ISOPP Institutional Case Study Call for Applications for the OPAB Program

ISOPP Institutional Case Study Call for Applications for the Oncology Pharmacotherapy and Applications of Biosimilars (OPAB) Program

Call for applications for two host institutional sites, from anywhere across the world, to conduct a qualitative evaluation to assess the benefits associated with the Oncology Pharmacotherapy and Applications of Biosimilars (OPAB) online education program, related to biosimilar implementation and clinical recommendation.

Background
ISOPP developed the OPAB online education program to support oncology pharmacists to introduce Biosimilars safely and confidently into both their clinical practice and multidisciplinary healthcare team.

The OPAB program is geared toward oncology pharmacists who have practiced for at least one year in the area of oncology pharmacy and consists of 10 online courses (total of 25 hours).   

Offered to complement the online learning was a 4.5-hour Biosimilars and Implementation Masterclass, which took place in March 2023 in Seville. The Masterclass explored logistic considerations, strategies, and resources to integrate Biosimilars into clinical practice.

Institutional Case Study Opportunity and Funding
The third and final component of the program is to conduct two institutional case studies. The case study component requires the site to conduct a qualitative evaluation to assess the benefits associated with the OPAB online education program, related to Biosimilar implementation and its impact on overall patient care. The results are to be presented as a report and a presentation at the ISOPP Symposium in 2024. Each institution will receive funding in the amount of $19,000 USD to support the requirements of the case study.  

The following sections outline the benefits for engaging in a case study, recommended process for evaluation, eligibility criteria, timeline and a list of supporting documents required for the online application.

Case Study Benefits
Why engage in a case study?  Opportunity to:

  • Demonstrate the value of the oncology pharmacy team to cancer patient care 
  • Increase the biosimilar and oncology pharmacy practice knowledge amongst your team
  • Collaborate (now) and opportunity to collaborate (in the future) in education and research with an internationally recognized oncology pharmacy Society 
  • Be part of the international Oncology Pharmacy community advancing oncology pharmacy care for patients around the world
  • Be recognized internationally by your peers for contribution to the work of ISOPP and best practices.
  • Receive complimentary membership to ISOPP for 12 months for up to five institutional members taking part in the OPAB Program

Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to host a case study, the following conditions must be met:

  • The Director of Pharmacy oversees the case study
  • Members of the Pharmacy team are oncology pharmacists (with at least 1 year of practice experience in oncology) who have completed the OPAB online program 
  • Commit to evaluating the impact of the OPAB program within the site (not the individual) as a result of taking the OPAB Program (related to Biosimilar implementation and clinical recommendation) by January 31, 2024
  • Commit to deliver the results as a final report with an evaluation to ISOPP two months prior to making a presentation at ISOPP’s 2024 international Symposium (taking place April 18 - 20, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia) 
  • An application is completed online using the online application site link provided and submitting the requested documentation.

Note: ISOPP does not specify any number of pharmacists at each site who should be participating in the OPAB program. However, preference will be given to those applicants who provide commitment for enrolling significantly higher number of pharmacists with respect to total number of oncology pharmacists on their site. 

Supporting Documentation and Information Required for the Application

  • Institutional Logo (jpeg or png file) and institutional description (500 characters)
  • CVs on the oncology pharmacist/s who will complete the OPAB online program
  • Short biography of 100 to 200 words of the Director overseeing the case study
  • Description or budget on how the funding will be used (funding can be used to pay for travel and registration to ISOPP’s 2024 Symposium) 
  • Clearly defined hypotheses and methodology for evaluating the impact including objectives and outcomes measures.

Timeline

  • Deadline to apply:                                                     Monday, September 25, 2023
  • Notification of site selected:                                    Week of October 2, 2023
  • Course completion and observation period:        By January 31, 2023
  • Final report with evaluation:                                    March 4, 2024
  • ISOPP’s International Symposium presentation:  April 18 - 20, 2024 

Acknowledgements
OPAB is supported by Pfizer through an educational grant and in partnership with the California Society of Health-System Pharmacists and is the result of the work of many including Faculty members, Reviewers and Task Force members.