Prophylaxis and Treatment - What Patients Can Do
Patient education on the potential drug-drug interactions associated with kinase inhibitors is key for successful management and prevention of any potential effects. Cumulative experience arising from clinical trials and clinical practice has demonstrated that pre-emptive rather than reactive therapeutic strategies are more efficient in controlling the different side effects caused by these agents.
What Patients Should Do When Visiting Their Oncologist
- Patients should be advised to tell their oncologist if they have any side effect that bothers them or that does not go away.1 This is important as reporting adverse events is vital for cancer treatment and underreporting may lead to fatal events. Adaptation of the dose or schedule is an integral part of therapy individualisation.
- They should be encouraged to keep a list of their medicines, including any herbal medications, and show it to their healthcare provider when they receive a new medicine.1,2
- They should tell the oncologist when they are using over-the-counter drugs or herbs
What patients Should Do When at the Pharmacy
- They should be encouraged to keep an up to date list of their medicines, including any herbal medication, and show it to their healthcare provider when they receive a new medicine.1,2
- They should check with their pharmacist to see if their computerised record contains all of their current prescriptions.3
- They should be encouraged to ask their pharmacist to explain how to take the medicine and to explain any non-prescription drugs, foods or supplements they should avoid with their kinase inhibitor.3
What patients Should Do at Home
- Patients should be encouraged to know all the medicines they are taking, and should keep a list of their medicines.1,2
- Food and Drug Administration. Regorafenib (STIVARGA) Prescribing information. 2015.
- Food and Drug Administration. Sunitinib (Sutent) Prescribing information. 2015.
- https://crediblemeds.org/everyone/safe-medication-use/. 2015.