By Evelyn Handel, ISOPP President
Greetings!
I am happy to see the momentum that has been continuing since the ISOPP23 Symposium in Seville. Many exciting initiatives have been moving forward in the last few months. Our Secretariat, Committees, and Task Forces continue to complete excellent work in alignment with the ISOPP strategic plan and priorities. And thanks especially to you – our members – for being an active part of our mission and vision to advance oncology pharmacy care for patients around the world.
I'd like to acknowledge the dedication and huge commitment of three outgoing Chairs, John Wiernikowski, former Chair of the Advocacy Committee, Jennifer Jupp, former Chair of the Research Committee and Terry Maunsell, former Chair of the Awards and Grants Task Force. Your significant contributions and leadership are much appreciated. Welcome and best wishes to the incoming chairs, Esin Aysel Kandemir for the Advocacy Committee, Nick Duncan for the Research Committee and Lynne Nakashima for the Awards and Grants Task Force.
Help us spread the word! If you are looking to become more involved, there are some exciting new volunteer opportunities – please review the options below and consider joining our amazing group of volunteers. It’s a great way to network with peers all across the world, boost your professional development and knowledge, and contribute to our mission of advancing cancer care globally. Also, if you have newly joined ISOPP within the past year or are interested in learning more about how to get involved, please join our first new members meeting on July 12th. Looking forward to seeing many of you there!
Another exciting upcoming event is our first virtual Oncology Pharmacy Global Leaders Meeting, taking place later in July. At the ISOPP23 Symposium in Seville earlier this year we held an in-person Global Leaders meeting with delegates from leading national oncology pharmacy organizations. This meeting was very productive and well received, therefore we will be continuing it virtually going forward on a quarterly basis. We look forward to expanding our reach and collaborating in new ways to advance oncology pharmacy care globally.
In addition, the ISOPP leadership team has been hard at work preparing for the Society’s next refresh of the Strategic Plan and planning for the future, informed by feedback from our membership and the many great ideas discussed in Seville. We are also very much looking forward to seeing each other again at our next ISOPP Symposium in the beautiful city of Melbourne, Australia in April 2024. Please keep an eye out for the dates to be announced soon – we hope to see you there!
A key strategic initiative for ISOPP is to deliver enhanced professional development resources in oncology pharmacy. In case you missed it, the recordings of the Symposium are available in ISOPP’s Virtual Library, which is complimentary for all members to access. In addition, our most recent live webinar took place in May on the ISOPP Standards – Oral Anticancer Therapies and Monoclonal Antibodies, presented by Lisa Holle and Lynne Nakashima. This recording is also available in the Virtual Library.
A friendly reminder that members also have free access to other valuable ISOPP educational opportunities, including the Oncology Pharmacotherapy and Applications of Biosimilars (OPAB) Program. This program is great for anyone new to oncology (or looking for a refresher!) and covers core concepts of oncology pharmacotherapy for many of the major cancer types as well as a deeper dive into the use of biosimilars. Also, just launched, is a call for applications for two host institutional sites, one in the USA and the other in Europe, to conduct a qualitative evaluation to assess the benefits associated with the OPAB program. Be sure to ask your institution to apply.
If you are in the Gulf region, you can also tune in to the ISOPP – Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Course. The Education Committee has prepared an excellent program in collaboration with our colleagues in the Gulf region, and there will be seven monthly educational sessions between June – December 2023. The first one on June 19th was very well received, and the next one is scheduled for August, 2023.
Evelyn Handel, ISOPP President