Prescription and Use of Antiemetics Among Cancer Chemotherapy Outpatients

Abstract

The control of chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting requires the prescription of an appropriate antiemetic regimen as well as appropriate use by the patient. In the study reported here, 60 chemotherapy outpatients were interviewed to determine whether and how patients use antiemetics that are prescribed for them and to identify factors that are associated with their prescription and use. The results indicated that antiemetics were both under-prescribed by the physicians and underused by the patients. The authors discuss psychosocial factors that may underlie the decision to prescribe antiemetics and their subsequent use and suggest directions for future research.