Volume 26 | No.11 | November 2024 | |
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From Netty Cracknell, ISOPP President
Dear Eunji
After a short break last month, I have been propelled back into ISOPP activities and everything seems to have happened at once!
This month ISOPP had our second Town Hall and Kofi Boamah Mensah (Ghana), an ISOPP Secretariat member, has written a report below on the meeting.
ISOPP also had a very informative education webinar on the recent developments in lymphoma treatment from Cameron Roessner (Canada) which was so fascinating that the ISOPP webinar team, led by Liam King (Australia) has invited him back in 2025. The recording can be found on our website here (log in as a member).
This month has also seen the publishing of two position statements, one on the Supply of alcoholic beverages at ISOPP meetings and events and our ISOPP Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Position Statement that had gone out for membership consultation earlier this year from the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) Task Force, chaired by Jennifer Jupp (Canada).
ISOPP has also endorsed the ‘Antineoplastic Therapy Administration Safety Standards for Adult and Pediatric Oncology’ by ASCO which was approved for endorsement by the TF chaired by Eoin Tabb (Ireland) and vice chair Racha Sabbagh Dit Hawasli (UAE/Lebanon), which was formed to review this document.
November has also seen the registration site open for the ISOPP CAPhO 2025 Symposium and Tina Crosbie (Canada), Symposium Planning TF (SPTF) Chair / Symposium Scientific Program TF (SSPTF) Co-Chair and Joe Williams (UK) SSPTF Co-Chair have been leading the team preparing for April next year.
The ISOPP Masterclasses, run by the ISOPP Education Committee, chaired by Himanshu Patel (Canada) are also open for registration and the work going on to prepare for next year is underway.
I sometimes reflect on my role as the ISOPP President and upon reading the inspiring ‘Day in the life article’ from Dr. Aoko Koyoson, I am reminded why I strive to enhance the support for pharmacists across the world in their care for cancer patients. Thank you for your article Dr. Aoko. If you also wish to submit an article and share your experience, please find submission details here.
And finally, the ISOPP monthly newsletter, led by Busayo Abolarin (Nigeria) continues to be published. This is no easy task to produce each month and together with our social media platforms, led by Tiffany Chan (UK) this has increased communication with our members which is vital for a global organization that needs to keep our members informed.
All the education provision, sharing of best practices and ongoing work would not be possible without the dedication, commitment and time of our many volunteers who work to make ISOPP the success it is.
This month I have named a few individuals who have volunteered their time for ISOPP and the global cancer pharmacy community, but there are many others who regularly go above and beyond to help ISOPP and so help our fellow colleagues all over the globe. Sometimes giving a little time, sometimes more. For this, I thank you, on behalf of all ISOPP members.
Thinking of our volunteers, in some countries, December is a month of extended time off from work and spending with friends, families and helping out others. For this reason, there will not be a December ISOPP newsletter to allow our volunteers some much needed time to catch up. Therefore, our next ISOPP newsletter will come to you in January 2025.
I finish with a quote that a wise woman once said - ‘Together, we work to give our patients the best possible care, one day at a time.’ - Dr. Aoko Koyoson (Kenya).
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Netty Cracknell
ISOPP President 2024 - 2026
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Breast Cancer: New Treatments and a Focus on HER2 Low Disease
Find out more about new treatments for breast cancer, with a focus on emerging evidence for the management of HER2 low disease.
Presented by: Suzanne Frank (Advanced Specialist Breast Cancer Pharmacist, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK) and Christine Peragine (Pharmacist Lead Oral Anticancer Medication Program, Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Center, Toronto, Canada)
Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 05:00 PST
| IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have accessed this Webinar registration site before, please ensure to click "Edit" next to "ISOPP Webinar" in Summary page, and check the webinar(s) you would like to register for. If you have already registered for webinar(s) and wish to register for new webinar(s), please make sure to keep the old registered webinar(s) checked in addition to the new webinar(s). Unchecking webinar(s) will cancel your previous registration. | |
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Check out the Past Webinars!
Did you miss one of our webinars in 2024 or would like to go back and watch? Recordings of past webinars are available on the ISOPP website for members to watch:
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ISOPP Research Mentorship
The ISOPP Research Mentorship programme has now been up and running for three months and we have already had encouraging levels of engagement from ISOPP members. I would encourage all pharmacists with an interest in research to check out the research mentorship page on the website to find out more about the programme and how to engage with our expert mentors.
We have tried to make the process as straightforward and painless as possible, but the research committee are always on-hand to deal with any questions or concerns that you might have – we can be contacted at research@isopp.org.
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ISOPP Position Statements
ISOPP has developed various Position Statements to guide and support oncology pharmacy practice. These resources are available to members. Log in as a member to access the ISOPP Position Statements.
New positions statements published!
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Barry Goldspiel
JOPP Advisory Board Chair
ISOPP Secretariat General Member
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A Day in the life of a Pharmacist in Oncology Centre at Kenyatta National Hospital | |
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My name is Dr. Aoko Koyoson, a pharmacist at the outpatient Oncology pharmacy at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya. The oncology pharmacy services consist of two teams: The outpatient oncology pharmacy and the inpatient oncology pharmacy. The oncology outpatient pharmacy staff includes: one specialist clinical pharmacist, two pharmacists, three pharmaceutical technologists and one office assistant. We are situated at the Cancer Treatment Centre (CTC) building. In this article, I share a typical day in my life as a pharmacist in one of the country’s largest cancer treatment centres.
As dawn breaks over Nairobi's skyline, the Cancer Treatment Centre at Kenyatta National Hospital springs to life. It is a chilly Thursday morning, the air is crisp, and with it comes the weight of responsibility that we, the oncology outpatient pharmacy team, carry each day. Our mission? To ensure safe, timely and correct medication delivery to hundreds of cancer patients.
I arrive at work a few minutes to 8:00 am and clock into the system. The day begins with our essential morning routine. Together with the security officer, we open the pharmacy and perform our first crucial task, counting of high-cost medicines like trastuzumab, checking them against Wednesday’s closing time inventory. We also check the fridge temperatures and log accordingly and ensure our equipment like biosafety cabinets are in good working condition. We also ensure the pharmacy is thoroughly cleaned and waste is properly segregated ready for disposal. After the morning duties, Dr. Z. Kiambi, our pharmacist in-charge, heads to a brief CTC Department Quality Assurance meeting. As Dr. Kiambi heads out, the rest of the team and I begin to set up the chemotherapy preparation room.
Dr. Z. Kiambi tasks each team member with their role for today. We have two clinics today, the breast cancer clinic and chemotherapy radiation clinic. Dr. S. Machuki, a fellow pharmacist, leads chemotherapy preparation, working alongside two pharmaceutical technologists, T. Ogamo and A. Ngicho. The third technologist, P. Owino is responsible for the billing and the team lead, Dr. Kiambi, oversees overall operations. My role for the day is file reviews at the breast cancer clinic.
It is 8.30 am, we are done with the morning routines and the workflow begins. The nurses bring in Treatment sheets for the patients triaged and fit to receive chemotherapy for the day; head and neck cancer patients who had their clinical review the previous day, Wednesday. Dr. Kiambi returns from the meeting and together we carefully check each treatment sheet against our independent chemotherapy review sheets and prepare medication labels, before passing them to Dr. Machuki’s team for chemotherapy reconstitution.
At 10:00 AM, armed with my chemotherapy summary forms, sticky notes, and pens (blue and red), I head to the Pharmacists Review Room on ground floor for the breast cancer clinic. Today we are expecting 85 patients. The scene is already busy with patients settling into chemotherapy chairs, while others wait in the lounge for their clinic appointments. I settle in the room as the medical doctors and consultants begin seeing patients. Soon, the nurse brings in the first batch of ten files for me to review.
At around noon, one of the medical doctors comes into the pharmacist review room with a patient experiencing hand and foot syndrome from their medication. We discuss management strategies, and I see the relief in the patient's eyes as understanding dawns. After they leave the room, I resume reviewing the files. By 1:30 pm, I am back to the review room. Time seems to flow differently in oncology. What feels like minutes turns into hours as I review files, catch medication errors, and collaborate with our medical team. The afternoon also brings its own challenges. A patient in her second cycle of vinorelbine regimen reports injection site reactions experienced after first cycle administration. Together with the medical doctor and nurse, we discuss ways to prevent extravasation and how to ease the discomfort while maintaining treatment efficacy. These are the moments that remind me of the impact of the oncology pharmacy team—where every intervention can significantly impact a patient's quality of life.
I continue with the review until 3:46 pm. Today, we have served 89 patients—seven new warriors joining our cancer-fighting family and 82 continuing their journey with us. I identified and corrected nine medication errors—nine potential complications prevented! I head by to the pharmacy to complete my final tasks: documenting the adverse reactions and medication errors in the pharmacovigilance system (PvERS) and Red Cap tool, fridge temperature checks, counting of high-cost medicines, and reviewing patient feedback register. Dr. Kiambi also reports two adverse drug reactions that have occurred today in the chemotherapy administration area. Each entry in our systems represents not just data, but real people with real stories.
At 5pm, I clock out and head to the hospital’s gate to catch my bus home. The rain begins to fall as I board the Super Metro bus, my favorite "Women at Work" podcast keeping me company. I reflect on another fulfilling day, marvelling at the unique experiences of oncology pharmacy. For us, every day brings a chance to make treatment easier for our cancer patients. Working in the oncology outpatient pharmacy at Kenyatta National Hospital means being part of something bigger than ourselves. Whether we are preparing chemotherapy, checking prescriptions, or educating patients on their medications, each team member plays a vital role in cancer care. Together, we work to give our patients the best possible care, one day at a time.
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Insights and Inspiration:
Reflections from the ISOPP Town Hall Meeting
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I had the privilege of joining the recent virtual ISOPP Town Hall meeting and the experience was both enlightening and inspiring. Pharmacists from different parts of the world joined, and the environment was lively and cooperative. Attendees shared innovative ideas and explored avenues for advancing oncology pharmacy practice.
The meeting brought together different perspectives. Among the suggestions from the attendees during discussion were the need to address global disparities in the practice of oncology pharmacy. Others included creating a professional working group to provide consultation services in countries lacking basic oncology practices to forming teams dedicated to quality healthcare and patient safety.
The importance of education and professional development was also a recurring theme. Attendees emphasized the need for observership opportunities at well-established institutions. Scholarships for advanced studies in oncology pharmacy, and tools to assess and improve current services in low- and middle-income countries was also brought up. Real-life examples, like the Fulbright-supported training of oncology pharmacists in Nigeria, showcased the transformative power of collaboration and targeted support.
Another highlight was the discussion on the integration of technology. Attendees encourage ISOPP leadership to explore the potential of AI and Big Data in oncology pharmacy. This is suggested to enhance treatment decisions to supporting pharmacists’ roles in patient care. The leadership reaffirmed that technology should complement, not replace, the vital human element in healthcare.
The meeting also underscored ISOPP's role as a catalyst for global progress. Suggestions for partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and NGOs and leveraging ISOPP's resources, like the Standards for Safe Handling of Cytotoxics, illustrated the society's potential to drive meaningful change.
Overall, the Town Hall meeting affirmed the power of collective effort and shared vision. At the end of the meeting, I was excited about the future of ISOPP and oncology pharmacy practice.
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Kofi Boamah Mensah
ISOPP Secretariat General Member
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Register now for the ISOPP CAPhO 2025 Symposium, taking place April 3-6 (Symposium) and April 7 (Masterclasses) at the Victoria Conference Centre (VCC), located in the vibrant heart of downtown Victoria, on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.
Register by the Early Bird deadline of Wednesday, January 15 to save! Visit the Symposium registration page for information on registration fees and deadlines and see below for how to book your accommodation.
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Plan to arrive for Thursday morning and stay until end of day Monday to participate in ISOPP’s and CAPhO’s Masterclasses / Workshops, designed to be interactive, engaging and focused on relevant topics impacting oncology pharmacy practice. There is also a full slate of Sponsored Symposia starting on Thursday afternoon, after the CAPhO Workshops and before the Symposium days on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
To view the Program at a Glance and to learn more about the 2025 program as details become available, visit the ISOPP CAPhO Symposium 2025 website.
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You are invited to support the work of ISOPP by making a voluntary donation.
Your contributions will fund ISOPP’s 10-year vision so ISOPP members will benefit from increased collaboration, engagement, and support to participate in educational programs, advance the profession, conduct research, publish leading articles, have complimentary access to The Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice (JOPP), and share best practices within the global oncology pharmacy community. Join us in making a difference today.
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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
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