Why you should read this article:

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To improve your knowledge of systemic anticancer therapy (SACT) and its administration

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To increase your awareness of the need for thorough systematic safety checks before SACT administration

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To read about a project at a haematology unit designed to help nurses conduct pre-SACT safety checks

Systemic anticancer therapy (SACT) is a high-risk procedure with the potential for medication errors at every stage, from prescribing and dispensing to administration. Pre-administration checks carried out by nurses are the last opportunity to detect any discrepancies or potential errors before the patient receives their planned treatment. It is therefore crucial that nurses use a consistent, comprehensive and systematic method of conducing pre-SACT administration checks. In 2020-21, the practice education team on the haematology unit at a specialist cancer hospital in London developed, trialled and evaluated a pre-SACT administration checklist. The checklist has provided nurses with a consistent and systematic order of checks to follow before SACT administration and practice educators with a tool for training nurses and assessing their competence in administering SACT.