Pharmacist’s role in the management of patients on oral anticancer therapies: A systematic review

Abstract

Purpose: To compile evidence on pharmacists’ roles in managing adult cancer patients receiving Oral anticancer therapies (OATs).Methods: This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive search of PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar identified English-language studies published between 2005 and 2025. Eligible studies examined pharmacist involvement in adult cancer patients receiving OATs. Studies underwent screening, full-text review, quality assessment, data extraction, and thematic analysis.Results: Of 557 records identified, 19 studies met inclusion criteria. Five key pharmacist roles emerged: medication reconciliation and review, patient education and counseling, adherence support, pharmacovigilance and safety monitoring, and therapy follow-up. Pharmacist involvement was associated with reduced medication errors, improved adherence, greater patient knowledge and satisfaction, stronger patient–pharmacist relationships, and potential cost savings.Conclusion: Pharmacists play a vital role in optimizing OAT management, improving clinical, economic, and humanistic outcomes. Integration into multidisciplinary oncology teams is strongly supported.