In 2011, a workgroup consisting of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and ONS members was convened to review feedback received since publication of the ASCO/ONS Standards for Safe Chemotherapy Administration in 2009 and to clarify the standards as needed. The most significant change is the decision to extend their scope to the inpatient setting. This change reflects the conviction that the same standards for chemotherapy administration safety should apply in all settings.
The ASCO/ONS workgroup concluded that the patient safety standards should apply whether chemotherapy is administered in the outpatient or inpatient setting. They reviewed each standard in the context of an inpatient environment and determined such expansion of scope was feasible and appropriate. The revisions were again posted for public comment and were passed by the ONS and ASCO boards of directors.
Publication of the revised standards became available online December 13, 2011, and the article was printed in the January 2012 issues of the Oncology Nursing Forum and the Journal of Oncology Practice.