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As pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, we witness firsthand the profound impact a cancer diagnosis has on our patients’ lives. From physical challenges to emotional upheaval, their journey can feel overwhelming. But we’re here to support them every step of the way. This #WorldCancerDay, let’s stand united to show our patients that even when their world feels flipped, they are never alone.

My name is Dr. Aoko Koyoson, a pharmacist at the outpatient Oncology pharmacy at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya.  As dawn breaks over Nairobi's skyline, the Cancer Treatment Centre at Kenyatta National Hospital springs to life. It is a chilly Thursday morning, the air is crisp, and with it comes the weight of responsibility that we, the oncology outpatient pharmacy team, carry each day. Our mission? To ensure safe, timely and correct medication delivery to hundreds of cancer patients. 

The Japan Clinical Oncology and Pharmacology Society (JASPO) has translated the ISOPP Standards of Practice from English to Japanese, expanding its reach to over 5,000 oncology pharmacy practitioners in Japan.

I work at the Catalan Institute of Oncology, a comprehensive cancer center, serving approximately 60% of Catalonia’s adult population, which is around 5 million people. We work as a network of 4 different centers in Hospitalet, Badalona, Girona and Tarragona. Our staff includes 26 pharmacist specialists in hospital pharmacy, 27 pharmacy technicians, and 6 administrative support professionals. We also work in alliance with 21 Catalan hospitals.

I leave a green, leafy suburb in central Johannesburg, and within 20 minutes I need to navigate the notorious herd of goats that frequent the area just outside of the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. Colloquially know as “Bara”, this sprawling 170-acre hospital is currently the 7th biggest in the world, and the biggest in Africa at 3200 beds.

Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be one of the most desperate times in a patient's life, as they are dealing with physical, mental, and financial anguish all at once. In Vietnam, pharmacists are overworked since they have to fulfill multiple roles at work, and there are no standard practice guidelines in place. As a result of the country's tight national procurement regulations, the choice of prescription is frequently influenced by drug shortages. It is fair to say that every day for cancer pharmacists is difficult.

One of the things I love about my job is the variety it contains and the fact that I get to wear a number of different hats as part of my role. I can be a clinical pharmacist, a prescriber, a teacher, a trainer, a researcher and a manager at different times of the working week and so it is perhaps difficult to describe a “typical” day. But I will do my best……

ISOPP identified that, around the world, the role of the pharmacist in managing immunotherapy varies significantly. ISOPP has a role in supporting pharmacists through provision of education, guidance and resources. To that end, ISOPP created an Immunotherapy Task Force, whose objectives are to develop an ISOPP position statement on the pharmacist's role in the era of immunotherapy, provide education, provide advice on implementation issues in clinical practice and deliver enhanced professional development resources on immunotherapy. The Task Force has 19 members representing 12 different countries from around the world.

It was the morning of Tuesday, March 31, 2020, I woke up to prepare for work as usual. I got ready and set out in my car at about 7:30am to arrive the hospital within the usual 20minutes drive. I live in a satellite town, outskirt of the capital city of Nigeria (Abuja). I had barely driven for five minutes when I met a military check point with many vehicles in a long queue, taking turns to be cleared, before continuing their journey. More than half of the vehicles were sent back. As I approached the check point,, there were fierce looking police and military officers and some public health workers in white gowns, checking passengers' temperature and ensuring they wore face masks.