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. 2015 Oct-Dec;2(4):271-275.
doi: 10.4103/2347-5625.164998.

Oncology nurses awareness of drug interactions

Azize Karahan  1 , Sevcan Avcı Isik  1 , Sultan Kav  1 , Aysel Abbasoglu  1
Affiliations

Oncology nurses awareness of drug interactions

Azize Karahan et al. Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs. 2015 Oct-Dec.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine oncology nurses awareness of drug interactions.

Methods: This descriptive study was conducted with nurses working in the oncology clinics who are a member of Oncology Nursing Association of Turkey. A total of 115 nurses (response rate %20) were responded to the online survey that consists of 28 questions.

Results: The mean age of the nurses was 33 ± 6.8. The majority of nurses work in university hospital (60%) as a clinical nurse (62.6%) and have a Bachelor Degree in Nursing (63.5%). The mean working years in oncology was 4 years. Half of them stated receiving information on drug interactions mostly through in-service education and courses/congresses in last 5 years. The majority of them (84.3%) indicated that they are considering the possibility of drug interactions when they are scheduling the medication administration time. More than half of the responders (59.1%) encountered drug interactions; however, few explored drug interactions with food, drinks, and nutritional supplements. Their practices to assess possibility of drug interactions were reviewing the drug prospectus (78.3%); consulting with their colleagues (58.3%) and searching on the available website (42.6%) and looking at the drug interaction (39.1%). More than half (65.2%) stated lack of any system to identify drug interactions in their workplace. Nearly half of them indicated to including the drug interaction into patient education mostly for food-drug (73.9%) and drug-drug (63.5%) interactions.

Conclusions: Almost all indicated the needs for further education on drug interactions and suggested to have guideline/packet guide.

Keywords: Drug interaction; oncology nursing; oncology patients; patient safety.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

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