THE ROLE OF THE PHARMACIST IN ONCOLOGY: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction: Cancer is a serious health problem in all populations, regardless of social status. The increase in the incidence of cancer and spending on its control accentuates its importance as a public health problem in the country, challenging health managers. The treatment of cancer patients requires several combined treatments, and it is essential that work is carried out individually, thus meeting their needs. In this context, the existence of a multidisciplinary team in monitoring the patient throughout the treatment is of great importance. Methodology: This work is an integrative review. The search in research sources was divided into two stages, the first on the SOBRAFO electronic portal, where legislation involving the role of the oncology pharmacist was searched; the second stage consisted of searching for articles in databases and research tools such as: Google Scholar, LILACS and IBECS. Result: The search on the SOBRAFO electronic portal returned 10 pieces of legislation, four from Anvisa, four from CFF and two from MS. In the search for articles, six publications relating to the topic were found, all linked to the national context, as national laws and regulations were used to prepare the work. Discussion: It was clear that the activities carried out by the pharmacist highlight their role in oncology. According to the articles, the following roles are cited: analysis of medical prescriptions; participation in the multidisciplinary patient care team; pharmaceutical attention; clinical pharmacy; pharmacovigilance; palliative care and manipulation of cytostatic agents. Conclusion: The active participation of the pharmacist in oncology is necessary, as he contributes to safe therapy, providing low rates of reactions to medications and/or problems related to medications. Consequently, acting directly on patient safety.