The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7190 p385-391
23 March 2002

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Clinical Standards Board for Scotland (www.clinicalstandards.org)

Pharmacy praised in Scottish cancer services reports

Pharmacists and pharmacy services are praised in two reports on cancer services published by the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland this week.

The reports "Breast cancer services" and "Ovarian cancer services", available at www.clinicalstandards.org, review the management of the two cancers across Scotland and set standards against which care can be monitored. Both reports note that pharmacy input is a valuable resource and should be a core part of a multidisciplinary approach to decision making and treatment planning.

The reports say that there is good evidence that treatments for patients with breast cancer in Scotland follow current, evidence-based guidelines. "Chemotherapy services are well developed although further work is needed on developing protocols for the management of all symptoms and the side effects of chemotherapy," they say. In many hospitals chemotherapy protocols are under review with input from pharmacists.

Pharmacy units are acknowledged to be under considerable pressure because of the expanding role of chemotherapy in the adjuvant treatment of all cancers. "This will need to be addressed so that standards do not fall." Provision should be made for the expansion of facilities and staff in pharmacies.

The reports also include standards for education and training and recommend that all health care professionals working in cancer services undertake cancer specific professional education. However, difficulties with funding for training of pharmacists are mentioned as a problem for some trusts.

Meeting CSBS standards will be mandatory for Scottish health boards.