Volume 28 | No.5 | May 2026 | | |
From Barry Goldspiel, ISOPP President
Dear
Across every region of the world, oncology pharmacy professionals continue to play a critical role in ensuring the safe, effective, and compassionate delivery of cancer care. Your expertise, resilience, and commitment to patients remain the foundation of our profession and the driving force behind ISOPP’s continued success.
As one of our new initiatives, I would like to start a regular section in the Newsletter to recognize the remarkable work you do each day to ease the burden of cancer. Did you publish a paper in JOPP? Did you win an award? Did you start a new oncology service? Did you form a new local oncology pharmacy society? Did your local oncology pharmacy society celebrate a milestone anniversary? These are just a few examples of what this section can include. Please forward your accomplishments to newsletter@isopp.org.
This past year has demonstrated both the rapid evolution of oncology practice and the growing importance of global collaboration. Advances in precision medicine, cellular therapies, digital health technologies, and artificial intelligence are transforming how cancer care is delivered. Rapid technology advances require oncology pharmacy professionals keep abreast of the latest developments. I am proud to say that our education committee is a strength of ISOPP and has been delivering just-in-time education to ISOPP members. I encourage you to review the new Introduction to Safe Handling of Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) and Cytotoxic Drugs course (New ISOPP E-Learning: Understanding SACT and Cytotoxic Risks | ISOPP) and if you haven’t already taken the Understanding Targeted therapies and Immunotherapies for Cancer (UTIC) Course, I would encourage you to complete that as well (UTIC Course | ISOPP).
In concert with the Environmental Sustainability Task Force (ESTF) Position Paper (ISOPP Environmental Sustainability Task Position Statement111725.pdf), the ESTF is about to accomplish another of its goals by releasing a “Green ToolKit” later this month. We will make an announcement when the toolkit is available. Our Quality and Equity in Cancer Treatment Supply Task Force has begun its work. I was honored to be part of a webinar hosted by The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association (CCLG) Global Child Cancer Group on “Tackling Drug Quality in Paediatric Oncology in Low- and Middle- Income Countries (LMIC) to promote the work of our Task Force. Our ‘Day in the Life’ this month is from Chris Salmen to introduce a new Secretariat member.
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On a very exciting front, I know you have been waiting for the destination for ISOPP 2027. Although the details have not been finalized, I am pleased to announce that we will be partnering with our colleagues from SOBRAFO, who recently celebrated their 25th Anniversary. ISOPP 2027 will be in Brazil, most likely in the April to June timeframe in the fabulous city of Rio de Janeiro. The final details should be available by the next Newsletter.
We rely on the dedication of our members, volunteers, task forces, committees, sponsors, and partners. I extend my deepest gratitude to all who contribute their expertise, leadership, and passion to ISOPP’s mission. There is always an opportunity to volunteer for ISOPP. Please complete our volunteer form here and email your curriculum vitae to: volunteer@isopp.org. I will guarantee that we will find a spot for you to contribute to ISOPP if you complete the survey.
Together, we are strengthening oncology pharmacy practice, advancing professional excellence, and improving outcomes for patients with cancer worldwide. Thank you for your ongoing support of ISOPP and for the extraordinary work you do every day in service to patients and their families.
As always, I am most eager to hear what ISOPP can do for you. Please feel free to email me (president@isopp.org) any time.
Warmly,
| | Celebrating ISOPP Member Accomplishments | | |
Have you published a paper in JOPP?
Have you received an award?
Did you organize a new local oncology pharmacy group?
ISOPP would like to recognize your accomplishments in the monthly newsletter. Please send the information about what you would like to be recognized for to the ISOPP Newsletter Editor (newsletter@isopp.org) and copy president@isopp.org.
| | New Members Meeting with ISOPP Leadership | | |
Have you just recently joined ISOPP?
Here’s an exciting opportunity to meet the President, past President and other top leadership members of ISOPP.
Save the Date – Upcoming Meetings
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 06:00 PDT
Click Here for the local time of the meeting for you.
Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at 10:00 PST
Click here for the local time of the meeting for you.
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New ISOPP E-Learning:
Understanding SACT And Cytotoxic Risks
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Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) and other cytotoxic drugs are critical in cancer treatment but pose serious occupational and environmental risks if not handled properly. Healthcare systems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) often lack the infrastructure, resources, and training necessary to mitigate these risks.
This course is designed to provide healthcare professionals with essential knowledge and practical guidance for the safe handling, storage, administration, and disposal of systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT) and cytotoxic agents, in order to protect patients, staff, and the environment from harmful exposure.
Access to the program is complimentary for ISOPP members.
| | Educational Opportunity
Understanding Targeted Therapies and Immunotherapies for Cancer | | |
ISOPP's Understanding Targeted Therapies and Immunotherapies for Cancer (UTIC) course - developed in collaboration with the British Oncology Pharmacy Association - is currently available on our e-learning platform.
The course has been awarded an International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Seal in recognition of its alignment with FIP's mission to advance pharmacy worldwide, and it is split into five topic areas:
- Cancer biology and genetics
- Targeted cancer treatments
- Introduction to immunotherapy
- Immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors
- Targeted treatments and immunotherapies for haematological cancers
UTIC is available FREE to all ISOPP members.
Click the link below to access the course today!
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All members are welcome to join active topics in the website's discussion forum for brainstorming and exchange of relevant information.
Click the link below to be a part of it:
| | HOPA 2026 Oncology Pharmacy Practice Literature Award Published in JOPP | | |
The HOPA Oncology Pharmacy Practice Literature Award recognizes an author who has written an article, other than scientific research, that contributes significantly to the betterment of the hematology/oncology pharmacy profession and describes innovations in community, hospital, or healthcare system hematology/oncology pharmacy practices published (print or electronic) by a HOPA member.
The complete citation is:
Griffin SP, Signorelli J, Raheem F, Adler K, Benitez LL, Cheng RM, Dotson E, Fares M, Ganti BR, Hickey Zacholski E, Lasko AR, Lewallen AB, Lynch AC, Paulic N, Quach D, Vogel V, Yacobucci M, Riebandt G. Time to complete oncology pharmacist tasks: A joint opinion of the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association and American College of Clinical Pharmacy's Hematology/Oncology Practice and Research Network. J Oncol Pharm Pract. 2025 Apr 1:10781552251330252. doi: 10.1177/10781552251330252. Online ahead of print
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Volunteer with ISOPP
Volunteer recruitment for the 2026-27 year is open.
Volunteer Process:
Complete the volunteer form on the website at here
Email your CV to volunteer@isopp.org
Eligible members will be contacted via email to sign up for a meeting time to discuss opportunities.
| | Call for JOPP Reviewers and Featured JOPP Articles | | |
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.
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.
| | A Day in the Life in the United Kingdom | |
A Day in the Life of a Haemato-oncology Pharmacist in the
United Kingdom by Pharm. Chris Salmen
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A prescribing haemato-oncology pharmacist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust with over 20 years’ experience in cancer care. My work spans outpatient clinics, stem cell transplantation, systemic anticancer therapy (SACT), prescribing, governance, teaching, and electronic prescribing systems. I have a particular interest in lymphoma, myeloma, cGVHD, supportive care, and improving patient safety through practical pharmacy innovation.
Alongside my clinical work, I regularly lecture nationally and internationally on haemato-oncology topics and I am passionate about education, patient advocacy, and making complex oncology concepts understandable - as well as being keen amateur pizza maker'.
I do a lot of healthcare professional education. This includes nurses, doctors, and pharmacists. It’s a big part of my role, particularly in haemato-oncology where treatments and supportive care continue to change rapidly. Fridays are slightly different for me, as Monday to Thursday are primarily spent supporting our ward clinical pharmacists and also in clinic. Friday tends to be my desk day; this is the day when many of the governance, audit, teaching, management, and service development aspects of my role are performed.
Today started at 8 a.m. with an hour-long teaching session on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, covering both the pathology and practical management of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. I think the lecture went reasonably well — at least nobody appeared to fall asleep.
After this, I had a management meeting with my trainee pharmacist before moving into discussions around a high-dose methotrexate audit with one of our lymphoma consultants and our excellent clinical technician. The audit is looking at urinary pH and how this may affect methotrexate excretion times for our patients with lymphoma.
The rest of the morning involved sitting in on a lenalidomide waste audit meeting before screening intrathecal chemotherapy prescriptions for the following week.
During the afternoon, I received an urgent call from a Clinical Nurse Specialist about a patient who needed systemic anti-cancer therapy prescribed urgently but was unable to get hold of a doctor. As an independent prescriber pharmacist, I was able to step in and prescribe the treatment to avoid delays to patient care – which made me feel like a pharmacy superhero!
Lunch consisted of a disappointing cheese wrap eaten at speed before rushing into a clinical trials meeting whilst simultaneously preparing for the following week’s clinics.
I finished the day by clinically screening and authorising ablative chemotherapy for a patient proceeding to stem cell transplantation.
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Thank you for reading this edition of the ISOPP Newsletter.
Kind Regards
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Busayo Abolarin
ISOPP Engagement and Communications Committee
Newsletter Editor
newsletter@isopp.org
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ISOPP's Society and Symposium Management Office
Sea to Sky, an MCI Company 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
MCI Canada, 555 Burrard Street, 1st Floor
Vancouver, BC, Canada V7X 1M8
www.seatoskymeetings.com
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