Survey on transportation and storage of biological therapies by patients

Abstract

Objective: To assess key aspects of transportation and storage of biological therapies (BTs) on thepart of the patients, from the time they collect them from the pharmacy up until the moment ofadministration.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in the form of a survey completed by outpatients older than18 years who were administered BTs. The survey was carried out by the authors between August 2016and January 2017.Results: A total of 83 outpatients were interviewed (mean age, 53; standard deviation, 15; 76% female).Sixty percent had rheumatoid arthritis, 24% had psoriatic arthritis, and 16% sustained other rheumatic and inflammatory diseases. Twenty percent had not been informed of the importance of properrefrigeration when they were first prescribed BTs; 77% had acquired the medication at least 7 daysbefore administration; 28% had misplaced the drug in the fridge (65% of them in the freezer); 90%was unaware of the temperature range at which the BT should be kept in the fridge, and only one(1%) of them had once used a thermometer to find out the fridge temperature. Fifty-three percenthad suffered frequent power outages the previous summer, 22% had experienced blackouts longerthan 48 hours; 37% had taken the BT to another house to avoid wasting it, and four (5%) patients haddisposed of the drug due to a prolonged power outage.Conclusion: Upon prescribing BTs, it is imperative that physicians brief patients on the relevance ofsuitable transportation and storage methods, and a treatment failure should prompt a thorough assessment of transportation and storage conditions.