On behalf of the ISOPP Nominating Committee, it is my pleasure to introduce the slate of candidates for this year’s ISOPP Election.
There are three candidates for the President-Elect position, one candidate for the Treasurer position and seven candidates for two General Secretariat Member positions.
There is a photo of each candidate, and a letter of intent that each candidate provided below, categorized according to election position, and listed in alphabetically order.
The terms of Rowena Schwartz (President), Harbans Dhillon (President-Elect), Johan Vandenbroucke (Treasurer), Tiene Bauters (General Secretariat member) and Anantha Naik Nagappa (General Secretariat member) are expiring. Harbans Dhillon moves into the position of President. Shaun O’Connor has put his name forward for the Treasurer position making available the third General Secretariat member position.
Members will be sent a personalized email containing information on how to vote on Tuesday, March 1, 2016. If you do not receive the email, please contact the Society Management Office via email at membership@isopp.org.
I encourage you to read all of the candidate’s letters and to vote by the deadline of Thursday, March 31, 2106 at midnight GMT.
Harbans Dhillon
ISOPP President Elect
ISOPP Nomination Committee Chair
Candidates for President-Elect
Alex Chan, Pharm.D, MPH, FCCP, BCPS, BCOP
- National University of Singapore, Department of Pharmacy
- Deputy Head (Clinical Affairs)
- Associate Professor (with Tenure)
- Academic Advisor, Office of Residency Training
- Specialist Pharmacist/Associate Consultant Clinical Pharmacist
- Ministry of Health, Singapore
- National Oncology Pharmacy Residency Program Director
I hope to be given an opportunity to serve as the President-Elect for ISOPP. In this letter, I will share with you the active roles that I played within ISOPP over the past 10 years. I also hope to provide you my long-term vision for the society.
To start, I really want to thank ISOPP for being my ‘home’ organization – the ‘home’ that I have built up many friendships and networks on a global scale, the ‘home’ that have provided me opportunities to share my scientific and clinical expertise, and the ‘home’ that allows me to find like-minded pharmacists who also share my passion in oncology pharmacy.
ISOPP has also provided my opportunities to sharpen my leadership skills. Since 2010, I have served as a Chair of the Education Committee for the society, as well as the Scientific Co-Chair of ISOPP XIV and upcoming ISOPP XV meetings. These important roles allow me to optimize and ensure that high quality educational activities are delivered to the membership.
ISOPP is also the ‘home’ that has expanded my scholarly potential, and challenged me to mentor other oncology pharmacy practitioners who are interested in research. As an Associate Editor for Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice (JOPP), the official journal of ISOPP, I was given many opportunities to hold fruitful discussions with other authors around the world who are interested in research. I have also provided mentorship to many oncology pharmacy practitioners who want to excel in research. Many of these mentees have become my life-long friends.
ISOPP is a global platform that engages and mobilizes the oncology pharmacy community. My long-term vision of the society is to continue to elevate and expand its global presence, and to position the society as an essential resource for all oncology pharmacy practitioners worldwide. I want this society to be the ‘home’ organization for all pharmacy practitioners who care for patients with cancer.
I am thankful and honored to receive this nomination opportunity, and it would be my privilege to serve as your President-Elect in this society that is considered as my ‘home’. I hope I can gain your support.
Anantha Naik Nagappa, M. Pharm, Ph.D
- MCOPS, Manipal University
My hearty greetings to you, I am Professor Anantha Naik Nagappa, wish to serve as president of ISOPP and seeking your patronage and support. In ISOPP we are providing our services for the needs of the cancer patients in clinical areas addressing the needs of patients. Over Years Pharmacy Practice has transformed from clinical services to holistic care for patients. WHO-FIP handbook 2006 has given the scope of pharmaceutical services in total management of the patients.
I wish to inculcate the culture and concepts of pharmaceutical care as per the hand book of WHO-FIP.
I am professor, currently serving as the board member of ISOPP and president of ACPIKSPOR an NGO on community pharmacy and Pharmaco-economics and outcome research. I have travelled 22 countries in pursuit of learning pharmacy practice. I have published 158 research papers, delivered 100 seminars and also the member of FIP, IAPO, MASCC and ISPOR. I request you to give me an opportunity to serve as president elect of ISOPP.
Steve Stricker, PharmD, MS, BCOP
- Takeda Oncology
- Associate Director US Medical Affairs Oncology
I have chosen to run for the position of President-elect of ISOPP for many reasons but key among them are my experience within the organization and my passion for ISOPP’s future success. Having served as the Secretary of ISOPP from 2013-2105, I was able to observe and participate in the management of the organization and the promotion of the ISOPP brand along with the other members of the secretariat. I possess knowledge of the move of our constitution to Canada and the challenges and opportunities that presents to us; I was involved in the redesign and relaunch of the ISOPP website to reinforce our image as a global leader and advocate for oncology pharmacy services; and was involved in the discussions related to our move to annual meetings. In addition, my ISOPP experience includes service on the education, publications and research committees, contributor to the ISOPP newsletter, peer reviewer and editorial board member for the Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice, poster judge at the 2012 and 2014 symposias, speaker for the 2012 and 2014 symposias and the upcoming 2016 meeting in Santiago, Chile, member of the planning committee for the Santiago, Chile meeting, reviewer for ISOPP research grants in 2014 and co-founder of the ISOPP new practitioners reception (held first at the Montreal meeting in 2014).
I also believe it is imperative that our ISOPP president have broad organizational experience and leadership experience. I have held leadership positions within the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT) and the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA). I have also served as chair of the oncology workshop of the Asian Conference on Clinical Pharmacy. This role allowed me to meet and build relationships with many of our colleagues from the Australasian region, many of whom are ISOPP members. Collectively, these experiences have given me great insight into what it requires to make national and international organizations successful through identification of corporate sponsors, recruitment and retention of members, development of strategic partnerships with other professional organizations, promotion of research opportunities, development of leadership opportunities, production of clinical standards and white papers, etc.
In addition to professional service, my former role as a school of pharmacy faculty member allowed me to gain valuable insights into managing organizational finances through service on the Samford University business affairs committee for 3 years. That committee provided oversight and faculty insight for the management of the university endowment, faculty pension plans, university budgets, research funding, etc. and taught me much which I have been able to contribute to the professional organizations I have served. In my current role, I serve as Associate Director of US Medical Affairs Oncology for Takeda Oncology. In 16 months in this position, I have gained a great deal of experience in the pharmaceutical industry’s perspective on partnerships with professional organizations; design and implementation of research (both basic science and clinical trials), etc. that I believe would be invaluable in the role of ISOPP president.
Finally, in addition to service to and leadership within professional organizations, my international experience beyond ISOPP includes serving as a preceptor/mentor to international pharmacy students and visiting scholars from Asia; providing consulting services to professional organizations, pharmacy schools and hospitals in Asia and Europe for the purpose of improving education, drug delivery, protocol development and patient safety; and development and delivery of educational programming by webinar to elevate practice standards in Asia and Africa. Each of these experiences complement ISOPP’s strategic plan and our position as a global oncology organization. Ultimately, my personal and professional goals as well as my passion and motivation for this organization are congruent with the mission and goals of ISOPP. It is for this reason that I seek election and the opportunity to serve as President-elect of ISOPP.
Candidate for Treasurer
Shaun O’Connor, B of Pharmacy
- Eastern Health
- Senior Oncology Pharmacist
ISOPP is a vibrant and truly internationally representative society, providing advocacy and education of the highest level to pharmacists from all over the world. The challenge for ISOPP now is to find more ways to generate sustainable income to build a brighter future, enabling us to have more impact and strengthen the legacy that ISOPP creates. My knowledge of the potential pitfalls and problems facing ISOPP, from my period serving on the Secretariat, allows for a well-informed and sustainable plan moving and evolving into the future.
Two General Secretariat positions
Waël Abi-Ghanem, Pharmacy D
- Saint George Hospital University Medical Center, Pharmacy Department
- Chief Pharmacist
I graduated with a doctorate in Pharmacy in 1989 from the Lebanese University School of Pharmacy.
I joined the Pharmacy department at Saint George Hospital University Medical Center in 1996; where I became the Chief Pharmacist in 1999. I worked on the installation of a centralized Cytotoxic Preparation Unit at the Pharmacy in 2005; so I became more and more involved in Oncology mainly Safe Handling and Hospital guidelines.
I joined ISOPP since 2000 when I first attended the meeting that was held in April in Prague, Czech Republic. I attended most of the ISOPP meeting since then; and I served also as a member in the Standard Committee when Robbie Mclauchlan was the chair.
I organized two Oncology meetings in Lebanon for Hospital Pharmacists in 2006 and 2010 to promote Safe Handling and ISOPP where speakers from ISOPP Secretariat were present in each meeting.
I am presenting for a general secretary member, first to take initiative and help to promote ISOPP commitment to excellence in Oncology field, second to represent a part of the world that was not represented a lot in the past and try to get more people from my region to be involved in ISOPP.
Tiene Bauters, PhD
- Ghent University Hospital,
- Hospital Pharmacist
After receiving my Hospital Pharmacy Degree from the Ghent University Hospital, Belgium (1996), I completed a Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences Degree in 2002. Since then, I’m an active clinical pharmacist in the Pediatric Hemato-Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation unit at the Ghent University Hospital. My main interests are supportive care (transplant-related complications, chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting, infectious diseases, drug-interactions…) and JACIE accreditation standards for pharmacists. I also spend part of my time in the central pharmacy, where I am involved in the chemotherapeutic production unit.
I’ve been an active ISOPP member since 2007, a member of the ISOPP Research Committee since 2008, and a General Secretary member since 2014.
Over the years, ISOPP gave me the possibility to share ideas and expand a network with colleagues from a global perspective which has been extremely valuable for my daily practice. Both ISOPP’s scientific but also social programs enabled me to share knowledge, on-site trainings, ideas and practices.
I believe that the strength of ISOPP lies in its global representation, which makes it unique as an organization for pharmacists. In this way, I would like to contribute to the ongoing successful mission of the society in the upcoming years.
Donald Harvey, PharmD, FCCP, BCOP
- Emory University School of Medicine, Winship Cancer Institute, Dept of Hematology and Medical Oncology
- Associate Professor
I am submitting my application to be considered for a General Secretariat Member for ISOPP because I believe in working to grow the continued international connection of pharmacy in cancer prevention and treatment. ISOPP serves to bring the world together for a unified voice, and my goal is to help make this voice louder and more prominent in cancer. My experience in leadership in my career and other organizations should serve me well on the secretariat, and my hope is to bring hard work, critical thinking, and a unique perspective to the group.
Lisa Holle, PharmD, BCOP
- University of Connecticut, School of Pharmacy
- Assistant Clinical Professor
With ISOPP’s new strategic plan and actionable items taking shape, this is an exciting time for the organization. As a long-time member of ISOPP, I feel that it is important to give back to the organization, which provides so much to its members. I’d like to do so by participating in a leadership role assisting ISOPP to continue to expand its work in better engaging and mobilizing the global oncology pharmacy community. I believe my past leadership roles in my national oncology pharmacy organization, HOPA, allow me to be well suited for the general secretariat-member role.
Maria Larizza, BSc, B.Pharm, MClinPharm, AACP SHPA
- Senior Oncology Pharmacist
- Alfred Health
I, Maria Larizza, would like to commit myself to contribute to the running and expansion of ISOPP as a 2016 General Secretariat Member. Thank you.
Shinya Suzuki, BCOP, BCPO
- National Cancer Center Hospital East
- Staff Pharmacist
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I am writing this letter in response to the Open Call for Board Nominations for the Secretariat member. My intent for this letter is to inform you of my interest for being nominated for the ISOPP Secretariat member. If elected for the Secretariat member I will be dedicated to the values and mission of ISOPP. I will devote the time and resources needed to achieve the objectives and perform the duties that have been assigned, that are outlined by the ISOPP. With my diverse background and experience in the clinical pharmacy in the National Cancer Center Center Hospital in Japan, I look forward to an opportunity to contribute to the success of the ISOPP vision and mission. It will be my goal to improve quality of all cancer patient care, education for every aspect and develop oncology pharmacy globally. In addition, I am currently one of delegate members in the Japanese Society of Pharmaceutical Oncology, and therefore, I would like to improve collaboration in Asian oncology societies and those relationships with global countries. Bo Yu
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With more than 6 years of professional oncology pharmacy experience as well as more than 10 years of professional general pharmacy experience, I believe I would be a perfect fit for this position. I graduated with a Master’s in Pharmacology from the most famous institute in China and set up the very first out-patients infusion center in China. Since then, I have focused my work on bridging the west and the east in our pharmacy world. After many years in comparing different settings of oncology pharmacy services, my most recent position, as the president of APOPC (Asia Pacific Oncology Pharmacy Congress), gave me a great deal of experience that I feel would directly benefit Chinese oncology pharmacy practice. With my innovations, combined with the new strategies I implemented, we successfully delivered about 200 thousands chemo infusions in 2015. After been named as Secretary of the Committee of Oncology Pharmacy, Shanghai Anticancer Association in 2014, I am in charge of drafting guidelines and regulations as well as setting up training centers for oncology pharmacy services. I feel it’s time to embark on a new adventure. ISOPP Secretariat Member has been on my radar for quite a while, and I strongly believe it should be the perfect time to bring ISOPP to China as it will be a mile stone for ISOPP history, which you and I will never forget.