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Table 4 Pharmacist interventions for cancer patients who did not use opioids

From: A nationwide survey of hospital pharmacist interventions to improve polypharmacy for patients with cancer in palliative care in Japan

 

n

(%)

Number of opioid non-using cancer patients

 

Median

20

 

[Range]

[1–300]

 

Percentage of opioid non-using cancer patients prescribed with six or more regular medications

 

Zero

37

(10.3)

1 to 39%

140

(39.0)

40 to 69%

125

(34.8)

70 to 99%

29

(8.1)

100%

8

(2.2)

No response

20

(5.6)

Percentage of inappropriate prescriptions in opioid non-using cancer patients prescribed six or more regular medications

 

Zero

92

(25.6)

1 to 39%

213

(59.3)

40 to 69%

26

(7.2)

70 to 99%

2

(0.6)

No response

26

(7.2)

Reasons for inappropriate prescriptions (multiple answers from options)

 

Long-term administration of irresponsible or aimless medications

202

(56.3)

Medications-mediated duplication of the pharmacological effect

106

(29.5)

Adverse drug reactions caused by medications

75

(20.9)

Medication-induced drug-drug interactions

50

(13.9)

Other

13

(3.6)

Percentage of patients on polypharmacy with drug reduction due to pharmacist recommendations

 

Zero

93

(25.9)

1 to 39%

163

(45.4)

40 to 69%

15

(4.2)

70 to 99%

21

(5.8)

100%

12

(3.3)

No response

55

(15.3)

Reasons for pharmacist recommendations to reduce medications (multiple answers from options)

 

Long-term administration of irresponsible or aimless medications

173

(48.2)

Adverse drug reactions caused by medications

106

(29.5)

Medications-mediated duplication of the pharmacological effect

101

(28.1)

Change from oral to other dosage form due to oral feeding difficulty

74

(20.6)

Medication-induced drug-drug interactions

52

(14.5)

Other

11

(3.1)

Average number of medications reduced by pharmacist recommendations

 

0

57

(15.9)

1

151

(42.1)

2

53

(14.8)

3

12

(3.3)

4

2

(0.6)

more than 4

5

(1.4)