Due their high potency and risk of toxicity, doses of chemotherapy drugs must be exact. An unintentional overdose can result in severe harm, or even death, for the patient. A maximum allowable dose for each chemotherapeutic agent should be set so that a prescriber or person entering an order cannot accidentally select a dose outside the safe range. Each individual dose may appear to be within acceptable safety limits, but the cumulative dose must be considered as well. Remember to set the maximum dose limits not just for each individual dose, but for the amount to be given in 24 hours, during the course of therapy, or over the patient’s total lifetime.