Starting Treatment of a Blood Clot in Patients with Cancer

Patients who develop clots and are clinically stable may not be able to receive treatment at the cancer centre because they cannot reach the cancer centre before it closes, or there is no space at the cancer centre to complete the required teaching.  As a result, the patient is referred to the emergency department for treatment. For many patients, their experience in the emergency department is challenging, often characterized by long waits and poor followup.   For some patients, the diagnosis of a clot can be more traumatic to a patient than the cancer itself.

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To address this care gap, a project was developed in partnership with Shoppers Drug Mart North Hill Centre.  These pharmacists have received specialized training, and on receipt of a requisition form identifying the diagnosis, the pharmacist will initiate therapy, train the patient to self-inject low molecular weight heparin using a bruiseless injection technique, follow up with the patient the next day by phone, and communicate a summary back to the oncologist and the patient's family physician. Data collected from patients utilizing the pharmacy gathered by anonymous patient surveys point to a much more positive experience.   This also represents a significant savings to the health care system.

Click here to learn exactly what the pharmacist will do and how health care providers can refer their patients.

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