Dear
The year 2020 has indeed been challenging for us all, however, as we stand together, ISOPP is as committed as ever to support our members by providing virtual education, resources and connections!
ISOPP 2021 takes place on April 23 – 24, 2021, and will be chaired by Melanie Danilak. Save the dates! This two half day event, at times to capture as many time zones as possible, will consist of plenary speakers, Satellite Symposia, ISOPP’s Annual General Meeting, Awards Presentations, and more! Interested in being part of the Symposium Task Force? Read below within the newsletter.
The OPAB program, made possible through an educational grant from Pfizer, will launch in 2021, and will consist of 10 online courses (25 hours) as well as an expanded Biosimilars Expert Network providing an opportunity to meet in person at ISOPP’s 2022 Symposium in Spain. Led by Himanshu Patel, Education Committee Chair, invitations to expert presenters and the development of the program is well underway. Registration opens early in the New Year.
Other vital resources either under development or near completion include:
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ISOPP Standards of Practice: The finishing touches are being done to all the Standards of Practice chapters include incorporating feedback and comments from the membership. Watch your inbox for the release in JOPP!
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ISOPP Position Paper for the Role of the Oncology Pharmacy Team in Cancer Care: The position paper developed by the Credentialing/Specialization/Scope of Practice Task Force has been reviewed by ISOPP members and it’s on the way to be reviewed by Secretariat. Watch your inbox for a notification of its publication.
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Biosimilars Task Force: The next task for the Biosimilars Task Force is developing a survey focused on challenges, identified by African participants during the Biosimilars Workshop at ISOPP’s 2019 Symposium, with regards to the introduction of Biosimilars into their local practice. African members, stay tuned for a notification in your inbox. Also, be sure to explore the Biosimilars Toolkit of Resources if you have not already done so. It was launched in May 2020, and we are looking for your feedback for resources to add and suggestions for improvement.
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Immunotherapy Task Force: Lynne Nakashima is chairing the recently formed Task Force to develop an ISOPP position paper on the role of the oncology pharmacist in the era of immunotherapy. Watch for a survey in 2021 requesting your input.
Read on to find out the details and deadlines regarding calls for Secretariat election nominations, awards and grants applications, and participation in either the Membership Engagement Task Force and/or ISOPP 2021 Virtual Symposium Task Force.
Please take the time to consider how you can contribute to the society – the society is a strong as the sum of the contributions of our members. The secretariat is a great way to get involved and provide direction for the future of the society and the task forces are a great opportunity to advance our resources and support practice across the world.
Enjoy the last edition to our Newsletter for 2020 and be sure to renew your ISOPP membership for 2021 (contact membership manager at membership@isopp.org if you did not receive an email).
On a personal note, I’d like to acknowledge the struggles that everyone will have had in providing the best possible care for our patients during this troubled year. The pandemic has created different challenges for us all and I commend every effort to continue to deliver high level care. The society stands behind each and every one of our members, and please reach out if we can support.
You play a vital role in improving the lives of patients in our care. Continue to spread the word about the value of ISOPP and encourage others to become members.
Happy Holidays to you all and stay safe!
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Shaun O’Connor
ISOPP President
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Call for members to join the
Member Engagement Task Force and ISOPP 2021 Virtual Symposium Task Force
Member Engagement Task Force
Netty Cracknell, Chair of the Member Engagement Task Force, is looking for members to join her in identifying strategies to increase member engagement and membership from around the world, along with making recommendations on additional ways to reward active members formally.
Please email services@isopp.org by Wednesday, January 6, 2021 to express your interest in being part of the Task Force. Thank you to those who have already responded.
ISOPP 2021 Virtual Symposium Task Force
Melanie Danilak, Chair of the Task Force, is looking to tap into the expertise and ideas of four more ISOPP members: one each from Asia, Europe, South America, and Africa. So far the planning team consists of Kimberley-Ann Kerr, Australia, as the Secretariat Liaison, and Jen Jupp, Canada, as the Research Committee Chair.
Express your interest to join the Task Force
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Call for Election Nominations 2021
ISOPP's Secretariat elections will be held in February 2021. We are seeking candidates for four open positions (President-Elect, Secretary and two General Members) for a two year term.
The following criteria provides a guide for those interested in running for the open positions:
- Minimum two year membership in ISOPP (required)
- Two years oncology pharmacy related work experience (required)
- Volunteer activity in ISOPP
- Oncology pharmacy related work experience
- General volunteer and leadership experience
Please consider colleagues who you feel would contribute to the organization. Additionally, if you would like to consider putting your name forward, please submit your nomination via your personalized link, which was emailed to you on December 14th by Wednesday, January 6, 2021 at 11:59pm PST.
The following items are required to submit you application:
- Personal statement that describes your interest in serving on the Secretariat (this will be included in the information provided to the membership during the election if you are nominated for the election slate)
- Current copy of your curriculum vitae / resume
- Current headshot photograph (jpeg file)
If you require further clarification regarding the positions, nomination process and/or the elections, please contact Alex Chan, Governance Committee Chair and Nominations Task Force Chair via email at pastpresident@isopp.org.
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Save the Date for the ISOPP’s 2021 Virtual Symposium
This two half day event, at times to capture as many time zones as possible, will consist of plenary speakers, Satellite Symposia, ISOPP’s Annual General Meeting, Awards Presentations, and more!
Mark your calendars and watch for more information as it becomes available. We look forward to connecting online in April 2021. More information coming soon!
ISOPP’s Annual General meeting (AGM) will take place during the virtual Symposium; a notification will be sent out once details are finalized. In the meantime, review the 2020 AGM minutes, PowerPoint presentation, and recording in the member only section (log in as a member).
Also, as mentioned above, we are looking for four ISOPP members from Asia, Europe, South America, and Africa to be part of the Virtual Symposium Task Force. Express your interest via email at symposia@isopp.org by Wednesday, January 6, 2021.
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Oncology Pharmacotherapy and Applications of Biosimilars Program
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Recognizing that there is a rapid expansion of Biosimilars usage in clinical practice, and that the role of an oncology pharmacist is evolving and further integrating as a key member of a multidisciplinary healthcare team, ISOPP is developing an online education program that supports oncology pharmacists to safely and confidently introduce Biosimilars into their clinical practice and multidisciplinary healthcare team. ISOPP will present this education program in a novel way by giving both fundamentals and advanced aspects of 1) pharmacotherapy of various cancers, 2) implementation of biosimilars in oncology practice and 3) interpretation of available scientific and regulatory data and pharmacist’s recommendations for using biosimilars in different cancers.
The program is aimed at oncology pharmacists who have practiced for at least one year in the area of oncology pharmacy, and will consist of 10 online courses (25 hours) and an opportunity to meet at ISOPP’s 2022 Symposium in Spain to expand the Biosimilars Expert Network.
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Save the Date for the ISOPP’s 2022 Symposium in Seville, Spain!
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Oncology Pharmacy Around the World |
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World Pharmacists Week by the Egyptian Foundation of Clinical Pharmacy (EFCP)
By Alex Chan, ISOPP Past President, United States
The theme of the webinar was ‘Transforming Global Health; Egypt Focus”, and the webinar was hosted by Dr. Mahmoud Abdelrahman who is the President of EFCP. The goal of the webinar was to provide a platform to allow pharmacy leaders from numerous international/national organizations as well as universities to connect with Egyptian colleagues to discuss strategies on pharmacy transformation. As the leading global oncology pharmacy society, ISOPP was invited to present in this webinar.
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The Role of Oncology Pharmacy in The Top Referral Hospital in Indonesia
By Rina Mutiara, Clinical Pharmacist, Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Indonesia
Each day many patients attend CMH from Jakarta and other regions of Indonesia. As the main referral hospital in Indonesia, CMH can provide a role model for the practice of oncology in Indonesia.
The hospital has 45 pharmacists. We only have 2 oncology pharmacists that give oncology service for inpatient and outpatient including pediatric and adult patients. The oncology pharmacy should be provided with sufficient staffing to run the service. Pharmacy department has the commitment to ”Help, give the best”.
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Chemotherapy for colon cancer in elderly patients: Hot topic in ESMO Virtual Congress 2020 and our new project in Japan
By Hisanaga Nomura, Deputy Manager, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Japan
This year, it was held virtually due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The registration was free, and I was able to participate in the ESMO Congress held in Japan without paying high travel expenses and taking time off from work. I found an interesting presentation at the ESMO Congress to introduce you to. Furthermore, I would like to introduce our approach in Japan in this regard.
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Highlighted Education Resources |
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ISOPP Biosimilars Toolkit of Resources
The Toolkit is divided into 9 categories. Visit each category to view the relevant resources (Log in as a member).
Do you have any suggestions on how to improve the Toolkit, including any additional resources you would recommend? Click here to leave your feedback.
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ISOPP COVID-19 Resources
The situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to change and evolve; what will not change is our Society’s commitment to do everything we can to support our members. ISOPP is therefore committed to collecting and sharing COVID-19 and Cancer Care resources.
We are delighted to share resources which provide COVID-19 guidance from various regulators to knowledge support to pharmacists and patients for cancer care during this pandemic.
Through our resources, we provide further support to our membership with some of the most interesting research findings and virtual interactions with experts related to the impact of COVID-19 on cancer care globally.
The resources are divided into 5 categories:
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ISOPP offers online educational opportunities specific to the needs of oncology pharmacy practitioners, and facilitated by ISOPP leaders and oncology pharmacy experts.
Learn from ISOPP’s previously recorded webinars:
Log in as a member to watch the recordings on ISOPP’s website. Members have complimentary access for one year from the date of the webinar.
Watch your inbox for upcoming Webinars in 2021!
Interested in presenting a webinar? Please contact the Education Committee Chair, Himanshu Patel, at education@isopp.org.
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The Virtual Library serves as a hub for oncology pharmacy practitioners from around the world to access the breadth and depth of knowledge of ISOPP members and others on a 24-hour basis.
Members and non-members have access to certain resources complimentary and others through a paid subscription.
The COVID-19 Resources, Biosimilars Toolkit of Resources, recording of past Regional and International Symposia, webinars and much more are available in the Virtual Library!
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After completing the questionnaire, a certificate will be available. Although not formally accredited for continuing medical education (CME) points, participation is equal to one hour of CME activity.
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JOPP is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and is free for ISOPP members.
You can access JOPP issues online anytime via ISOPP website (log in as a member). Please note that a hard copy of the Journal is no longer available.
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It’s Time to Apply for a Grant and Awards.
You have until Tuesday, January 19, 2021!
Every day oncology pharmacists make a difference in the lives of cancer patients around the world. Part of ISOPP’s mission is to support and reward this vital work. We do this through our Grants & Awards program.
The deadlines to nominate yourself and/or an ISOPP member for an award or to apply for a Research Grant is Tuesday, January 19, 2021.
Full details for each grant and award (including eligibility criteria, application steps and application site) are located on the ISOPP website: sign in as a member and go to the Grants & Awards page.
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It’s Time to Renew your Membership for 2021!
It’s that time of year again! Membership renewal for 2021 has started already! Check your inbox for an email which was sent on December 9th with directions on how to renew.
Membership benefits include, and are not limited to:
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You can be part of the Members’ Discussion Forum
The Discussion Forum is an online discussion about oncology pharmacy with ISOPP members around the world. The forum is an active conversation amongst members, committee members and Secretariat members on oncology pharmacy related issues and ISOPP specific issues.
Post questions and provide answers using the discussion forum. Take advantage of the networking opportunities with ISOPP members by starting a discussion around leading edge oncology knowledge and best practices!
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You can Follow us on ISOPP’s LinkedIn Page
ISOPP is the world’s gateway to oncology pharmacy research and practice. This is the place you come to learn about the latest developments in oncology pharmacy, to connect with pioneers in cancer treatment, and to expand your knowledge of oncology pharmacy practice worldwide.
Share our posts with your network and encourage others to join ISOPP!
There is also an ISOPP Group page in LinkedIn if you would like to connect and share your ideas and best practices with other Oncology Pharmacy practitioners!
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You can be an ISOPP
Quarterly Newsletter Author
We would love to hear about conferences (virtual or in person) you may have attended, a ‘Day in the life of a <name country> oncology pharmacist’ during the COVID19 outbreak or anything else you would like to share with ISOPP members in oncology pharmacy and your practice.
ISOPP’s Newsletter, published quarterly and sent via email directly to members, is the home of international discussion on oncology pharmacy research and practice and ISOPP news and business. We are always looking for contributions.
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Evelyn Handel
Newsletter Editor
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Are you or your national organization looking for a way to reach ISOPP members for a research study, to share information or other related oncology pharmacy matters?
There are several ways to reach ISOPP members:
ISOPP will distribute your survey, if it meets set criteria. This service is free if the principal investigator or co-investigator is an ISOPP member, and is available to non-members for a fee of $750 CAD.
Many ISOPP members are part of healthcare teams involved in cancer prevention, treatment, supportive care, and symptom management. If you would like to reach them to share information about a job posting, a product launch, a conference or other related oncology pharmacy matters, ISOPP will distribute an email on your behalf and post the information to the ISOPP website. Check out the cost for a one-time email distribution!
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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. If you have any questions about membership, services, Symposium or the Society, please contact the ISOPP Office directly as follows:
Direct: +1-604-984-6448
Suite 206, 201 Bewicke Avenue
North Vancouver, BC Canada V7M 3M7
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