Mobile Medical
Cancer Care Specialists Mobile Lab – First of Its Kind
October 26, 2020
Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois received their mobile Chemotherapy compounding laboratory in February. Allison Braden conceived the idea when she noticed a detrimental trend; the expensive prescriptions expired quicker than they could be administered. When chemotherapy drugs are mixed together, they only stay effective for a limited time meaning if a patient cancels or misses an appointment for any reason, the drugs would need to be destroyed. Because of the employment of this unit, drugs are made onsite so they aren’t wasted, waste is reduced, and unmixed drugs are able to return to the pharmacy.
The 22″ long body sits on a Freightliner M2 chassis, equipped with everything a compounding technician might need. With two rooms and a wheelchair lift, the unit is staged with the tools to make and store drugs so they are ready to administer to patients. The biological safety cabinet provides a negative pressure environment, giving one of the rooms sterile air in order to provide the necessary protection for the compounding techs to do their job.
The unit’s first mission took them to Decatur Memorial Hospital Cancer Care Institute while the clean room was being remodeled. Besides reaching patients closer to home, this unit can also serve invaluable purposes such as these. Since its beginning, the technicians that work on board have noted the significant amount of waste that has been avoided; both drug waste and financial waste.
It is no secret that patients in need of chemotherapy already face significant struggles. By this vehicle being able to ease the stress of reaching them closer to home, Cancer Care is making big strides to improve the lives of cancer patients.
At this point it is unknown if any other mobile chemotherapy compounding laboratories like this exist in the United States, but Summit Bodyworks hopes to create more vehicles in the future that offer services as life changing as this one.
