Medication adherence and adverse events related to the use of oral antineoplastic agents: a prospective observational study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30968/jhphs.2026.172.1487Abstract
Objective: To evaluate medication adherence and the adverse event profile of patients undergoing treatment with oral antineoplastic drugs followed up in a clinical pharmacy outpatient clinic. Method: This is a prospective, longitudinal, and observational study. The EXPAD-ANEO scales and tablet counts were used to assess medication adherence. The adverse event profile was characterized according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0. The impact of the clinical pharmacist service on the management of adverse events was determined from the clinical improvement of patients in relation to symptoms identified during all consultations. Statistical analyses included descriptive measures, Shapiro-Wilk test, Student’s t-test, Fisher’s exact test, chi-square test, and kappa test, with a significance level of 5%, using the R language. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee, CAE: 78360324.1.0000.5293. Results: 67 patients were treated, 58.2% of whom were male, with a median age of 66 years. Prostate cancer was the most common diagnosis. Capecitabine (35.8%) was the most frequently prescribed antineoplastic drug, followed by abiraterone (20.9%). The rate of good adherence to treatment was greater than 75%, regardless of the methodology adopted, characterizing high adherence to treatment. Nausea (19.4%), fatigue (15.3%), and constipation (12.5%) were predominant adverse events to oral antineoplastic treatment. Of the total patients who experienced an adverse event, 14 (41.17%) were using capecitabine, 7 (20.58%) sunitinib, and 5 (14.7%) abiraterone. Conclusion: Patients showed high adherence to oral cancer treatment; furthermore, adverse events were more frequent after the start of therapy. This study highlights the fundamental role of the pharmacist in the pharmacotherapeutic monitoring of patients using oral antineoplastic therapy, in order to improve adherence to treatment and act in the management of adverse events, contributing to patient safety and continuity of treatment.
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