Standards of Practice

ISOPP Standards of PracticeISOPP’s Standards of Practice in cancer pharmacy communicate to healthcare professionals the roles and responsibilities of oncology pharmacists and provide a benchmark to evaluate the quality of services and patient care.

Graham Sewell, ISOPP President in 2006, officially launched the original Oncology Pharmacy Standards of Practice during the ISOPP Symposium in Kuala Lumpur. This go to guide for oncology pharmacy practitioners globally was the result of an exceptional amount of work by the Standards Committee at that time. Now, 16 years later, at the close of his presidency, ISOPP Past President, Shaun O’Connor announced the publication of the revised Standards of Practice on March 31, 2022.  The hard work and dedication of Shaun and his fellow Standards Review Task Force Co-chairs, Shaun, Alexandre Chan and Kimberley-Ann Kerr, along with all the Task Force members, is to be commended and is very much appreciated by all. Without the work that each of them contributed, these standards would not stand as a keystone document in ISOPP’s mission to advance oncology pharmacy care for patients around the world.

Please note that the Standards of Practice Audit Tool is available for the personal use of ISOPP members only. To become a member and view the ISOPP Standards of Practice, visit the membership page. Below is an excerpt from ISOPP's Standards of Practice.

Excerpt from ISOPP's Standards of Practice

4.1 Education on cytotoxic risks and safe handling

All staff who handle cytotoxic drugs must be provided with sufficient education and training applicable to their role, regarding the risks and safe handling of these drugs. This includes pharmacy, nursing, and medical staff, as well as support staff who transport cytotoxic drugs or clean possibly contaminated areas, where available, specific courses should be attended. 

Patients and caregivers involved in the administration of chemotherapy in the home should receive basic education and training on safe handling, dealing with spills, waste disposal, and management of patients’ excreta. Written instructions should be provided (see Section 18).

Japanese Translation of the Revised ISOPP Standards

The Japan Clinical Oncology and Pharmacology Society (JASPO) has translated the ISOPP Standards of Practice from English to Japanese. Read more here.

Click here to access the Japanese translation of the ISOPP Standards of Practice: Japanese translation of the ISOPP Standards.