CORNWALL, Ontario – According to Cancer Care Ontario (CCO), approximately 1,000 patients, including some at the Cornwall Community Hospital (CCH), may have received lower than intended dosages of chemotherapy drugs.
“A small number of patients were treated at Cornwall Community Hospital,” said Michaela Schreiter, Communications Coordinator for The Ottawa Hospital. The CCH chemotherapy unit is a satellite of The Ottawa Hospital.
CCO became aware in June that more than the expected amounts of Pembrolizumab, Nivolumab and Panitumumab remained in IV tubing, resulting in a variation of intended dosages given to patients.
On June 26, the CCO sent a Safety Bulletin to all 74 hospitals in Ont. to review policies and procedures for all low volume, high concentration medications. During the review, 35 hospitals identified process issues dating back to the initial administration of the three drugs, however seven hospitals did not treat patients with the drugs at their site.
“The Ottawa Hospital is the hub for cancer care in Eastern Ontario,” said a statement from The Ottawa Hospital. “A review identified a total of 234 patients from across the region, all of whom had late-stage cancer.”
The CCO states that hospitals took immediate steps to correct the issue through changing their practices and notifying patients.
In a statement, The Ottawa Hospital reinforced that patients who may have received a lower than intended dose were notified, and notifications are still being processed for the estate representatives of deceased patients.
“The medical team has conducted a thorough chart review for each patient. Based on analysis done by cancer experts, no harm could be attributed to the reduced doses, and no patient’s regimen has changed,” said a statement from The Ottawa Hospital.
