Olaparib is a first-in-class PARP inhibitor that has demonstrated efficacy as maintenance therapy in patients with ovarian cancer. It has been approved as a capsule formulation and after the publication of data from SOLO2 study became available also as tablet formulation. Due to different pharmacokinetic properties, these different formulations cannot be considered bioequivalent nor interchangeable. The tablet formulation has improved bioavailability, reducing pill burden and offering a more convenient dosage regimen. Furthermore, olaparib tablet formulation had a manageable tolerability profile if compared to capsule one, with most of adverse events of mild or moderate severity. Under this light, olaparib tablet formulation is a useful maintenance strategy for recurrent, platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer, providing a more convenient dosing option than the capsule formulation.
The use of continuous-infusion in outpatient setting could be widely used in oncology and haematology care. Many times the lack of data stability about single drug or admixture of drugs, together with patient education and safety, make difficult the transition from inpatient to outpatient setting. Nowadays, this is a big challenge for hospital pharmacists, who must take into consideration the critical issues related to chemical and physical stability, besides microbiological one, in order to ensure high quality preparations and guarantee the safety and quality of care, to protect patients and their health. The aim of this article is to highlight the critical issues concerning the transition from inpatient to outpatient setting, with particular interest regarding chemotherapy protocols, which require preparation with long-term continuous-infusion.
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