Assessing safe chemotherapy needs and practices in Ile-Ife, Nigeria: a multi-disciplinary quality improvement project

Abstract

Objective To explore the gaps in the safe handling, administration, preparation and disposal of chemotherapy agents in low and middle-income countries.Design Two surveys comprising a needs assessment survey and an American Cancer Society (ACS) ChemoSafe Facility Assessment.Setting 2019 African Research Group for Oncology Symposium in South-West Nigeria (needs assessment) and the 2021 virtual engagement (ChemoSafe Assessment).Participants Health professionals (n=50 of 98) from multiple institutions across Nigeria (needs assessment survey) and a designated task force of health professionals (n=10) from one teaching hospital in Southwest Nigeria(ChemoSafe Facility Assessment).Results In 2019, 75% of survey respondents (n=50) reported a lack of training resources for safe handling of chemotherapy. Additionally, 61% felt dissatisfaction with assessment practices for preparing and administering chemotherapy. ChemoSafe is a programme developed by the ACS to assess the ability of a facility to handle hazardous drugs. The 2021 ACS ChemoSafe survey administered at one teaching hospital indicated several areas for improvement to promote concordance with international standards for safe handling. Thirty-three (19.5%) items received a ‘Yes’ response (ie, met compliance with international standards).Conclusion There is a need for the implementation of training resources for handling, administering and disposing of chemotherapy at sites across Nigeria. Strategies to identify and prioritise areas of need must be implemented in the context of available resources.