Summary & Overview
HCPCS Q0180: Dolasetron 100 mg Oral Anti-emetic for Chemotherapy
HCPCS Level II code Q0180 denotes oral dolasetron mesylate 100 mg used as a complete therapeutic substitute for an intravenous anti-emetic during chemotherapy administration, with a dosing limit across a 24-hour regimen. Nationally, the code matters because it enables billing for an oral alternative to IV anti-emetics in oncology settings, affecting site-of-care decisions, medication substitution practices, and claims processing for chemotherapy-related supportive care. Key payers considered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare.
Readers will learn the clinical context of Q0180, including its role in chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) management, typical sites of service such as infusion centers and outpatient oncology clinics, and how the code is applied in practice. The overview covers common billing modifiers associated with administration and encounters, payer coverage considerations, and where to find related codes or guidance. This publication summarizes benchmarks and policy-relevant considerations for national stakeholders without state-specific references, and identifies gaps where input data was not provided. Data not available in the input includes associated taxonomies, specific ICD-10 diagnoses, related codes, and service line details.
Billing Code Overview
HCPCS Level II code Q0180 represents dolasetron mesylate, 100 mg, oral, an FDA-approved prescription anti-emetic intended for use as a complete therapeutic substitute for an intravenous anti-emetic at the time of chemotherapy treatment, with a dosing regimen not to exceed 24 hours. This service is a medication administration delivered in oral form.
Service Type: Oral prescription anti-emetic for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), substitute for IV anti-emetic
Typical Site of Service: Oncology infusion centers, outpatient chemotherapy clinics, hospital outpatient departments, or other ambulatory settings where patients receive chemotherapy and require anti-emetic therapy
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 58-year-old oncology patient receiving moderately to highly emetogenic intravenous chemotherapy requires an oral anti-emetic when an IV anti-emetic is unavailable or the care team elects an oral substitution. The patient presents to an outpatient oncology infusion center for cycle 2 of chemotherapy. The clinician documents chemotherapy administration and prescribes Q0180 (dolasetron mesylate, 100 mg, oral) to provide an equivalent anti-emetic effect to an IV agent for the same 24-hour peri-chemotherapy period. The pharmacy dispenses Q0180 with instructions to take one 100 mg oral dose prior to chemotherapy and not to exceed a 24-hour regimen. The infusion nurse documents the medication administration in the chart, records lot number and quantity dispensed, and includes the associated diagnosis for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting prophylaxis on the claim. Typical workflow steps: medication order entry in the EHR, pharmacist verification, patient counseling, administration or provision of the oral dose, documentation of dispense/administration, and submission of the HCPCS Q0180 code on the facility claim with applicable modifiers to reflect circumstances of service and billing payer rules.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 |