Hello all,

The medication safety team at our site wanted to look and see which specific cancer medications are high alert and therefore require independent double checks. The ISMP list of high-alert medications includes chemotherapeutic agents which seems to encompass all cancer medications (chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, etc.) Does anyone have any resources or insight as to whether immunotherapies such as MABs and TKIs are included in the umbrella term “chemotherapeutic agent”? Our goal is to determine whether we are doing independent double checks on medications that may not require them, thus worsening the burden that is put on our nursing staff. Thank you for your help in advance!

Tamra Pierce, PharmD, BCPS
Medication Safety Pharmacist
Veterans Health Indiana