Greetings
As our routine moves into the latter quarter of the year, you are invited to consider nominating yourself or a colleague for one of ISOPP’s awards and/or to serve in a leadership role by putting your name forward for the 2022 Secretariat elections. Various sections within the newsletter provide more details on these career advancing opportunities.
As you may know, an upcoming task for ISOPP’s leadership is the review of ISOPP’s strategic plan. So much has been accomplished and changed since it was first drafted in 2016 and now new objectives are needed to continue our journey in achieving our strategic priorities of advancing global engagement, advocacy, and developing education for you, our members. We are so appreciative of all those who participated in membership survey seeking your input to inform this work, and also, on how we can add more value to your membership and improve our services.
Congratulations to Varunee Sararaks for winning the draw of a complimentary 2022 ISOPP membership!
We are also very much appreciative of the work of the Task Forces. The Credentialing/Specialization/Scope of Practice Task Force, led by co-chairs Barry Goldspiel and Lisa Holle, and including 23 ISOPP members representing 10 countries, successfully completed their work with the publication of its “Position Statement: Role of the oncology pharmacy team in cancer care” in the Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice (JOPP). Read below for more information on what the position states and why it was developed. Please share it far and wide.
The Biosimilars and Immunotherapy Task Forces, lead by Emma Foreman and Lynne Nakashima respectively, continue their work in developing resources to fill education gaps and create position statements.
The Advocacy Task Force is now a Committee as the work of advocating for our profession is ongoing. John Wiernikowski, who has served as Chair since the creation of the Task Force is being joined in the position by Esin Aysel Kandemir. Esin is well qualified for the task. She is currently a pharmacist at the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency and is responsible for regulatory work regarding off-label and off-license use of oncology drugs and reimbursement issues. Welcome Esin and thank you to all our incredible volunteers for their time and expertise!
Please, enjoy reading the remainder of the newsletter, including the “Oncology Around the World” articles, and be sure to share the benefits and value of membership with your colleagues and encourage them to join ISOPP.
Lastly, give us your feedback on the enewsletter - at the very end. We want to hear from you. Stay safe and see you online!
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Shaun O’Connor
ISOPP President
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Report on the ISOPP Immunotherapy Survey
One of the primary objectives of the Immunotherapy Task Force is to complete a survey of members and non-members to identify the current landscape of practice in order to shape the work of the Task Force.
The survey was distributed to members and non-members in April 2021 and was open for approximately 6 weeks. It was completed by 142 individuals, of which 74 were ISOPP members (31% membership response rate) and 68 were non-members. Respondents were from 32 different countries with the most responses from the UK, Canada, Australia, United States and Nigeria.
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ISOPP Membership Survey:
Our Gratitude and Congratulations
ISOPP invited members and non-members to complete the ISOPP membership survey conducted from August 16 to September 13 as part of the ISOPP’s ongoing commitment to create value for our members. We sought input to inform our strategic priorities, website revamp project, communication practices and advocacy initiatives.
All participants who submitted their name during the survey were entered into a draw to win a FREE ISOPP membership for 2022!
Congratulations to Varunee Sararaks for winning the complimentary 2022 ISOPP membership, and thank you all who participated in the survey! The responses will be collated and summarized into a written report to be shared with ISOPP’s leadership.
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Participate in ISOPP’s Biosimilar implementation in oncology practice in Africa Survey
ISOPP’s Biosimilars Task Force has distributed a survey to ISOPP members in the African region, to inform their work of designing educational materials and resources which meet the specific needs of oncology pharmacists and other oncology professionals in Africa.
All practicing oncology pharmacy practitioners in Africa are invited to participate in the survey by Monday, October 18. If you did not receive the survey, please contact services@isopp.org if you would like the survey resent.
Responses will be collated and summarized into a report and a summary of which will be shared with ISOPP members.
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Get Ready to Nominate / Apply for Awards and Grants!
Everyday 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.
Get ready to either nominate yourself or a colleague for an Award or apply for a Research Grants. Click on the links below to find out more on each opportunity and watch your inbox for notification of when the call for nominations and applications begin.
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Call for Nominations Task Force 2022
– express your interest
by Monday, October 25, 2021
We are seeking ISOPP members who are interested in volunteering for the 2022 Election Nominations Task Force (NTF).
This year, the Task Force is chaired by Evelyn Handel, ISOPP’s President-Elect, and, as customary, overseen by the Governance Committee. The work of this Task Force is outlined below, and will occur from November to January.
As a member of the NTF, ISOPP will ask you to:
- Identify possible ISOPP members to be candidates for open Secretariat positions;
- Contact potential candidates to speak about the opportunities of serving on the Secretariat; and
- Review the curriculum vitae of potential candidates.
The open positions are: Treasurer, Secretary and one General Member.
Note: As a Task Force member, you are ineligible to run for any position in the 2022 election, and must be a paid member for 2021 and renew your membership for 2022 when the time comes.
Since, it is optimal to have a broad regional / geographical representation on the NTF, we are looking for Task Force members from all regions of the world.
If you would like to serve on the NTF, please contact Evelyn Handel via email at president-elect@isopp.org by Monday, October 25, 2021.
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The Position Statement: Role of the oncology pharmacy team in cancer care
The Position Statement describes the roles of oncology pharmacists and technicians in cancer patient care and provides information that promotes advocacy, especially for countries where the profession has not yet recognized oncology pharmacy as a specialty.
ISOPP developed the Position Statement to provide guidance on five key areas: 1) oncology pharmacy practice as a pharmacy specialty; 2) contributions to patient care; 3) oncology pharmacy practice management; 4) education and training; and 5) contributions to oncology research and quality initiatives to involve the oncology pharmacy team (OPT).
The Position Statement advocates that: 1) the OPT be fully incorporated into the multidisciplinary healthcare team to optimize patient care; 2) educational and healthcare institutions develop programs to continually educate OPT members; and 3) regulatory authorities develop certification programs to recognize the unique contributions of the OPT in cancer patient care.
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ISOPP Events and Programs |
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Save the Date for the ISOPP’s 2022 Virtual Symposium
ISOPP’s 2022 International Symposium will take place virtually again in 2022 on March 4 – 5. Save the date! Join us for leading edge education to advance your pharmacy oncology knowledge from wherever you are!
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 and more!
Mark your calendars and watch for more information as it becomes available. The registration is Complimentary for ISOPP members.
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 2021 AGM minutes, PowerPoint presentation, and recording in the member only section (log in as a member).
We look forward to connecting online in March 2022 and in person in March 2023.
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Oncology Pharmacotherapy and Applications of Biosimilars Program
The OPAB Program is for ISOPP members who are oncology pharmacists and have practiced for at least one year in the area of oncology pharmacy. Registration is complimentary for members.
If you know colleagues who are not ISOPP members and who might benefit from the Program, please invite them to Join ISOPP for as low as $55 CAD excluding tax, depending on where they live. Then they too can be part of leading edge education to advance pharmacy oncology knowledge from wherever you are! After they join ISOPP, they will receive a personalized link to register for the OPAB Program.
Visit the ISOPP website to learn more about the topics, authors and learning objectives.
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2021 Conferences and Events in Collaboration |
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Saudi Oncology Pharmacy Assembly (SOPA) / International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners (ISOPP) Regional Conference 2021
The dates for the ISOPP’s first ever Saudi Arabia Regional Oncology Pharmacy Conference, a hybrid event in Riyadh, were moved to November 18 to 20. ISOPP will present two Masterclasses virtually, one on Oral Anti-Cancer and the other on the Implementation of Biosimilars.
The theme of the Conference is Advancing Pharmacy Practice and will discuss practice management dilemmas, scientific therapeutic updates, and opportunities research, given that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the field of oncology pharmacy has continued to evolve and expand with advanced therapeutic options and technologies.
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Excellence in Oncology Pharmacy Practice, Gulf Region
AstraZeneca has developed a scientific exchange forum for clinical pharmacists across the Gulf, through an initiative that aims to educate pharmacists on oncology recent trends and international standards, and ISOPP has been invited to participate.
For these Excellence in Oncology Pharmacy Practice virtual seminars, an invitation only event in the Gulf, ISOPP has now presented 4 of the 10 hours of virtual content on the topics of Cancer Patient Supportive Care Masterclass and Pharmacogenomics.
The topics are being presented by Alexandre Chan, PharmD, MPH, BCPS, BCOP, FCCP, FISOPP, APh and Todd Knepper, PharmD respectively.
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Oncology Pharmacy Around the World |
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Developing HD Contamination Monitoring Guidelines: Global Perspectives Symposium
By BD, ISOPP 2021 Virtual Symposium Sponsor
During the ISOPP 2021 Virtual Symposium in April, BD sponsored a program titled Developing HD Contamination Monitoring Guidelines: Global Perspectives. The purpose of this symposium was to explain the importance of surface monitoring to detect hazardous drug (HD) contamination and provide recommendations from recently published U.S. consensus conference proceedings and Spanish guidelines. The speakers were Patricia Kienle, MPA, BCSCP, FASHP, Director of Accreditation and Medication Safety at Cardinal Health in the United States and Silvia Valero-García, a hospital pharmacist at Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe in Spain.
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Dead Man Running: One Man's Story of Running to Stay Alive
By Kevin Webber with Mark Church
At ISOPP’s 2019 international Symposium in London, UK, Kevin Webber, who diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in 2014, shared his story with us about his life and impact of cancer on himself and his family.
Kevin has now written his book, Dead Man Running: One Man's Story of Running to Stay Alive. He talks honestly about his cancer, his treatment and making everyday count while staring death in the face. The training, the marathons, the injuries, the physical and mental challenges of living with terminal cancer are all described in Kevin's own words. Click here to find out more about his book.
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Highlighted Education Resources |
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ISOPP offers online educational opportunities specific to the needs of oncology pharmacy practitioners, facilitated by ISOPP leaders and oncology pharmacy experts.
Log in as a member to learn from ISOPP’s previously recorded webinars. Members have complimentary access for one year from the date of the webinar:
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.
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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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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 Social Media
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.
Follow us on the following ISOPP’s Social Media to stay informed of upcoming ISOPP activities and conversations.
Share our posts with your network and encourage others to join ISOPP!
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You too can be an ISOPP
Quarterly Newsletter Author
We would love to hear about: conferences (virtual or in person) and/or education events / program you may have attended, or 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. 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:
Direct: +1-604-984-6455
Suite 206, 201 Bewicke Avenue
North Vancouver, BC Canada V7M 3M7
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