Nutrition support pharmacy practices in hospitalized cancer patients admitted to bone marrow transplant units: A 3-year retrospective analysis of clinical nutrition support pharmacists’ interventions
Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online April, 2026
Nutrition support pharmacy practices in hospitalized cancer patients admitted to bone marrow transplant units: A 3-year retrospective analysis of clinical nutrition support pharmacists’ interventions
Few studies have investigated nutrition support pharmacy practices and interventions in bone marrow transplant units. This study aimed to analyze the interventions of clinical nutrition support pharmacists in hospitalized cancer patients undergoing bone marrow transplant at a comprehensive cancer center.
Methods
A retrospective analysis of 10925 electronically reported clinical pharmacist interventions of hospitalized cancer patients admitted to bone marrow transplant units from January 2020 to December 2022 was conducted. All patients’ records with nutrition support pharmacists’ interventions were included.
Results
The number of interventions was 1418. The acceptance rate of clinical nutrition support pharmacists’ interventions by physicians was 92%. The initiation of mineral/vitamin use was found to be the most frequent intervention of nutrition support pharmacists, followed by requesting laboratory tests.
Conclusion
Nutrition support pharmacists have a role in managing hospitalized cancer patients admitted to bone marrow transplant units. The prevailing intervention was the initiation of mineral/vitamin use. Further studies are needed to explore the barriers to implementing nutrition support pharmacy services and to optimize these services in different patient populations.
VisacriMBTavaresMGBarbosaCR, et al.Clinical pharmacy in onco-hematology and bone marrow transplant: a valuable contribution to improving patient safety. J Oncol Pharm Pract2021; 27: 1172–1180.
4.
Value of nutrition support therapy: impact on clinical and economic outcomes in the United States. J Parenter Enteral Nutr2020; 44: 395–406.
ASPEN, What Is a Nutrition Support Professional [Internet]. Nutritioncare.org. 2024 [Accessed: 01 March 2024]. Available from: https://www.nutritioncare.org/what-is-a-NSP/. 2024.
7.
McClaveSDiBaiseJMullinG,et al.ACG Clinical guideline: nutrition therapy in the adult hospitalized patient. Am J Gastroenterol2016; 111: 315–334.
8.
American Society Health-System Pharmacists. ASHP Guidelines on the safe use of automated compounding devices for the preparation of parenteral nutrition admixtures. Am J Health-Syst Pharm2000; 57: 1343–1348.
9.
ASPEN Board of Directors and the clinical guidelines task force. Guidelines for the use of parenteral and enteral nutrition in adult and pediatric patients. J Parenter Enteral Nutr2002; 26: 1SA–138SA.
10.
2016 Guidelines for the provision and assessment of nutrition support therapy in the adult critically ill patient. JPEN2016; 40: 159–211.
11.
2014 ASPEN clinical guidelines: parenteral nutrition ordering, order review, compounding, labeling, and dispensing. JPEN2014; 38: 334–377.
12.
2011 Nutrition screening, assessment, and intervention in adults. JPEN2011; 35: 16–24.
13.
2009 Clinical guidelines for the use of parenteral and enteral nutrition in adult and pediatric patients. JPEN2009; 33: 255–259.
14.
YalcinSGumusMOksuzogluB, et al.Nutritional aspect of cancer care in medical oncology patients. Clin Ther2019; 41: 2382–2396.
15.
RollinsCDurfeeSMHolcombeBJ, et al.Standards of practice for nutrition support pharmacists. Nutr Clin Pract2008; 23: 189–194.
16.
HolcombeBJThornDBStrausburgKM, et al.Analysis of the practice of nutrition support pharmacy specialists. Pharmacotherapy1995; 15: 806–813.
17.
UklejaAFreemanKLGilbertK, et al.Standards for nutrition support: adult hospitalized patients. Nutr Clin Pract2010; 25: 403–414.
18.
MousaviMHayatshahiASarayaniA, et al.Impact of clinical pharmacist-based parenteral nutrition service for bone marrow transplantation patients: a randomized clinical trial [published correction appears in support care cancer. 2013 dec;21(12):3449]. Support Care Cancer2013; 21: 3441–3448.
DresenEPimientoJMPatelJJ, et al.Overview of oxidative stress and the role of micronutrients in critical illness. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr2023; 47: S38–S49.
22.
HarnettJEUngCOLHuH, et al.Advancing the pharmacist’s role in promoting the appropriate and safe use of dietary supplements. Complement Ther Med2019; 44: 174–181. ISSN 0965 2299.
23.
HarnettJEUngCOL. Towards defining and supporting pharmacists’ professional role associated with traditional and complementary medicines – A systematic literature review. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy2023; 19: 356–413. ISSN 1551-7411.
24.
Pharmaceutical compounding: sterile preparations, the United States pharmacopoeia, 30th rev, and the national formulary. 25th ed. Rockville, MD: The United States Pharmacopeial Convention, 2007, pp.334–351.
25.
MurraySMPindoriaS. Nutrition support for bone marrow transplant patients. Cochrane Database Syst Rev2008: CD002920.
DickersonRNBinghamALCanadaTW, et al.Significant published articles in 2022 for pharmacy nutrition support practice. Hosp Pharm2023; 58: 504–510.
29.
AliKAl-QuteimatONaseemR, et al.Incorporating a clinical oncology pharmacist into an ambulatory care pharmacy in pediatric hematology-oncology and transplant clinic: assessment and significance. J Oncol Pharm Pract2021; 27: 815–820.
30.
AndrickBTusingLJonesLK, et al.The impact of a hematopoietic cellular therapy pharmacist on clinical and humanistic outcomes: a RE-AIM framework analysis. Transplant Cell Ther2022; 28: 334.e1–334.e9.
31.
LangebrakeCAdmiraalRvan MaarseveenE, et al.; EBMT Working Group. Consensus recommendations for the role and competencies of the EBMT clinical pharmacist and clinical pharmacologist involved in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant2020; 55: 62–69.
32.
FaraciMLorenziIMartinoM, et al.The role of pharmacies in haematopoietic stem cell transplantation process: a nationwide survey by Gruppo Italiano Trapianto di Midollo Osseo. J Clin Pharm Ther2021; 46: 1665–1679.
33.
OzturkGSRatipSUmarRM,et al.Evaluation of the quality of life of adult patients admitted to the bone marrow transplantation unit. J Oncol Pharm Pract2024; 30: 120–126.
34.
BorthwickM. The role of the pharmacist in the intensive care unit. J Intensive Care Soc2019; 20: 161–164.
35.
ArredondoEUdeaniGHorsemanM, et al.Role of clinical pharmacists in intensive units. Cureus2021; 13: e17929. Published 2021 Sep 29.
36.
JuradoLVSteelmanJD. The role of the pharmacist in the intensive care unit. Crit Care Nurs Q2013; 36: 407–414.
37.
BosmaBEvan den BemtPMLAMeliefPHGJ, et al.Pharmacist interventions during patient rounds in two intensive care units: clinical and financial impact. Neth J Med2018; 76: 115–124.
38.
FidelesGMde Alcântara-NetoJMPeixoto JúniorAA, et al.Pharmacist recommendations in an intensive care unit: three-year clinical activities. Rev Bras Ter Intensiva2015; 27: 149–154.
39.
Muñoz-PichuanteDVilla-ZapataL. Benefit of incorporating clinical pharmacists in an adult intensive care unit: a cost-saving study. J Clin Pharm Ther2020; 45: 1127–1133.
40.
Al DaliSAl-BadriyehDGuliedA, et al.Characteristics of the clinical pharmacist interventions at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research Hospital in Qatar. J Oncol Pharm Pract2023; 4: 28.
41.
ZhouXQiuFWanD, et al.Nutrition support for critically ill patients in China: role of the pharmacist. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr2019; 28: 246–251.
42.
KatoueMGAl-TaweelD. Role of the pharmacist in parenteral nutrition therapy: challenges and opportunities to implement pharmaceutical care in Kuwait. Pharm Pract (Granada)2016; 14: 80.
43.
GiancarelliADavanosE. Evaluation of nutrition support pharmacist interventions. J Parenter Enteral Nutr2014; 39: 476–481.
44.
SalmanGBoullataJI. The value of nutrition support pharmacist interventions. Crit Care Explor2022; 10: e0650. PMID: 35211684; PMCID: PMC8860336.
45.
OlsonLMDesaiSSotoML, et al.Evaluation of pharmacists’ interventions at a university teaching hospital. Can J Hosp Pharm2005; 58: 20–25.
46.
The jamovi project. jamovi. (Version 2.3) [Computer Software]. Retrieved from https://www.jamovi.org. 2022.
47.
R Core Team. R: A Language and environment for statistical computing. (Version 4.1) [Computer software]. Retrieved from https://cran.r-project.org. (R packages retrieved from MRAN snapshot 2022-01-01). 2021.
48.
ZaalRJden HaakEWAndrinopoulouER, et al.Physicians’ acceptance of pharmacists’ interventions in daily hospital practice. Int J Clin Pharm2020; 42: 141–149.
49.
Pérez PonsJC. Aplicación de los estándares de práctica del farmacéutico en terapia nutricional al paciente oncológico [applying standards of pharmaceutical practice in nutritional therapy cancer patient]. Nutr Hosp2015; 31: 48–55. Published 2015 May 7.
50.
YangLQiuLLLvHy,et al.A study of pharmacists-joint total parenteral nutrition in haematopoietic cell transplantation in accord with diagnosis related groups: A retrospective clinical research. J Pharm Policy Pract2024; 17. https://doi.org/10.1080/20523211.2024.2361320.
