Publications by authors named "Verane Schwiertz"

Introduction: Recent advances in technology have made it possible to develop robots for preparing injectable anticancer drugs. This study aims to compare characteristics between robots available in the European market in 2022 and to help future pharmacy users in their choices.

Methods: Three sources of data were used: (1) a review of published articles in the MEDLINE database from November 2017 to end of June 2021 on chemotherapy-compounding robots used in hospital; (2) all manufacturers' documentation, and (3) demonstrations of robot operations in real hospital conditions and discussions with users and manufacturers.

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Purpose: Clinical pharmacy can reduce drug-related iatrogenesis by improving the management of adverse effects of drugs, limiting drug-drug interactions, and improving patient adherence. Given the vulnerability of cancer patients and the toxicity of injectable anticancer drugs, clinical pharmacy service (CPS) could provide a significant clinical benefit in cancer care. This review aims to synthesize existing evidence on clinical pharmacy's impact on patients treated with intravenous anticancer drugs.

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Purpose: Everolimus (EVE) and sorafenib (SOR) combination was associated with synergistic activity in preclinical models. However, previous clinical studies were hampered by cumulative toxicities when both were given continuously. The academic EVESOR trial (NCT01932177) was designed to assess alternative doses and intermittent dosing schedules of EVE and SOR combination therapy to improve the benefit-risk ratio for patients with solid tumors.

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Despite their unprecedented success in relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL), anti-CD19 CAR T cells are associated with significant toxicity, and more than half of patients relapse. As monocytes emerged as key players in CAR therapy, we sought to evaluate the evolution of HLA-DR expression on monocytes (mHLA-DR) before and after commercial anti-CD19 CAR T-cell infusion in a large cohort (n = 103) of patients with R/R LBCL and its association with adverse events and treatment response. Cy-Flu-based lymphodepletion (LD) upregulated mHLA-DR in 79% of the cases, whereas in 2l% of cases (15 patients), the mHLA-DR level decreased after LD, and this decrease was associated with poorer outcome.

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Background: Cancer patients are being exposed to antineoplastic drugs more frequently and for longer periods, resulting in a higher risk of hypersensitivity reactions. The aim of this study was to assess the pharmaceutical time and direct cost of drug allergy explorations following immediate hypersensitivity reactions to antineoplastic agents.

Methods: A micro-costing method was used to collect data on consumption of human and material resources for allergy exploration preparations.

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Purpose Of The Report: We aimed to evaluate the role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in predicting patient outcome following chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cells infusion in aggressive B-cell lymphoma.

Methods: 18F-FDG PET/CT data before leukapheresis, before CAR T-cell infusion and 1 month (M1) after CAR T-cell infusion, from 72 patients were retrospectively analyzed. SUVmax, total lesion glycolysis (TLG), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and parameters describing tumor kinetics were calculated for each 18F-FDG PET/CT performed.

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This study aims to evaluate the impact of implementing a specialized clinical pharmacy program in patients with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) on their adherence to the immunosuppression treatment after discharge. A prospective open interventional design using a retrospective control group was used. The intervention was based on pharmaceutical consultations: the first was performed the day before discharge of HSCT unit and the next consultations during day-care follow-up (weeks 2 and 4 after discharge).

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Article Synopsis
  • * Following the educational intervention, patients showed improved knowledge at 1 month, although there was a decline by 6 months, with overall skills considered satisfactory by healthcare providers.
  • * Most participants maintained good treatment adherence, and the findings emphasized the benefit of a multidisciplinary approach to enhance self-management of treatment side effects in multiple myeloma patients.
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Article Synopsis
  • Two FDA-approved CAR T cell therapies, axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) and tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel), were studied in a retrospective analysis of 70 patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) to evaluate their usage, effectiveness, and safety.
  • The study found overall response rates (ORRs) of 63% at 1 month and 45% at 3 months, with median progression-free survival (PFS) of 3.0 months and overall survival (OS) of 11.8 months, indicating significant but variable effectiveness across patients.
  • Common side effects included cytokine release syndrome (CR
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The rapid emergence of expensive anticancer therapies is leading to exponential growth in healthcare expenses. In clinical trials, most investigational drugs are provided free of charge by industrial and academic sponsors. This results in drug cost savings for healthcare payers, who are no longer charged with the cost of the standard-of-care treatment, which would have been administered outside the trial.

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This study aimed to assess patient investigational medication knowledge and to identify factors associated with medication understanding by adult outpatients included in clinical trials. A cross-sectional prospectively designed survey was conducted on consecutive volunteers at 21 university teaching hospitals (in France) from February to December 2014. Investigational medication understanding was assessed at the time of the first dispensing using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire based on information obtained from the literature that provided an 8-point score.

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Purpose: The aim of the OCTO clinical study was to measure patients' adherence to capecitabine-based treatment.

Methods: A cohort of ambulatory patients treated with capecitabine monotherapy for either locally advanced or metastatic, breast or colorectal cancer was monitored for 6 cycles. Adherence was assessed in all patients by self-completed questionnaires on disease, pill-count and pharmacological dosage of FBAL (metabolite of capecitabine); and in half of the cohort by electronic medication event monitoring systems (MEMS™) recording the opening times of the device.

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Rationale, Aims And Objectives: In the past 2 decades, there has been an increasing interest in simulation-based learning programs to prevent medication error (ME). To improve knowledge, skills, and attitudes in prescribers, nurses, and pharmaceutical staff, these methods enable training without directly involving patients. However, best practices for simulation for healthcare providers are as yet undefined.

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Rituximab is used as a standard of care for follicular lymphoma and is usually administered intravenously. A novel subcutaneous formulation recently showed non-inferior efficacy with similar pharmacokinetic and safety profiles compared to intravenous rituximab in patients with follicular lymphoma. This new approach is promising in terms of comfort for patients and time-saving for hospital staff.

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The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate the incidence of delayed methotrexate elimination in patients treated with high-dose methotrexate (≥1 g/m ) for haematological malignancy and to identify the impact of interacting drugs, especially proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) and ranitidine. All patients treated with high-dose methotrexate over a 6 year period in the haematology department of the Lyon Sud University Hospital (Hospices Civils de Lyon, France) were included. Potential risk factors for delayed methotrexate elimination were tested in a generalized linear model by univariate analysis: patient age, gender, methotrexate dose, administration of PPI or ranitidine, and concomitant nephrotoxic drugs.

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Introduction: In the context of health expenses control, reimbursement of high-cost medicines with a 'minor' or 'nonexistent' improvement in actual health benefit evaluated by the Haute Autorité de santé is revised by the decree of March 24, 2016 related to the procedure and terms of registration of high-cost pharmaceutical drugs. This study aims to set up the economic impact of this measure.

Method: A six months retrospective study was conducted within a French university hospital from July 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015.

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Objective: To assess the impact of investigational drug labels on the risk of medication error in drug dispensing.

Design: A simulation-based learning program focusing on investigational drug dispensing was conducted.

Setting: The study was undertaken in an Investigational Drugs Dispensing Unit of a University Hospital of Lyon, France.

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After allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), BK virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis (BKV-HC) is a common complication. Although supportive measures have been the standard of care for many years, several studies suggested the efficacy of cidofovir. The aim of this study was to assess the safety profile and efficacy of cidofovir.

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Background: To reduce the occurrence of medication errors, a systemic approach was developed combining anti-neoplastic medication error reviews and morbidity and mortality conferences (M&MCs). We report the first experience of implementing this strategy in oncology.

Methods: The case reports submitted to combined reviews were prepared by physicians and pharmacists, and medication error(s) were described and chronological and root-cause analyses were performed.

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Background: Even though anticancer drugs are prepared in dedicated pharmaceutical units, nurses remain exposed to cytotoxic agents during administration to patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess this occupational exposure during the intravenous line-purging procedure at the patient's bedside before administration in oncology departments.

Methods: This prospective study was conducted over a 4-week period in the hematology and oncology departments at a university hospital.

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Background: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a dominantly inherited genetic vascular disorder in which epistaxis is the most frequent manifestation, responsible for high morbidity. Management of this symptom has no standard, and local treatments are often aggressive. Their efficacy is variable and has not been proven.

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Background: Oxaliplatin-based regimens induce a potential risk of hypersensitivity reaction (HSR), with incidence varying from 10% to 25% and lack of clearly identified risk factors. The present study aimed to assess incidence and risk factors in HSR.

Methods: All patients treated with oxaliplatin in the Medical Oncology Department of the Lyon Sud University Hospital (Hospices Civils de Lyon, France) from October 2004 to January 2011 were enrolled.

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Aim: The majority of medication errors that harm patients relate to the prescribing process. Our study aimed to identify the predictors of prescription errors involving anticancer chemotherapy agents.

Methods: All consecutive antineoplastic prescriptions from June 2006 to May 2008 were analysed, with medication errors being captured.

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Background: In spite of increasing efforts to enhance patient safety, medication errors in hospitalised patients are still relatively common, but with potentially severe consequences. This study aimed to assess antineoplastic medication errors in both affected patients and intercepted cases in terms of frequency, severity for patients, and costs.

Methods: A 1-year prospective study was conducted in order to identify the medication errors that occurred during chemotherapy treatment of cancer patients at a French university hospital.

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Antineoplastic drugs are prone to drug-drug interactions. Cancer patients often receive multiple concurrent medications and health care professionals are not always aware that patients are also taking others treatments. The aim of this study was to assess the number of drug-drug interactions of antineoplastic drugs used in solid tumours and to find out and collect recommendations for each of them.

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