Safety and cost-effectiveness of paclitaxel administered as a 1-hour infusion versus a 3-hour infusion for various malignancies

Abstract

This study challenges the current practice of administering paclitaxel for a variety of malignancies over 3 hours and documents the safety and cost-effectiveness of 1-hour administration in the outpatient setting. The authors investigated opportunities to save nursing time and costs in a cancer clinic without compromising patient safety. These savings are referred to as "opportunity-cost savings" that enable the clinic to schedule more patients during the time normally required to administer a 3-hour paclitaxel dose. Over a 2-year period, the authors were able to document significant time savings with no increase in adverse drug reactions.