Anticancer Medicines
Register or log in to access
This module is free for qualified workplaces if your work email is on the list.
Click here to find out how to access the modules for free.
What you will learn
This eLearning module promotes the safe use of anticancer medicines, a commonly used group of high risk medicines.
Learning outcomes
After completing this module, you should be able to:
- define the different therapeutic classes of anticancer medicines
- explain why anticancer medicines are considered high risk
- describe the rate of anticancer medicine errors and the significance on patient outcomes
- understand common errors occurring in the prescribing, dispensing and administration of anticancer medicines
- understand risk factors and vulnerabilities of using anticancer medicines that can contribute to errors
- identify strategies and governance structures that can minimise the risk of errors and harm.
About this module
Target Audience
This module is intended for early career doctors, nurses and pharmacists who wish to learn more about the risks associated with providing anticancer medicines and ways of maximising patient safety.
Duration
The module is designed to take around 1 hour to complete.
Certificate
On successful completion of the assessments you can download a certificate of completion.
Compliance
This module aligns with the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, Second Edition – Standards 1, 2, 4 & 6.
Disclaimer
This module content was developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care and is protected by copyright under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike (BY-NC-ND) 4.0 International License.
The content is provided in good faith by the Commission for information purposes. It is not a substitute for, and is not intended to replace, any specific policies, guidelines or requirements for your local health network or health service.
The Commission does not accept any legal liability or responsibility for any injury, loss or damage incurred by the use of, or reliance on, this information.
Course release dates
| Date | |
|---|---|
| May 2023 | First released. |
Acknowledgements
Content team
Lead content developer:
Associate Professor Christine Carrington, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, University of Queensland, School of Pharmacy.
We would also like to acknowledge the contribution made by the following:
- Case study working group
- eVIQ and Cancer Institute NSW
- Members of the Health Services Medication Expert Advisory Group
- Individuals who provided feedback during beta-testing
Resources
COSA guidelines for the safe prescribing, dispensing and administration of systemic cancer therapy – Clinical Oncology Society of Australia.
NSQHS Standards User Guide for Medication Management in Cancer Care – Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards.
eviQ – A free resource of evidence-based, consensus driven cancer treatment protocols and information for use at the point of care.
Case Study: Alan
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma R-CHOP21 (rituximab CYCLOPHOSPHamide DOXOrubicin vinCRISTine prednisolone) – eviQ.
NSQHS Standards User Guide for Medication Management in Cancer Care – Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards.
National Tall Man Lettering List – Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC).
National tall man lettering: Supplementary list of specialised medicines with suffix ‘mab’, ‘nib’ and ‘gib’ – Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC)
National guidelines for on-screen display of clinical medicines information – Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC).
Medication Safety Standard – Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC).
Example of an anticancer therapy protocol – TCH – (DOCEtaxel cARBOplatin trastuzumab) – Adapted from eviQ.
Antineoplastic Drug Administration Course – eviQ Education.
Anticancer Drug Dosing in Kidney Dysfunction (ADDIKD) guideline – eviQ.
NSQHS Standards User Guide for Medication Management in Cancer Care – Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards.
Active ingredient prescribing fact sheet – Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
Review of medicine name similarity for monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors – Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
Principles for the safe selection and storage of medicines – Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
National Standard for User-applied Labelling of Injectable Medicines, Fluids and Lines – Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
Interventions to improve medication safety – evidence briefs – Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
High Risk Medication Alert – Vincristine – Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
Case Study: Beth
EviQ Colorectal metastatic capecitabine treatment protocol.
Teach-back.com – Teach-back is a simple yet effective communication tool used to check understanding.
NSQHS Standards User Guide for Medication Management in Cancer Care – Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards.
Oral anticancer drugs in community pharmacy – eviQ Education.
National Standard for Labelling Dispensed Medicines – Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
The Teach-Back Method – SA Health Safety and Quality Unit.
Case Study: Don
Management of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) – eviQ.
Case Study: Laura
Safe Administration of Intrathecal Chemotherapy – Department of Health, UK.
