The information in this document includes some but not necessarily all of the possible side effects of this medication. The side effects listed in this teaching sheet may not be the same ones you experience. Your side effects may be different depending on how often you receive treatment (your schedule) and how much you receive each time (your dosage). Side effects may also vary if you are taking other medications. Please speak with your doctor or nurse if you have questions about possible side effects you may experience. This document should not take the place of conversations with members of your health care team. 6 The finished medicine is thoroughly checked by a pharmacist to make sure it was prepared correctly. 7 Pharmacy staff deliver completed medicines for the nurses to pick up when they are ready to give them to you. Can my chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy be made in advance? Some medicines are safe to prepare in advance and when possible, they are made ahead of time. Other medicines need to be given shortly after they are made. At Dana-Farber, pharmacy staff are part of a large cancer care team looking out for your safety. Learn more about infusion at dana-farber.org/chemotherapy If you are participating in a research study, there may be additional steps before your orders can be processed. Your study team will let you know an estimated time frame. Why is it so time consuming? • Your medicine is made-to-order for you. This means your chemo or immunotherapy is prepared based on factors that may include your weight, height, current vital signs, lab tests, and cancer type. • There are many steps and safety checks involved to ensure each medicine is made properly. To make sure that your medicine is made exactly as prescribed, a specially trained pharmacy team checks every medicine that leaves the clean room. • Many different pharmacy staff review each medicine order that is prepared in the clean room. • Most medicines require many steps in the biological safety cabinet; including scanning to make sure the correct ingredients were selected and many steps to customize the medicine just for you. • Once the medicine has been prepared, a pharmacist checks each one for the correct dose of the correct medicine, as well as the solution, bag type, and tubing to give the medicines as ordered by your doctor. HOW CHEMO AND IMMUNOTHERAPY IS MADE © Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Patient and Family Education Committee. Last revised 6/2022. Page 2 of 2
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