality and safety. Our goal was not to create new knowledge but to make the best use of existing areas of evidence and lessons learned in other jurisdictions as well as to contribute to emerging practice to address the gaps.

Patient Population

N/A

Intended Guideline Users

Providers (Physicians, Pharmacists, Nurses) & Administrators

Research Questions

N/A