Patient education: the cornerstone of successful oral chemotherapy treatment.

Because patients with cancer self-administer oral chemotherapy, they typically do not receive the same amount of teaching and monitoring as patients receiving i.v. chemotherapy. Patient education is vital to promote patient safety, optimal dosing, and adherence to the treatment plan. Oncology nurses need to tailor their patient education efforts to the individual needs of each patient and use resources such as medication information sheets to reinforce teaching. This article reviews the process of teaching patients about oral chemotherapy and discusses the unique patient education challenges associated with orally administered chemotherapy.