Design, Develop and Validate a Tool for Assessing Drug Related Problems in Cancer Patients within The Indian Healthcare Context

The objective of the study was to design, develop and validate a tool for assessing drug related problems in cancer patients within the Indian healthcare context. A six-month prospective observational study was conducted on inpatients receiving chemotherapy in the Medical Oncology Department and Daycare Unit at Geetanjali Medical College and Hospital, Udaipur, Rajasthan. Patient selection was guided by retrospective records considering factors like age, gender, complaints, comorbidities, past medications, cancer type, stage, chemotherapy intent, cycle count and potential adverse drug reactions. Information was gathered using a structured patient data collection form and consent form, then analyzed with MS Excel and statistical software. The study included 100 patients (mean age: 51.22 years; 56% male, 44% female; mean body mass index: 21.67 kg/m²). Comorbidities included diabetes (7%), hypertension (3%), and others. Bone/soft tissue cancer (22%) and lung/thoracic cancer (18%) were prevalent diagnoses, with 61% at stage 3. Chemotherapy was adjuvant (79%), palliative (12%), or neoadjuvant (9%). Common drugs included carboplatin (35%) and paclitaxel (28%). Common adverse drug reactions included anemia (92%) and weakness (77%), totaling 510 events. An assessment tool was developed, piloted, adjusted, and validated, identifying 318 drug related problems linked to adverse drug reactions, dose changes, allergies, lab shifts, and omitted supportive drugs, yielding a moderate risk score of 6.4. The study successfully developed and validated a reliable tool (Cronbach alpha: 0.736) to assess DRPs enhancing clinical decision-making and enhancing patient safety.