News

Joint webinar with FIP ‘The role of pharmacists in the fight against cancer: A people-centred approach to cancer care’ https://www.fip.org/events

A Wonderful Experience of Volunteering at the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Hospital in Rabat, Morocco

Find your next recruit at the International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners (ISOPP) and Canadian Association of Pharmacy in Oncology (CAPhO) 2025 Symposium. The Symposium takes place in Victoria, British Columbia from April 3 to 6 and will feature a Recruitment Fair from Thursday evening on April 3 to Saturday afternoon on April 5.

The most recent meeting of the ISOPP Global Oncology Pharmacy Leaders took place on January 16, 2025. The group has been meeting on a quarterly basis for two years now, and it has been a wonderful collaboration to support the collective advancement of oncology pharmacy practice and cancer patient care globally. The group now encompasses over 45 national organizations across the globe and continues to grow.

The Understanding Targeted Therapies and Immunotherapies for Cancer (UTIC) course from the International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners (ISOPP) and the British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA) has been awarded the FIP Seal!

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……