Establishment of direct patient-pharmacist intervention within an interdisciplinary team in paediatric oncology

Abstract

Paediatric oncology patients are a high-risk patient population due to complex pharmaceutical care needs. The direct participation of a clinical pharmacist to act as a co-ordinator of care between the patient, parents and carers, and healthcare professionals optimizes the interdisciplinary service offered to this patient cohort and their carers. Such a holistic service adds to the continuous improvement of the standard of care provided to the patients and contributes to improved health outcomes. In the local paediatric oncology ward, paediatric oncologists collaborated informally with pharmacists. This collaboration was based on fragmented individual partnerships.