PHARMACIST'S ROLE IN ONCOLOGY IN THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF ADVERSE REACTIONS TO ANTINEOPLASTIC CHEMOTHERAPY DRUGS

Abstract

Antineoplastic chemotherapy is an oncological treatment widely used in the management of various types of cancer; however, it is often associated with the occurrence of adverse drug reactions, which may negatively affect treatment adherence, continuity of therapy, and patients' quality of life. In this context, the role of the pharmacist in oncological care becomes particularly important, especially in the prevention, identification, and management of these adverse reactions. The present study aimed to clarify, based on scientific literature, the role of the pharmacist in oncology in the prevention and management of adverse reactions related to antineoplastic drugs. This study is characterized as a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory research conducted through a literature review using the databases Virtual Health Library (BVS), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), and PubMed. The following descriptors were used to search for studies: “pharmacist”, “pharmaceutical care”, “pharmaceutical services”, “oncology”, “antineoplastic chemotherapy”, “antineoplastic agents”, and “adverse drug reactions”, combined with Boolean operators. The search strategy applied was: ("pharmacist" OR "pharmaceutical care" OR "pharmaceutical services") AND ("oncology" OR "oncology pharmacy") AND ("antineoplastic agents" OR "antineoplastic chemotherapy") AND ("adverse drug reactions" OR "drug toxicity"). Scientific articles published between 2020 and 2025, available in full text and relevant to the study theme, were included, resulting in 16 articles selected after applying the eligibility criteria. The results demonstrated that the pharmacist's participation is highly relevant for pharmacotherapy monitoring, identification of adverse reactions, prevention of drug interactions, and patient counseling during chemotherapy treatment. It can be concluded that the pharmacist plays a key role within multidisciplinary oncology teams, contributing to patient safety and to the effectiveness of antineoplastic treatment.