Impact of pharmacist consultation at clinical trial inclusion: an effective way to reduce drug-drug interactions with oral targeted therapy

Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2021 Oct;88(4):723-729. doi: 10.1007/s00280-021-04331-0. Epub 2021 Jul 20.

Abstract

Purpose: Pharmacist consultation is unfrequently performed in oncology clinical trials that include patients who often have many co-treatments increasing the risk of drug-drug interactions (DDI). The aim of this study was to determine whether best possible medication history (BPMH) by hospital pharmacist at inclusion and therapeutic drug monitoring could be used for DDI risk evaluation and for current oral targeted therapy management.

Methods: A prospective clinical trial (ALCINA 2, NCT04025541) was carried out in metastatic breast cancer cohort treated by palbociclib to conduct pharmacokinetics-toxicity correlation study. BPMH was prospectively performed by the hospital pharmacist at each trial inclusion, followed by a contact to the patient's community pharmacy to complete the collected data. Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed on blood samples collected at day 15 of cycle 1 of palbociclib treatment.

Results: Pharmacist interventions indicated that at inclusion, current medications were incomplete for 63% of the enrolled patients (32/51). It allowed the real-time management of high-risk DDI detected in third of patients. The palbociclib Ctrough geometric median (min-max) was significantly higher in cohort with potential DDI [106 ng/mL (66.7-113)], than cohort without potential DDI [70.1 ng/mL (54.1-89.7)], p = 0.0284.

Conclusion: This is the first prospective study evaluating the relevance of proactive BPMH by pharmacist with contact to the community pharmacy during the inclusion step of a clinical trial to ensure the efficacy and safety of the investigated drug. This investigation was thus able to highlight the statistically significant impact of these DDI on palbociclib plasma concentration variation during the clinical trial.

Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT04025541.

Keywords: Clinical pharmacy; Clinical trial; Drug–drug interaction; Oncology breast cancer.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacokinetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Drug Interactions
  • Drug Monitoring / methods
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Pharmacists / organization & administration*
  • Pharmacy Service, Hospital / organization & administration
  • Piperazines / administration & dosage*
  • Piperazines / adverse effects
  • Piperazines / pharmacokinetics
  • Professional Role
  • Prospective Studies
  • Pyridines / administration & dosage*
  • Pyridines / adverse effects
  • Pyridines / pharmacokinetics

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Piperazines
  • Pyridines
  • palbociclib

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT04025541