November 2, 2023
On behalf of the ISOPP Secretariat, it is our pleasure to announce to you as past, present and future members, some exciting and innovative changes which will help advance our Society’s impact, deliver more value, and move us into an even more successful future.
The changes and vision outlined in this announcement were developed based on feedback from previous membership surveys and built upon even further during conversations with participants at the ISOPP23 Symposium in Seville.
Since then, the ISOPP leadership team has spent an enormous amount of time and energy to bring this vision into reality and we now have the pleasure to announce this to you today.
Introducing ISOPP’s 10-Year Strategic Vision
Our new ISOPP 10-year strategic vision showcases joint collaborations, global leadership meetings, increased education offerings, and strategies to move oncology pharmacy services forward for ISOPP members in all countries throughout the world.
The vision includes the introduction of a no-fee membership effective January 1, 2024, so cost is eliminated as a barrier and ensures access to ISOPP is equally available to all. You will be invited to ask for a refund or make a donation for any 2024 prepaid membership (more details on this below).
The new 10-year strategic vision provides the framework, and over the next few months the leadership team will build out the next iteration of our detailed 3-year strategic plan focusing on these long-term goals.
The table below outlines the 10-year strategic vision to support ISOPP’s mission, which continues to be to advance oncology pharmacy care for patients around the world through our three core strategic initiatives:
1. Engage and mobilize the global oncology pharmacy community
2. Deliver enhanced professional development resources in oncology pharmacy
3. Lead collaborative advocacy initiatives in oncology pharmacy
Introducing No-Fee Membership
Effective as of January 1, 2024, ISOPP will transition to a no-fee membership model for all members regardless of country. No-fee membership will allow all oncology pharmacy practitioners to join our supportive network, participate in education, and build capacity. By breaking down financial barriers to access valuable resources, 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.
How will the Society be funded?
This change to our membership model will be made possible through financial support from major partners and supporters of ISOPP in the pharmaceutical industry and other organizations in the form of sponsorships and grants that are in alignment with progressing ISOPP’s 10-year vision.
We invite all members to help increase our reach by connecting us with your contacts in pharmaceutical companies or other organizations that might be interested in partnering with ISOPP. Please send any suggestions to Evelyn (president@isopp.org) and Netty (president-elect@isopp.org) and we can share the prospectus documents with more details about the available opportunities.
Will pharmaceutical companies have a say over ISOPP's future?
ISOPP is an oncology pharmacy member-run Society, and the Secretariat would like to reassure all our members that appropriate governance and accountability frameworks will be put in place to ensure ISOPP remains an oncology pharmacy member-run Society.
Evelyn Handel Netty Cracknell
ISOPP President ISOPP President-Elect
August 22, 2022
ISOPP’s Strategic Plan 2022 to 2024
ISOPP has a bold and far-reaching strategic plan for the next 3 years. ISOPP’s vision is to enhance oncology pharmacy care for patients around the world.
Three strategic initiatives will form the focus of the ISOPP Strategic Plan for 2022 to 2024:
1. Engage and mobilize the global oncology pharmacy community
2. Deliver enhanced professional development resources in oncology pharmacy
3. Lead collaborative advocacy initiatives in oncology pharmacy
This 1-page synopsis of ISOPP’s 3 strategic initiatives, and associated objectives and actions, outlines the plan. ISOPP Committees and Task Forces are vigorously pursuing these goals as we speak!
April 7, 2021
As the world looks with hope to COVID vaccination occurring throughout the world, ISOPP members continue to push forward in providing best possible care to our patients. I am immensely proud of the efforts of our members who are contributing to care in the face of these challenging times.
In spite of these extra demands, ISOPP, through its volunteer members, is continuing to work towards several important Society projects. These projects build upon the Society’s 2016 to 2020 strategic plan, which holds us in good stead as we navigate the pandemic and the years to come.
Since ISOPP’s official formation in 1996, the international symposium has been its primary source of revenue, supplemented by membership dues. Back in 2016, we recognized that in order to financially support being a society that delivers value to its members and has an impact on advancing cancer care, ISOPP’s revenue sources needed to diversify. This journey of diversification began with the creation of ISOPP’s Virtual Library and offerings of Masterclasses globally, then the expansion of Regional Symposia into more areas of the world, and today, the development of online education programs paid for through grants.
Even in today’s world, so much that Moe Schwartz, Vision Task Force Chair and a Past President, talked about five years ago in a 2 minute video where she explained ISOPP’s three strategic priorities (education, advocacy and engagement), holds true. As we strive to be a high performing society, embracing and implementing a comprehensive strategic management model, we will share with you, during our upcoming Annual General Meeting on April 24 at 9am EDT (part of ISOPP’s inaugural Virtual Symposium), the outcomes achieved thus far. In addition, the Secretariat and other member volunteers will meet for the next Strategic Planning Session in the coming months to discuss further revenue generating ideas, and ways to ensure a happy, engaged and growing membership.
In the meantime, ISOPP education offerings are on the rise through new initiatives and collaborations, as well as the work of many ISOPP volunteers, such as:
- The joint webinar on “Vaccine Considerations in Patients with Cancer Receiving Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (including COVID-19)”, taking place in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Pharmacy in Oncology (CAPhO) and the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) on Monday, April 12 at 12:00 PDT (click here to find your local time). Registration is complimentary to members of all three societies.
- Himanshu Patel, Education Committee Chair, is leading the development of the Oncology Pharmacotherapy and Applications of Biosimilars Program (OPAB), to be launched mid-year. This 10-module online program is complimentary to members and registration opens in April. More information is shared in the Newsletter and on the ISOPP website. Watch your inbox and/or social media for updates.
- The Immunotherapy Task Force, led by Lynne Nakashima, is identifying current and ongoing educational and professional needs of pharmacy professionals, and developing a White Paper on the role of the oncology pharmacist in immunotherapy. To this end, the volunteers are commissioning a survey to establish current practices across the globe to help identify and respond to the needs of ISOPP members. Watch your inbox for the survey to participate!
- The work of the Credentialing/Specialization/Scope of Practice Task Force has recently come to an end with the soon-to-be-published paper titled “ISOPP Position Paper for the Role of the Oncology Pharmacy Team in Cancer Care.” Many congratulations and thanks to Co-chairs Barry Goldspiel and Lisa Holle, and the many volunteer authors, for all their hard work and expertise. Watch your inbox and/or social media for notification of its publication.
I hope you will enjoy reading the newsletter and all that ISOPP has to offer. A big thank you to all those who participated in the 2021 Secretariat Election, a warm welcome to our newly elected Secretariat members, and much gratitude and appreciation to our outgoing Secretariat members.
Stay safe and see you online.
Shaun O’Connor
ISOPP President
December 2019
2019 has been a big year for ISOPP in so many ways.
Most recently, we welcomed over 850 participants from 52 countries to ISOPP’s XVIII Symposium in London. That’s triple the typical attendance! The number of posters presented also tripled! A huge congratulations to Rob Duncombe, Symposium Chair, our national hosts the British Oncology Pharmacy Association, and all those who participated and volunteered their expertise to make our annual gathering an outstanding success. In fact, 80% of the evaluation respondents said they would recommend the Symposium to their colleagues and 73% rated the event as very good to excellent.
If you weren’t there in person, you can still benefit from the knowledge and best practices shared by accessing the video presentations through ISOPP’s Virtual Library, including the Research Platform Presentations and multiple interviews with ISOPP members and participants on a wide range of topics, from "Pharmacist and nurse-led melanoma immunotherapy clinic review" to answering the question "Can spinners improve understanding of adverse events in patients with cancer?" (This last topic received a Research Grant from ISOPP.)
Also in the Library are the video presentations from ISOPP’s first ever Africa Regional Oncology Pharmacy Symposium and the Australasia Regional Oncology Pharmacy Symposium. Be sure to explore all the content at your leisure as it is available 24/7.
Other initiatives making 2019 a big year for ISOPP is the work of our Task Forces. The Biosimilars Task Force delivered the “ISOPP Global Position on the Use of Biosimilars in Cancer Treatment and Supportive Care”, which will be published in JOPP along with related papers on the two surveys the Task Force conducted throughout 2019. Also to be published will be a set of proceedings from the Biosimilars Workshop held in London prior to the Symposium, as well as a position statement, currently being finalized by the Credentialing, Specialization, Scope of Practice Task Force, on the “Role of the Oncology Pharmacy Team in Cancer Patient Care”. The Standards of Practice review continues with updates having been shared in London. Video recordings of the Biosimilars Workshop and the work of all three Task Forces are in ISOPP’s Virtual Library.
All this work delivered by volunteer ISOPP members is fulfilling our mission to advance cancer care.
Alex Chan
ISOPP President, 2018 to 2020
September 2019
It is already four years since the Secretariat met in Vancouver, Canada to create ISOPP’s Strategic Plan. In the March newsletter, I shared with you several initiatives born out of the subsequent Global Summit ISOPP held in Budapest two years ago, demonstrating that much progress is being made and we are not slowing down – ISOPP’s most recent initiatives discussed below reflect our continued work in advancing global cancer care through collaborative action.
In April, we held ISOPP’s first online Annual General Meeting (AGM) and 18% of our membership attended. Comments from participants included “Great use of technology!”, “Good opportunity to talk to ISOPP members” and “Engagement was great!”. Deemed a success, we will hold 2020’s AGM online, so watch for details when the time comes.
Collaborative action was delivered at ISOPP’s first ever Africa Regional Oncology Pharmacy Symposium (AROPS 2019), which took place on May 16-17, 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya. Over 100 pharmacists, technologists and other oncology healthcare providers from 8 African countries participated! Many thanks to the Hospital Pharmacists Association of Kenya (HOPAK), the local host, as well as Irene Weru, AROPS 2019 Chair and others who contributed their energy and expertise to ensure the Regional Symposium was a great success.
AusROPS 2019 took place on April 6-7, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. The very successful Regional Symposium gathered 55 practitioners from public and private hospital pharmacies and industry. Thank you to all those involved with its organization and delivery. Read the article in the newsletter to find out all that transpired at AROPS 2019 as well as at the Australasia Regional Oncology Pharmacy Symposium (AusROPS 2019).
The XVIII International Symposium on Oncology Pharmacy Practice (ISOPP 2019), hosted by the British Oncology Pharmacy Association, is less than 4 months away and information on the Pre-Symposium events, program, speakers, and networking events is available on ISOPP’s website. Registration is open, so plan and arrange your trip to London! The Pre-Symposium events on Thursday, October 10 include the Biosimilars Workshop and the Introduction to Oncology Pharmacy Course. Read the newsletter for more details and register now!
Lastly, here are more examples of collaborative action at work:
- The Biosimilars Task Force recently conducted the Biosimilar Implementation Assessment survey for ISOPP members as well as non-members from around the world. Check out the survey results in the newsletter and see what their next steps are!
- The Standards Review Task Force finalized 8 new chapters of the ISOPP Standards of Practice and is now reviewing and updating the existing chapters.
- The Research Committee advocated for ISOPP to join a growing network of associations and research groups on Sosido. I hope you are enjoying reading and participating in this online knowledge sharing network.
- The Credentialing, Specialization and Scope of Practice Task Force is currently drafting the position statement on the role of the oncology pharmacy team in cancer patient care.
- The Advocacy Task Force continues their work with both the UICC to increase / improve Oncology Pharmacy services in Low and Middle Income Countries as part of UICC’s Treatment for All Campaign; and with the WHO in providing support drafting a Technical Report on Essential Medicines.
Alex Chan
ISOPP President, 2018 to 2020
March 2019
You may recall that two years ago, ISOPP held a Global Summit in Budapest just before the 2017 Symposium to discuss how to advance global cancer care though collaborative action. The discussion focused on education, advocacy, standards of practice, and global credentialing, specialization, and scope of practice. Work on these initiatives has continued over the past months and is building momentum. Members from all over the world are dedicating their time and expertise to further understand the needs of our members through assessment surveys and the work of Committees and Task Forces. The results are impressive. Thanks to your feedback and involvement, we are able develop more pertinent education offerings and resources, such as:
- A webinar education series is in the works on topics requested by members
- A Biosimilars Showcase Satellite Symposium will take place during our 2019 Symposium with a workshop on the same topic held just beforehand
- There is now a formal process in place whereby education resources are encouraged and vetted for posting to the website
- Position statements on biosimilars and on Oncology Pharmacy practice are being drafted
- A resource on how to write an abstract for a scientific meeting. This is a useful tool guiding you in the process of preparing a well-written abstract, especially if it is your first time.
- ISOPP’s inaugural Africa Regional Oncology Pharmacy Symposium 2019 (AROPS 2019) takes place May 16 to 17, followed by two concurrent Masterclasses on May 18 in Nairobi, Kenya (Submit your abstract by Sunday, March 31st and be sure to register)
- ISOPP’s Australasia Regional Oncology Pharmacy 2019 Symposium (AusROPS 2019) is set to take place April 6 to 7 in Melbourne, Australia (Registration is open and the program is online for viewing)
- ISOPP has a new benefit for members called the Sosido Network. Sosido is a practical and easy-to-use tool to share knowledge with fellow ISOPP colleagues around the world. Read below to learn more.
- An update of the ISOPP Standards of Practice is well underway with a team of members reviewing, editing and fine tuning
- Work with the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the Essential Medicines List (EML) review as well as the opportunity to obtain UICC Technical Fellowship continues
Alex Chan
ISOPP President, 2018 to 2020
March 2017
Since ISOPP’s 2016 Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Santiago, Chile, ISOPP members have engaged in leadership roles like never before. There are 13 committees, task forces and work groups consisting of over 60 members volunteering their time and all working to move the strategic plan’s missions and goals forward. To them I say a big Thank You!! These are exciting times with member engagement at an all-time high. Ten candidates from ten countries on the 2017 election slate is testament to this.
Also, in response to priority three of the strategic plan: "Mobilize oncology pharmacy community around collaborative advocacy initiatives", ISOPP is organizing a Global Oncology Pharmacy Summit taking place immediately prior to the 2017 Symposium in Budapest at the Budapest Marriott Hotel on April 24 and 25, 2017.
The purpose of the Summit is to start the conversation on how to advance global cancer care though collaborative action. The desired outcome is to support advancements in global cancer care through collaborative action. You can learn more at the 2017 Symposium, through our member communications, postings to the website and through social media.
In the meantime, please assist us gather some baseline information with respect to advocacy activities related to drug access that Oncology Pharmacists engage in at the institutional/regional//national and international level(s) by completing a 5 minute survey ahead of the Summit and by March 31, 2017.
Click here to complete the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3QQHQQM.
We also ask you to share the survey link with any and all colleagues you know that engage in any of these activities. Participation is voluntary and can be done anonymously. We request contact information for the sole purpose of clarifying any responses.
Another important milestone since the 2016 AGM, is that ISOPP continues to make progress with the process of incorporation in Canada. Following the membership approval of moving forward with incorporation in Canada, the ISOPP Secretariat and Governance Committee have worked closely with legal representation from Canada to facilitate a smooth transition. The goal of this work is to assure our bylaws continue to accurately represent our organization's mission and values and were adapted to maintain alignment with our historic bylaws and meet all legal requirements.
ISOPP’s Bylaws are currently under review by the members. The review period will end on Friday, March 31, 2017, after which, the membership will be asked to vote electronically on the acceptance of the bylaws. We invite questions and feedback. Visit http://www.isopp.org/communication/isopp-news/2017/canadian-incorporation-and-bylaw-review for more information (log in as a member to view).
With the 2017 elections (log in as a member to view) underway, I am looking forward to our AGM taking place on Thursday, April 27, 2017 from 11:30 to 12:30 (CEST) at the Budapest Marriott Hotel and the opportunity to see you and talk with you. Hope to see you there!!
Harbans Dhillon
ISOPP President, 2016 to 2018
May 20, 2016
The ISOPP Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held at the ISOPP Symposium in Santiago, Chile on April 20, 2016. View a copy of the core slides presented during the meeting.
As I think about the AGM, and the ISOPP Symposium in Chile, two key things come to mind. This year we have celebrated the 20 years of ISOPP, and during the meeting in Chile there was both a celebration and an acknowledgement to all ISOPP members that have made the organization a success. In addition, we celebrated the future of ISOPP and oncology pharmacy throughout the world. A primary focus of the AGM was the discussion of the Strategic Plan for ISOPP. It was a time to look at how we continue to build on the foundation established, and to assure alignment of the key priorities set forth in the Strategic Plan with ISOPP membership.
Of course, all ISOPP members are not able to attend each symposium and AGM. To assure that every member has the opportunity to review the ISOPP Strategic Plan and share their thoughts and ideas the plan can be viewed here.
As we move forward with the vision to “advance oncology pharmacy care for patients throughout the world” there are many opportunities for ISOPP members to contribute to the efforts that support the three key priorities identified.
- Engage members around the ISOPP vision and inspire the global oncology pharmacy community to take action.
- Deliver enhanced professional development resources.
- Develop and mobilize oncology pharmacy collaborative advocacy initiatives.
So that ISOPP is positioned to move forward and deliver on key initiatives there is a need to evolve the structure of the organization. Changes in the organization structure provides an even greater opportunity for ISOPP members to volunteer and participate; including contributing to ISOPP committees, taskforces and work groups that are essential for the successful implementation of our Strategic Plan.
Volunteer opportunities are available. Look for ways that you can share your skills to support oncology pharmacy throughout the world.
Sincerely,
Moe Schwartz, PharmD, BCOP
Past President, 2014-2016
Governance Committee Chair
Member Engagement Task Force Chair
March 23, 2016
ISOPP continues to mature as an organization. Twenty years ago this organization was built by dedicated and committed oncology pharmacists from across the world. Many of the most successful components (e.g. ISOPP Newsletter, ISOPP Website) that support ISOPP today are built from work of past leadership and membership. The continued success of these efforts is due to the members and leaders that have advanced the initial ISOPP foundation over the last 20 years. The Secretariat and ISOPP leadership have spent the last year taking a look at the organization, and have developed a plan to build for the future. The ISOPP Strategic Plan that will be presented at ISOPP XV in Chile, and subsequently shared with membership on the ISOPP Website and in the ISOPP Newsletter. The Strategic Plan is built upon the foundation established 20 years ago, and allows for further evolution of the organization to best address the current needs for oncology pharmacists. As cancer care and oncology pharmacy care evolves worldwide, so must this organization.
There is a need for ISOPP to continue to expand to support the areas in the world just starting to develop oncology pharmacy. At this time, many ISOPP members live in countries or areas that have flourishing communities of oncology pharmacists. So much so, that the value of an international society may not appear to provide additional value. The value is the opportunity to advance oncology pharmacy services throughout the world. Each oncology pharmacist member is needed to enhance the mission of ISOPP to reach out globally to areas where oncology pharmacy is new and/ or struggling. We need your expertise, we need your community and with the implementation of the ISOPP Strategic Plan. We need your help.
I am so excited about the work ahead for ISOPP. I am confident in the leaders you have elected to help take us to our future. The Secretariat and leadership of ISOPP is a group of individuals that represent the diversity of our profession in roles, country, age, experience and talents. The membership should also reflect that diversity. With the Strategic Plan there are many opportunities for more of ISOPP members to participate and lead.
My concern for ISOPP stems from the fact that oncology pharmacists tend to be pretty busy people. The work we have ahead requires increased membership engagement – and I truly hope we will not only increase our numbers but also increase the involvement of members.
If you are looking for ways you can help (and please do!)
- Actively seek opportunities to volunteer in ISOPP that utilize your personal skills and passion.
- Identify oncology pharmacists you believe have something to contribute to our mission – and recruit them to ISOPP if they are not already a member.
- Learn about the ISOPP Strategic Plan. We will be presenting this plan during the AGM in Santiago, Chile at the ISOPP XV Symposium, and also available on the website following the meeting.
In conclusion, I want to thank all the people that have made ISOPP an organization that supports oncology pharmacy practice across the world. My membership with ISOPP has provided an understanding of oncology pharmacy beyond the United States. And through my work with ISOPP I have been so very fortunate to have met people that both inspire and teach me …. even when they are many time zones away. The value of ISOPP to me is pretty much that – the ability to work with great people to advance oncology pharmacy.
On behalf of the ISOPP Secretariat, I invite you to join us as we continue our work in advancing oncology pharmacy care across the globe.
Sincerely,
Rowena Schwarz
ISOPP President
December 14, 2015
ISOPP Strategic Plan: An Evolution from Planning to Implementation
As the end of the calendar year approaches, I usually find myself reflecting on the past year. This year my thoughts are much more focused on the upcoming year. I find myself frequently thinking about ISOPP, our future and the opportunities for this vital organization. I believe 2016 will be a year of action as we implement our Strategic Plan.
Strategic Plan 2015:
The last year has been busy for ISOPP as we took steps to assure the organization is positioned for the future. ISOPP members, partners and leadership provided their ideas that served as the foundation for the strategic planning meeting in August 2015. I initially thought that the two-day meeting was going to be the biggest challenge of strategic planning; I have learned that the real work is taking the plan created by the group and putting those ideas into action. Great ideas need to be developed into a feasible action plan, and ultimately this plan will be discussed with ISOPP members. The Secretariat continues the work of taking the idea(s) of the strategic plan to an actionable work plan. The next step is to share this with membership for feedback. We will be presenting the plan to ISOPP membership in April at the ISOPP XV in Santiago, Chile.
A focus of the strategic plan discussion was the need to increase ISOPP’s role in global efforts of oncology pharmacy. ISOPP has a long history of advancing oncology pharmacy care throughout the world, and the strategic plan focuses on strategies to better engage and mobilize the oncology pharmacy community. As an international organization, we have a unique opportunity to work with oncology and pharmacy organizations throughout the world to develop resources to promote optimal patient care for the individual with cancer.
Other News:
ISOPP has, once again, participated with the International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research (INCTR) in the publication ofCancer Control 2015: Cancer Care in Emerging Health Systems. The collection of papers available in this publication is an effort by INCTR to bring together frontline experience and knowledge from across the globe to help address needs in the fight against cancer. A free online version of this publication is available at www.cancercontrol.info.
One of the highlights of the upcoming year will be our annual meeting: ISOPP XV in Santiago, Chile from April 17 to 20, 2016. I hope you will be able to attend and spend time together with ISOPP members from around the world.
- At ISOPP XV we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of ISOPP. It is our time to thank those oncology pharmacy practitioners from across the globe that came together to collaborate on the ideas to help advance cancer care through oncology pharmacy. Our strategic plan builds on the foundation established by those pioneers.
- This is ISOPP’s first meeting in South America. This is a great opportunity to continue to further expand our membership across the globe, and to learn from our colleagues from South America. I have never been to Chile, and am excited to meet our South American colleagues and see their country.
- The comprehensive strategic plan for ISOPP will be presented at the general session of the meeting, and members will be able to continue to contribute to the planning.
- And, of course, education and networking will be the focus of the meeting. These are two of the aspects of ISOPP that I most enjoy. I look forward to each ISOPP Symposium to meet with oncology pharmacists and learn from their experiences. Over the course of twenty years, I have learned something from every presentation I have attended at an ISOPP Symposia, and I plan to continue that tradition in Chile.
Sincerely,
Rowena Schwarz
ISOPP President
October 14, 2015
ISOPP Strategic Planning Meeting, Vancouver Canada
Just a few weeks following my trip to Australia – it was time to continue the ISOPP strategic planning process in Canada. As I mentioned, many of the Secretariat and ISOPP Committee Chairs met in Vancouver for two days of facilitated discussions to develop a strategic plan for the future. We were able to review the information captured from the membership (from phone interviews and the membership survey) and discuss what we clearly heard from you all. We did a lot of work in two days, and had some very important discussions. There is more work to do to have a comprehensive plan ready to share with you during our ISOPP Symposium in Santiago, Chile in April 2016, but we want to keep you informed with some of the ideas that seemed most important.
The results from the survey of ISOPP members indicated that members support the ISOPP's existing mission statement. The voice of the membership and the ISOPP leadership was aligned, and we realized there is a need for an emphasized organizational commitment to collaborative action to further advance oncology pharmacy practice and ultimately improve care of individuals affected by cancer. I think saying that the members and leadership support the existing mission isn’t too much of a surprise, but it was essential to assure that vision and subsequent priorities identified during strategic planning are truly aligned with the vision of the organization and the members of ISOPP.
The results from the membership survey also provided feedback on the importance of membership communication. Members value communication and the current strategies used for communication including, but not limited to, the Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice, the ISOPP Newsletter, and the ISOPP website are some of the most important aspects of ISOPP to members. As communication is valued, it is a key focus for our future. We will continue to focus on strategies to optimize communications. And thank you to everyone you that contributes to JOPP, the newsletter and website!
After confirming our vision and mission, the next step was to determine priorities for ISOPP. That is really the challenging part of the process for me – focusing on key priorities. I realize that ISOPP needs to have focus to be successful. I also realize that focusing on key priorities ultimately means that we are not able to do everything I would like to do. What I discovered is that the ability to make priorities for an organization is much easier if you have heard from the membership – and we did. Additionally, it is easier to make priorities when you do so as a group of dedicated leaders – and we did. Long way to say – we left the meetings with a better idea of what our key priorities should be, and we are now determining the scope of these priorities for the strategic plan. The next step following the meeting is to develop a roadmap or plan for each priority to determine if the priority should be included in the strategic plan.
So if I was reading this I would be thinking...what are the priorities?! There will be more to come on that topic in future communications. Once the Secretariat has reviewed the plans from proposed priorities, we will provide further updates. The full strategic plan will be presented at our upcoming meeting in Chile. Mark your calendar for the ISOPP meeting in April 17 – 20th in beautiful Santiago, Chile to provide your feedback on our plan.
Thank you again for your help. Your candid insights were the foundation of our planning – and we will continue to need your thoughts and ideas.
I left the meeting feeling energized about the future of ISOPP, and will continue to provide you with another update in November. Thanks for your continued support of ISOPP.
Sincerely,
Rowena Schwarz
ISOPP President
July 29, 2015
Thank you to all who have provided your thoughts to the ISOPP 2015 Strategic Planning Survey. We have received over 100 responses from oncology pharmacists all over the world including members, business partners and even some former members. Here's a quick glimpse of the diverse engagement we received:
1. What best describes your location of your home region?
2. What best describes your connection to ISOPP?
At the same time as the survey has been open, our consultant, Bandwidth Management has been undertaking benchmark research as well as conducting one-on-one interviews with a number of ISOPP current and former leaders to understand ideas, issues and opportunities.
The results of the survey and interviews will be presented with the Secretariat at a meeting in Vancouver in late August.
Once again, thank you for sharing your ideas to best support this planning effort.
June 17, 2015
In May 2015, the ISOPP Secretariat launched a comprehensive strategic planning process to assure we are positioned for the future. We hope to develop a compelling vision for ISOPP that supports the efforts of our members and our profession. We feel it is essential that we include our membership in this process, as engagement in the strategic planning process is a cornerstone element.
In partnership with our association management company, Sea to Sky Meeting Management, we have retained an expert in strategic planning for international associations – Bandwidth Management – to guide the Secretariat through the process and provide opportunities for you to share your thoughts and perspectives.
Some ways to be part of this important process:
- Continue to visit the website! This page will be kept up to date to provide additional information about the process, and assure visibility on the progress of our strategic planning initiative.
This is an exciting time to be part of ISOPP and we need you. You, and your ideas, are essential to ensure ISOPP continues to evolve to support global oncology pharmacy.