How does the shortage of chemotherapy drugs impact health care?
The effects of chemotherapy drugs shortage has multi-faceted effects that affect both the patients and the healthcare system at large. According to Andrea (2013), the shortage of chemotherapy drugs has some documented impacts on the patients including; receiving sub-optimal/sub-standard care which at the end of the day does not help to arrest the progression of cancer. On the other hand, shortage of these drugs increase the cost of care since alternative approaches may turn out to be more costly and this is a burden that has to be faced by the patient. On the other hand, healthcare providers are supposed to provide care that is based on FDA-passed evidence-based interventions and shortage in chemotherapy drugs ties the hands of the healthcare providers, rendering them less effective in terms of using the recommended practice standards for cancer treatment. Of course, the outcome of this is that there is an increase likelihood of deterioration of patient’s health due to inconsistencies in drug use, medication errors and increased cost of care (Andrea, 2013). At a larger scope, the entire healthcare system suffers diminished profit margins and a huge burden of legal and ethical ramifications that come with drug shortage (Mayer, 2012).
Are workarounds such as substitute medications a safe alternative? Why or why not?
Arguably, workarounds are intended for temporary use and do not feature in the standard care protocols for a given condition. In as much as workarounds may help in places where there is a drug shortage, its use is associated with increased risk and the potential of negative patient outcomes. As such, the use of workarounds cannot be termed as a safe alternative since they are essentially meant for short-term purposes and hence do not guarantee full therapy to the patient. Use of workarounds as alternatives may help resolve a problem on a temporary basis but the likelihood of exacerbation or re-admission are high.
Identify an intervention that you can implement as the RN to advocate for safe patient care and positive patient outcomes when drug shortages occur.
According to Andrea (2013), nurses present a vital asset in the healthcare workforce due to their in-depth understanding of care processes and as such, have a vantage point when it comes to advocating for patient safety and desired patient outcomes in the event of a drug shortage. This is through acting proactively in advocating and soliciting for the constitution of more promising and effective protocols and organizational policies that help in arresting drug shortage beforehand. For instance, a nurse may intervene by advocating for proper drug inventory management. This would go a long way in ensuring that potential shortages are addressed quite on time and hence ensuing consistency in drug supplies.
References
Andrea Bratic PA-C, M. S. (2013). Drug shortages and the burden of access to care: A critical issue affecting patients with cancer. Clinical journal of oncology nursing, 17(5), 490.
Mayer, D. K. (2012). Anatomy of a drug shortage. Clinical journal of oncology nursing, 16(2).
