Pharmacist-Led Med Review Improves Medication Quality in Older Patients With Cancer

TUESDAY, Sept. 29, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Pharmacist-led comprehensive medication reviews substantially improve the medication quality of older patients with cancer and polypharmacy, according to a study published online Sept. 23 in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Miriam Degen, from the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, and colleagues randomly assigned 443 older patients (65 years of age and older) with common cancers and polypharmacy (five or more drugs) to either usual care or a comprehensive pharmacist-led medication review conducted with the validated Fit fOR The Aged (FORTA) list.

The researchers found that at admission, 66.1 percent were exposed to potentially inappropriate medication (PIM), 94.6 percent were exposed to medication underuse, and 58.9 percent were exposed to overuse. The median FORTA score was 6. Among the 234 participants in the intervention group, at discharge, there were significantly greater reductions in the mean FORTA score compared with the control group (mean difference, −3.7 points). Additionally, at discharge, the intervention group had significantly reduced proportions with PIM, underuse, and overuse (41.3, 35.5, and 30.7 percentage points, respectively). Finally, the medication review group had a total of 337 missing vaccinations, including vaccinations for influenza, pneumonia, COVID-19, and/or shingles.

“The pharmacist-led comprehensive medication review with the FORTA score to counsel physicians in oncological rehabilitation wards was highly feasible and substantially improved the medication quality of older cancer patients with polypharmacy,” the authors write.

Two authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text