From Netty Cracknell, ISOPP President 

Dear ISOPP Members,

I hope this message finds you well and that you are enjoying the start of summer (or winter for those in the southern hemisphere!). In this edition, I’m excited to spotlight another inspiring "Day in the Life" contribution— this time shining a light on the vital work of the Procurement Team at St. Vincent’s Health Australia. Michael and Danni offer a behind-the-scenes look at how their team navigates ongoing medicine shortages to keep oncology treatments flowing. Their proactive and collaborative approach is a reminder of how many roles contribute to delivering safe and effective patient care. Thank you both for sharing your story, if you want to share your story please email publications@isopp.org.



Moving on to JOPP, I’m pleased to share that Sage, our journal’s publishing partner, recently received the ProQuest Academic and Professional Publisher of the Year award. The award recognizes excellence in academic and professional publishing, focusing on areas like strategy, commissioning, design, sustainability, DEI, customer and market knowledge, and innovation. We’re proud to collaborate with a publisher that supports our journal's mission. If you're interested in contributing to JOPP as a reviewer, or would like your recently published JOPP article featured in a future newsletter, we welcome your involvement — please see the details below.

Looking ahead to 2026—ISOPP’s 30th Anniversary Symposium will be held as a 24-hour, fully virtual event on March 20, 2026. This format connects participants continuously across global time zones. Our regional hosts in Brisbane, Nairobi, Dublin, and Vancouver will facilitate live programming in their respective time zones, with session recordings available on demand. Please do save the date! 

Save the date:

• 📅 March 20, 2026

• 🌐 24 Hour Virtual Symposium

• ⏱️ Thirty 30 minute sessions celebrating 30 years of ISOPP impact 

Thank you for your ongoing dedication and contributions to ISOPP and the oncology pharmacy field.

Remember to take some time out for yourself over the next month as it is important to recharge with something that you love.



Warm regards,

Netty Cracknell

ISOPP President 2024 - 2026

ISOPP News and Updates

A DAY IN THE LIFE

Procurement Team

St. Vincent’s Health Australia

In oncology pharmacy, we rely heavily on our procurement teams to ensure the availability of medicines for our patients. We liaise with them regularly, and in an effort to shine a light (and not take all of the credit), Michael Jovanovic (Formulary Pharmacist) and Danni Avery (Purchasing Officer) share their thoughts on dealing with stock issues for our unit:

In the complex and ever-evolving world of hospital pharmacy, ensuring continuity of medicine supply—particularly for critical oncology treatments—is both a challenge and a daily priority. Working behind the scenes, our logistics and procurement team plays a pivotal role in managing this responsibility, often navigating global disruptions to maintain local patient care standards.

Australia’s geographical isolation poses unique challenges when it comes to pharmaceutical supply. We are one of the last ports of call for global medicine distribution, and this is further complicated when supply issues arise overseas. Every morning, our procurement team—comprising a procurement officer and pharmacist—reviews the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)’s medicine shortages database. This tool provides early visibility of both current and forecasted shortages. We cross-reference this information with internal inventory and wholesaler stock levels to determine if action is needed. Based on these insights, we meet as a team to assess risk and agree on a forward plan—whether that’s placing additional orders, securing allocations, or sourcing alternatives.

Post-COVID, our approach has shifted from a just-in-time model to one of greater stock resilience. We now aim to hold more inventory of high-risk or critical items, especially for cancer medicines where treatment schedules leave little room for delays. Maintaining strong relationships with our wholesalers and manufacturers is vital to this strategy. Regular communication ensures we are among the first to be notified of potential disruptions and can act quickly to secure limited supplies.

An equally important aspect of our role is transparent and timely communication with clinical teams. Pharmacists, doctors, and nurses rely on us not only for access to medicines but also for clarity about what’s available and what alternatives might be needed. When medications are unavailable, we work together to implement substitution protocols or adjust treatment plans. It’s crucial that everyone—from clinician to patient—is kept informed so we can navigate challenges collaboratively and safely.

When no Australian-registered option exists, we may turn to international suppliers under the TGA’s Special Access Scheme. While this adds complexity, it allows us to continue supporting patients even when conventional supply routes fall short.

Ultimately, our work is about staying one step ahead—anticipating problems before they arise and always having a Plan B (and sometimes a Plan C). It’s a fast-paced, high-stakes environment, but one that is essential to maintaining the high standards of care our patients deserve.

The procurement team is a vital part of our team that helps keep the wheels turning (even when sometimes it's me -Shaun O’Connor- that's tried to yank them off by forgetting to order stock - sorry!) and the patients flowing through our unit. Thanks for all you do team. 

JOPP Updates

Sage Honored at the Independent Publishing Awards

Sage, the publishing company for JOPP, has been named ProQuest Academic and Professional Publisher of the Year by the Independent Publishing Guild. The annual celebration recognizes outstanding publishing organizations across the UK and Ireland. 

Judges praised Sage’s efforts to make its publishing more sustainable and diverse, as well as its growth in books, journals, and digital content. "It's great to see a social sciences publisher — and such a proudly independent one — doing so well," they remarked. 

Barry Goldspiel, JOPP’s Editor-In-Chief remarked, “I congratulate Sage on this achievement received during your 60^th year celebration and am proud that JOPP is supported by a top-recognized publisher that has goals that align with JOPP’s mission.”

Call for JOPP Reviewers

If you are interested in serving as a reviewer for JOPP submissions, please send an email to: Barry Goldspiel (joppeditor@isopp.org) with a short description of your reviewer experience and a copy of your curriculum vitae.

Featured JOPP Articles

If you have published a paper in JOPP and would like that paper featured in the ISOPP Newsletter, please send the citation and a 1 to 3 sentence description of the importance of your paper to: joppeditor@isopp.org.

ISOPP International Symposium 2026

🎉 Celebrating 30 Years of Global Impact

In 2026, we're not just marking a milestone — we're making history. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of our international oncology pharmacy community, we're thrilled to announce the 2026 Virtual Global Symposium, a groundbreaking 24-hour live event bringing together professionals from every corner of the world.

🗓 Save the Date: March 20, 2026

📍 Location: Online – Worldwide

🕓 Duration: 24 hours continuous

🎟 Registration: Opens soon!

This isn’t your typical virtual event — it’s a borderless, around-the-clock celebration of learning and collaboration. Hosted across four key regions — Brisbane, Nairobi, Dublin, and Vancouver — the symposium ensures that wherever you are, there's a live session in your time zone.

💡 30 Sessions. 30 Minutes Each. 1 Global Community.

Expect high-impact presentations, interactive panels, and real-time networking designed for busy professionals. Whether you drop in for a session or stay connected throughout the day, you'll gain fresh insights and make meaningful connections.

🕘 How It Works: Around-the-Clock Access

Each host region will lead a 6-hour programming block on 20^th March:

• AU Brisbane (AEST): 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• KE Nairobi (EAT): 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
• IE Dublin (GMT): 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
• CA Vancouver (PDT): 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

🔁 Can’t join live? No problem — on-demand access will be available so you won’t miss a thing.

👉 Learn more: https://www.isopp.org/isopp-international-symposium-2026 Join us in making history — together, across borders.

EAHP SURVEY

Share your experience on medicines shortages through the EAHP Survey!

Medicines shortages threat patient care and burden healthcare professionals worldwide. In Europe, the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) has been raising the alarm for over a decade, with 95% of hospital pharmacists considering shortages as a critical concern in 2023.

EAHP has now launched its 2025 Shortages Survey, also addressing medical devices shortages, compounding practices, and critical medicines lists.

EAHP invites professionals working in hospital settings and patients from all countries to share their experiences and help shaping future solutions.

Take the survey by 15th July here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JTGHFDH!”

CANCER BASICS

Elaine Vickers, PhD, creator of the UTIC course, has also produced a playlist of ten short videos on “Cancer Basics”, which is freely available on YouTube. In these videos, Elaine introduces core concepts, such as genes and proteins, and delves into areas of science that underpin new cancer treatments and explain treatment resistance.

In addition to creating videos, Elaine offers in-person and live online study days and courses. If you would like to contact Elaine directly to arrange teaching for yourself and your colleagues, please contact Elaine at elaine@sciencecommunicated.co.uk.



You can also find a list of courses that she offers on her website: https://sciencecommunicated.co.uk/courses/

About Elaine:

Elaine holds a PhD in Molecular Biology and has over 20 years of experience in making the science behind cancer treatments accessible to non-scientists. Each year, Elaine teaches hundreds of cancer nurses, doctors, and allied cancer professionals working in hospitals, trials units, and pharmaceutical companies. Her book, now in its second edition, is titled A Beginner’s Guide to Targeted Cancer Treatments and Cancer Immunotherapy. The first edition was highly commended by the British Medical Association Medical Book Award.

SIOP 2025

57th Congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology

20–23 October 2025

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Don't miss your chance to benefit from discounted early bird rates!

Secure your spot for four dynamic days filled with cutting-edge science, meaningful collaboration, and impactful discussions in pediatric oncology.

 🎯​Early Bird Registration Deadline: 23 July 2025

🔗 Register now: https://siop-congress.org/register/

Be part of the global effort to improve outcomes for children with cancer — advance your expertise, expand your network, and help shape the future of care.

Amplify this opportunity by sharing the following on your social media channels:

• Early bird registration graphics for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
• Add our banner to your website, and we’ll feature yours on ours — let’s promote together!
• Forward this text and banner to colleagues and other societies (to add to their newsletter/websites):

ISOPP's Society and Symposium Management Office



Sea to Sky Meeting and Association Management is ISOPP's Society and Symposium Management Office. We support ISOPP’s volunteer leadership (Secretariat, its Committees, Task Forces and Work Groups), its members and other stakeholders to help achieve ISOPP’s mission to advance oncology pharmacy care for patients around the world. If you have any questions about membership, services, Symposium or the Society, please contact the ISOPP Office directly as follows:

Email:  membership@isopp.org

Direct: +1-604-984-6455

Suite 206, 201 Bewicke Avenue 

North Vancouver, BC Canada V7M 3M7

www.seatoskymeetings.com