Issue

The problem of safely handling cytotoxic drugs, and at the same time providing patients with optimal care, without increasing risks for operators, is indeed a worldwide issue. The use of cytostatics is growing quickly as they are the main therapy against cancer.

One in two men and more than one in three women will be struck by cancer during their lifetime. In the United Kingdom alone, about one million people suffer from cancer. In this healthcare scenario, the importance of optimal treatment strategies is steadily growing.

An increasing attention towards quality and safety in medicine in general and in the drug distribution process in particular have characterized the last few years. The growing attention towards patient safety spreads across nations and regions, even though the healthcare market is very slow:

• the American Institute of Medicine documented the fact that medical error in general and medication errors in particular is one of the leading causes of death
• the French ministry of health publishes guidelines pushing for electronic prescribing
• the British Advisory Board publishes the “Spoonful of Sugar” report, which supports electronic prescribing and automation
• the Danish regional government finances the installation of automated medication management systems in Aalborg and Aahrus
• the Dutch inspection of the “Gezondheidszorg” points out the need for more quality and analyzes existing automation for medication management

SafeChemo provides solutions to increase safety in the dangerous and error prone area of oncology compounding. SafeChemo contributes to error reduction through the introduction of automation and software to grant safety, precision, accuracy. Moreover SafeChemo helps reducing professional hazard for all professionals involved with cancer drugs compounding activities.