Pharmaceutical consultation on patients receiving oral antineoplastic agents: a systematic review

Abstract

The management of oncological treatment has evolved substantially with the increasing use of oral antineoplastic agents, which are self-administered by patients or caregivers at home, and require careful monitoring and support. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of pharmaceutical consultations on oncology patients undergoing therapy with oral antineoplastic agents. A systematic literature review was conducted using the PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases with the last search on 5 June 2025. Primary observational or experimental studies were sought for inclusion. Eligible studies assessed the outcomes of pharmaceutical consultations for oncology patients receiving oral antineoplastic therapy in a hospital setting, compared with a conventional medication dispensing model. The risk of bias in the included studies was evaluated using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tools, RoB-2 and ROBINS-I. The review was developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 Statement, and the protocol for the systematic literature review was registered with PROSPERO under the reference CRD42024533367. From the 881 records initially identified, 16 studies were included. A backward reference search led to the inclusion of two additional publications, bringing the total to 18 studies in this systematic review. The main interventions performed by pharmacists during pharmaceutical consultations included patient education on their treatment, management of adverse reactions and drug interactions, and monitoring of adherence to therapy. The studies evaluated a total of 10 variables, demonstrating the benefits of pharmaceutical consultation in all of them. Significant benefits were observed in terms of progression-free survival and quality of life, both of which are crucial in cancer treatment. However, further research is required, particularly involving larger patient samples and studies spanning multiple institutions and countries. To facilitate a comprehensive and comparative evaluation of different pharmaceutical consultation models in oncology, it would be advantageous to standardise methods for assessing their impact.