Patient Safety in Oncology Requires Strengthening, Not Undermining, of Hospital Pharmacy.

The planned establishment of a substitute “pharmacy” within a Cancer Hospital raises serious concern among the scientific community of hospital pharmacists.

Hospital Pharmacy is a critical link in the holistic care of oncology patients, as hospital pharmacists do not merely dispense medicines, but also:

1. Monitor the appropriateness and safety of therapies

2. Prevent interactions and toxicities

3. Provide counseling and support patients in continuing their treatment at home.

International experience (EAHP Statements of Hospital Pharmacy, ESOP QuapoS7, WHO guidelines) clearly shows that disconnecting pharmaceutical dispensing from clinical follow-up (i.e., the very heart of Hospital Pharmacy) puts patient safety at risk and degrades the quality of care, with a direct and increasing impact on pharmaceutical expenditure.

The solution to patient access problems is not the substitution of the hospital pharmacy by parallel structures, but rather its substantial strengthening with sufficient staff and resources, so that it can meet the growing volume of patients.

We call on the State to:

1. Reconsider the decision to establish a substitute “pharmacy” within an oncology hospital.

2. Strengthen hospital pharmacies, recognizing their role as an integral part of the therapeutic team.

3. Ensure compliance with international standards that safeguard the safety and dignity of oncology patients.

Strengthening Hospital Pharmacy is the only path that guarantees comprehensive, safe, and high-quality care.