International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners
Vol 18, No. 2 June 2016
Dear 

April was an exciting month with ISOPP XV in Chile, Santiago. Held in South America for the first time, it was a great opportunity for the local oncology pharmacist community to gather. The local Organising Committee ensured a smooth running meeting - many thanks to them. To view the presentation slides from the meeting, log onto the website ISOPP.org and click on symposia; ISOPP 2016; program and presentation slides. You can also view photos from the meeting there. Thanks to Felice Musicco's presentation on social media, I sent my first tweets using #isopp2016 and have found Twitter a great way to share meeting information. Apart from the excellent educational and networking opportunities, an ISOPP meeting is a great way to catch up with old friends. Lastly, a reminder of the new easy method to access JOPP. Simply be logged into the ISOPP.org website and click on access JOPP and there is no need for any other logins or passwords.      

Sincerely,

Jill Davis
ISOPP Newsletter Editor

Jill Davis, Moe Schwartz and Jane Pruemer
Jill Davis
Message from the President 

We had a wonderful time in Santiago, Chile from April 17-20 for the ISOPP symposium which was attended by over 250 participants from 27 countries, half of whom were from Latin America. Some of us had lost luggage, missed and delayed flights but all in all once we arrived in Santiago, the warm, gracious and welcoming Chilean hospitality took over. We experienced tremors and intense rains which resulted in flooding but nevertheless, it was a most memorable experience which I will forever cherish!

It was in Santiago we celebrated ISOPP's 20th anniversary celebration. All but two of the past presidents were in attendance and our founder, Helen McKinnon, shared interesting stories of ISOPP's early days paving the way for ISOPP's most recent strategic plan. The ISOPP 20th anniversary dinner Chilean style was totally breathtaking with the cultural dancers of Chile, from the Ballet Folkorico Antumapu, an outstanding artistic dance company dedicated to preserving Chilean folk culture showcased the rich, diverse and vibrant culture of Chile. The amazing Chilean cuisine was delicious and everyone had a great time that night with lots of memories to take home. Many took the opportunity to explore Chile before and after the ISOPP symposium and found it most interesting, with many fond memories of Chile and South America.

The symposium itself was well attended. Direct translation from English to Spanish was provided. 40 international and local speakers were invited to speak at 4 plenaries, 3 panel discussions and 9 concurrent sessions in clinical, research and fundamental streams discussing various topics in learning how to better manage our oncology patients. Those who attended certainly forged new friendships, enjoyed the rich Chilean culture, cuisine and wine!


Harbans Dhillon
ISOPP President
OncologyOncology Around the World

EBMT1st Pharmacist Day at EBMT (Valencia, Spain)
By Tiene Bauters, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium

As part of the EBMT 2016 annual meeting, the very first Pharmacist Day was held in Valencia (Spain). This day-long session took place on Tuesday 5 April and represented a unique initiative in Europe. Key leaders in the field highlighted the challenges faced by pharmacists involved in Stem Cell Transplantation and hematology in general. 

The first presentation "How can Clinical Oncology Pharmacists participate in Stem Cell Transplantation?" was performed by Tiene Bauters (Belgium) highlighting the role of the pharmacist in a Stem Cell Transplantation unit.

Claudia Langebrake (Germany) presented "Drug dosing and monitoring in obese patients undergoing transplantation". Obesity is associated with an increased risk and mortality for a range of cancers (multifactorial reasons). There is an association between chemotherapy dose intensity and both clinical efficacy and toxicity prognostic factor. She summarized that prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing; PK parameters are altered in obese individuals; there is no single dosing parameter describing PK in obese patients and there are limited data from PK- and/or clinical studies in obese SCT patients.


Asunci�n Albert-Mar� (Spain) and Tiene Bauters (Belgium)
HOPAReport on the 12th Annual HOPA Conference
By Craig Freyer, The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA 

The Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) held its 12th Annual Conference March 16th through 19th in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The conference is the premier event of the association and remains the largest gathering of hematology/oncology pharmacy professionals in the U.S. The primary objective of the meeting is to serve as an educational forum for both seasoned and new to practice pharmacy professionals. Attendees spend roughly four days immersed in educational presentations on new and upcoming therapeutic advances, clinical controversies, application of guidelines and best practices, supportive care optimization, drug safety, and technological and distribution challenges. The conference is a valuable opportunity to network with national and international experts and share ideas to optimize pharmaceutical care for our patients. Meeting attendance has gradually increased over the last several years, with this year setting a record of 1,040 attendees. The conference is open to pharmacists, pharmacy researchers, administrators, pharmacy residents, students, and pharmacy technicians. HOPA strives to make conference attendance available to as many hematology/oncology pharmacy professionals as possible. This year, 60 travel grants (each worth $600, 30 of which were given to residents and fellows) were provided to assist with conference attendance expenses. HOPA also started the "conference buddies" program this year, connecting first time conference attendees with seasoned attendees to help guide them and ensure a beneficial experience.

Craig Freyer 
CAPhOCanadian Association of Pharmacy in Oncology (CAPhO) / L'Association Canadienne de Pharmacie en Oncologie (ACPhO) Conference Report
By Lynne Nakashima BSc(Pharm), PharmD, Provincial Pharmacy Director, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, Canada

The CAPhO/ACPhO Annual Conference was held April 14-17, 2016 at the very beautiful Niagara Falls, Ontario. The conference theme was, "Can We Talk?" CAPhO President, Joan Fabbro, and conference Chair, Biljana Spirovski, welcomed the delegates, and noted that we, in the pharmacy field can talk, but that this theme is meant to encourage pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to move outside the walls of the pharmacy to engage in meaningful dialogue with patients and our health care colleagues that we work side by side with. 
 
The first plenary session was given by Kim Lavoie from the University of Quebec at Montreal and was an introduction to motivational communication and how it can improve adherence and outcomes in patients undergoing cancer treatment. She noted that communication is the response that you get. If you are not getting the response you want, change your approach. Statistics show that only 35% of prescriptions are filled and taken as prescribed. So motivational communication, which is collaborative, patient centred and non-judgmental, can be a powerful tool to help our patients achieve their goals. Remember, "It's not about the nail". Check this out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4EDhdAHrOg

 
Lynne Nakashima


Pre-symposium ISOPP 2016 Pre-Symposium Workshop
By Sara Aguayo, Teresa Aqueveque, Alejandra Barahona, M�nica Jeria, Sulamita Miranda, Betzab� Rubio, Claudia Schramm (ISOPP 2016 Local Committee, Chapter of Chilean of Oncology Pharmacists)

From the 17th until the 20th of April of 2016 in Santiago, Chile the XV International Symposium on Oncology Pharmacy Practice was held. Before this great event a Pre-Symposium Workshop organized by the scientific committee of the Chapter of Chilean Oncology Pharmacists, was held.

This pre-symposium workshop aimed to provide basic concepts of oncology pharmacy practice, ie, two major aspects that make cancer pharmacist were considered: patient management from the clinical point of view, and safe handling in the preparation of cytotoxic. In order to do so, we had the great honor of having top professionals both local and international.

Specifically, the program incorporated the following topics:
  • Cancer Pharmacogenomics
  • Chemotherapy in the elderly
  • Prevention of adverse events in chemotherapy
  • Impact of exposure to cytostatics
  • Advances in controlling exposure to cytostatic
Volunteer registration area
TravelGrantwinners
ISOPP 2016 Travel Grant Winners

David Wata, Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya 

I had the opportunity to attend the ISOPP 2016 symposium in Santiago Chile. I received a travel grant from ISOPP to attend the symposium.  I am a clinical pharmacist working at the oncology department in Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Nairobi, Kenya. I have been in this position for the last 10 years. This was my first time to attend the symposium. There were several learning points for myself from the ISOPP symposium.


David Wata and ISOPP 2016 attendee
Himanshu Patel, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS University, Mysore, KA, India

I take this opportunity to thank the International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners for awarding me a travel grant and giving me the opportunity to participate in the XV International Symposium on Oncology Pharmacy Practice scheduled from 17-20 April 2016 in Santiago, Chile. The meeting was well planned and executed in terms of ambience, scientific sessions, poster sessions, exhibitions and interaction with the audience. The sessions on solid tumour updates, hematologic malignancies, bone marrow transplant, pharmaceutical care planning and documentation, research in daily practice and mentorship were very well conducted. It provided me evidence based understanding of newer treatments and its outcomes for breast cancer, lung cancer, leukemia, anti-emetics, end of life care in cancer patients and immunotherapy. All the sessions were followed by audience interaction which builds confidence of attendees


Himanshu Patel


L�szl� Sz�kely, Gedeon Richter Plc, Budapest, Hungary

Greetings for all newsletter readers around the world!
 
It is a great pleasure for me to share with you my recent experiences and adventures from the XV ISOPP Conference.

My name is L�szl� Sz�kely, from the stunningly beautiful and exciting capital of Hungary, Budapest. Let me please introduce myself in a few sentences: I graduated as a pharmacist in 2012 in Budapest. After graduation I worked as a clinical pharmacist for more than two years, during this period I managed a central cytostatic department at the Medical Centre, Hungarian Defence Forces. Currently I am working as a drug safety specialist in the field of pharmacovigilance at one of Hungary's biggest pharmaceutical companies. My main role (in this area) is to manage biological medicinal product related pharmacovigilance tasks. 

I learned about the International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners in 2013 thanks to one of my former colleagues in the hospital, Alexandra Bartal. Alexandra wrote an application for Hungary to be the host of an ISOPP symposium in the future. When ISOPP accepted the application, she asked me to join to the Local Planning Committee. I was more than delighted to take part in the organization of ISOPP's upcoming event. As a delegate of the Committee I got the chance to participate at the XV ISOPP Conference in Santiago de Chile which took place between 17-20 of April, 2016.


L�szl� Sz�kely

Sandra Antonieta Palacios Garcia, The American British Cowdray Medical Center, M�xico City, M�xico

Hello! I write these lines very grateful to have had the opportunity to attend the ISOPP XV meeting in Santiago de Chile.

The conference, framed by the beautiful sight of Los Andes, was very well organized as you may know, with good content and the warmth of the ISOPP secretariat. Everybody had a smile and this is "priceless".

The theme of the conference: Oncology Pharmacy: A Global Perspective, left us with the feeling that everyone can do something in the fight against cancer, and that we are not alone in this war.

What have I learned and taken back to practice at home after the ISOPP XV meeting?


Sandra Palacios (left) with Idalia Davila
Australasian Travel Grant Winner
Vicki Wilmott, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, Australia

ISOPP began on an eventful Sunday afternoon where Santiago was inundated with water and many roads and the Metro were closed due to flooding. We eventually made it to the hotel in a sodden state and luckily showered before the water was turned off for several hours. The opening plenary was a presentation by Dr Julie Torode from the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) titled "Access to Cancer Medicines: Global disparities deserve global attention". Hands up who knew of the UICC - I certainly had not heard of this organisation but I had heard of the WHO's Essential Medicines List (EML) which Dr Torode talked about. The EMl was established in 1977 with the guiding principle that a limited range of carefully selected essential medicines leads to better health care, better medicines management, and lower costs. The list is updated every 2 years and in 2015 with input from the UICC, the addition to the cancer medicines section marked the single largest addition in one cycle and used a regimen-based approach for the first time. Dr Torode discussed ways in which ISOPP could contribute to the UICC but felt the biggest influence we could have is bringing transparency to the pricing of drugs.


Base of the Towers, Torres del Paine National Park
newsISOPP Business and News


AwardsISOPP 2016 Award Winners
ISOPP 2016 Award and Grant Winners

Congratulations to all ISOPP 2016 Award and Grant Winners!

Helen McKinnon Award
This year's Helen McKinnon Award deserving winners are Jill Davis of Melbourne, Australia and Johan Vandenbroucke of Ghent, Belgium for their significant and outstanding contribution to ISOPP and oncology pharmacy practice.

The Helen McKinnon Award was created to honor Helen McKinnon, who was instrumental in the formation of our society. It recognizes members who have made significant contributions to ISOPP or have made a sustained contribution to oncology pharmacy practice.


From left to right: Helen McKinnon, Johan Vandenbroucke, Jill Davis

Research Poster Award
Shirin Abadi of the BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver, BC, Canada won the best Research Poster Award for her poster titled: Utilization of Capecitabine plus Oxaliplatin (CAPOX) and 5-Fluorouracil/Folinic Acid plus Oxaliplatin (FFOX) in the Adjuvant Treatment of Stage II and Stage III Colon Cancer.

 
Shirin Adabi, Best Research Poster Award Winner

To read Shirin Adadi's abstract, log in to the ISOPP website as member, go to the ISOPP 2016 page and click on "View the Abstract Book".

The Research Poster Awards are evaluated during the Poster Session at each annual Symposium, when poster judges review posters and interview poster presenters to determine score and rank. Those ranked and scoring the highest are awarded a Poster Award at the Symposium's Closing Ceremonies.

JOPP Best Clinical Practice and JOPP Best Research Paper Awards
Authors Jose R. Azanza, Belen Sadaba and Almudena Gomez-Guiu of Cl�nica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain were awarded the JOPP Best Clinical Practice Paper Award for their paper on: Monoclonal antibodies: pharmacokinetics as a basis for new dosage regimens?

JOPP Paper Award Winners

Read the abstract of the award winning paper at  opp.sagepub.com/content/21/5/370.abstract

Authors Hillary Thomas, Monica Randolph and Jane Pruemer of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA and Eskenazi Hospital, Indianapolis, IN, USA were awarded the JOPP Best Research Paper Award for their paper on: The effects of a palliative care program on antidepressant use and continuing maintenance medications in near end-of-life oncology patients (the HEALED study)
Hillary Thomas, Monica Randolph and Jane Pruemer

Read the abstract of the award winning paper at  opp.sagepub.com/content/21/5/331.abstract

Using an objective and systematic approach to choose award winners, the JOPP Editorial Board determine awards selected from papers published in JOPP during the period in between ISOPP symposia. 

Platform Presenters
Four studies were chosen for oral presentations. Congratulations to the authors.
 
Retrospective Analysis of Anti-allergy Prophylaxis for Infusion Reactions of Cetuximab in 248 Head and Neck Cancer, Shinya Suzuki, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan

 
Cytokine Gene Polymorphism, Plasma Concentration and 'Chemobrain': Intricate Relationships in Chemotherapy-Receiving Breast Cancer Patients, Alexandre Chan, National University of Singapore, Singapore
 
The Frequency of the CYP2C19*17 Allele and Its Effect on Pharmacokinetics of Voriconazole in Pediatric Patients, Natalie Espinoza, Hospital Luis Calvo Mackenna, Santiago, Chile

 
Implementation of a Robot for the Preparation of Antineoplastic Drugs in the Pharmacy Service, Paz Pacheco, Hospital Universitario Cl�nico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain

Travel Grants
The 2016 travel grants were awarded to:
Himanshu Patel, JSS College of Pharmacy, Mysore, India
Sandra Antonieta Palacios Garcia, The American British Cowdray Medical Center, Mexico City, Mexico 
L�szl� Sz�kely, Gideon Richter Plc, Budapest, Hungary
David Wata, Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya 

Travel grants are awarded each year to support ISOPP members attending the annual Symposium. Read the articles from this year's travel grant winners.

Read more about Travel Grants and how to apply for one to attend ISOPP 2017 in Budapest.


ISOPP17ISOPP 2017 Symposium
The XVI International Symposium will take place April 26-29, 2017 in Budapest, Hungary.

The Symposium will feature an educational, career-enhancing program and address leading edge topics in Oncology Pharmacy. There will also be lots of opportunities to network and connect with old friends and new colleagues.

Budapest, Hungary's capital is a city full of history, culture and stunning landscapes. It's easily accessible by road, rail or air from all major European capitals.

Arrive early or extend your stay to explore the city and its surrounding areas. Budapest is the spa capital of the world. Visit one of more than 100 thermal springs, from historic Turkish and Roman baths to medical facilities and party spas. There is also:
  • The Buda Castle within the Castle District
  • Beautiful panoramas and wonderful architecture north of Budapest along the Danube bend
  • The neighbouring region of Transdunubia for fine wine and pretty lakes
Visit the ISOPP 2017 website as more information becomes available.
VJCVirtual Journal Club   
Accessing JOPP is now easier. Log in as a member, go to the  JOPP Access page and click the Access JOPP button. You have instant access.

The twenty-eighth issue of the Virtual Journal Club (VJC) is available on the International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners (ISOPP) website. To access it, visit the Virtual Journal Club Surveys page or follow the   direct link to the survey. 

"Drug interactions with aprepitant or fosaprepitant: review of the literature and implications for clinical practice." J Oncol Pharm Pract February 25, 2016 Anna Dushenkov, Julie Kalabalik, Antonia Carbone, Paiboon Jungsuwadee

Learning Objectives:
  1. Recognize the major metabolic pathways for fosaprepitant and aprepitant; and
  2. Describe theoretical and reported interactions between (fos) aprepitant and antineoplastics, opioids, anticoagulants and other miscellaneous agents; and
  3. Outline clinical implications resulting from coadministration of (fos) aprepitant with other various medications. 
Previous issue: Twenty-seventh

"Impact of a pharmacist-led oral chemotherapy-monitoring program in patients with metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer."
Patel JM, Holle LM, Clement JM, Bunz T, Niemann C, Chamberlin KW
J Oncol Pharm Pract published October 22, 2015

Learning Objectives:
  1. Describe the challenges that are associated with using oral chemotherapy agents;
  2. Understand the role of a pharmacist in an oral chemotherapy-monitoring program; and
  3. Discuss the limitations to this study evaluating the role of the pharmacists in oral chemotherapy-monitoring programs.
Previous issue: Twenty-sixth

"Why adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer was not given: Reasons for non-recommendation by clinicians or patient refusal."

Peter Gilbar, Andrew Lee, Khageshwor Pokharel
Published JOPP online: 21 December 2015

Learning Objectives:
  1. To identify reasons why patients may not be recommended adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer; and
  2. To identify reasons why patients may decline recommended adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer; and
  3. To understand the role of multidisciplinary team, particularly in a rural setting, in the management of patients with colon cancer.

As a reminder, ISOPP's Virtual Journal Club features online articles from the Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice (JOPP). Members are encouraged to read articles and then answer a series of multiple choice questions through the Virtual Journal Club Surveys

After completing the questionnaire, a certificate will be emailed to you. Although not formally accredited for continuing medical education (CME) points, participation is equal to one hour of CME activity.  

Members are also encouraged to use the Member Discussion Forum to stimulate discussion about articles they have read. Your ISOPP membership provides many great benefits and we are hopeful you will find the Virtual Journal Club another asset to your oncology pharmacy practice.

Regards


Felice Musicco
Publications Chair
 
 
ISOPP's Society &
Symposium Management Office

 

Sea to Sky Meeting Management is ISOPP's Society and 2016 & 2017 Symposium Management Office. If you have any questions about membership, services, ISOPP 2016, ISOPP 2017 or the Society, please contact the ISOPP Office directly as follows:
Direct: +1-778-338-4142
Fax: +1-604-984-6434
Suite 206, 201 Bewicke Avenue

North Vancouver, BC Canada V7M 3M7

www.seatoskymeetings.com 

In This Issue
Newsletter Summary
This Newsletter Summary provides a brief introduction/summary to each article. In order to access the full article, login to the isopp.org website then click on the 'read more' button at the end of each article's introduction. In addition, at the end of each full article there is the opportunity for you to write comments about the article and start up a discussion forum.

JOPP Access
Accessing JOPP just got easier. Log in as a member, go to the  JOPP Access page and click the Access JOPP button. You have instant access.  
E-learning tool Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
The purpose of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) E-learning Tool is to provide basic knowledge to hospital and community pharmacists involved in the pharmaceutical care for HSCT patients. Different topics will be discussed including: hematopoiesis, different types and sources of HSCT, process of HSCT, early and late complications, drugs used during conditioning regimens, drugs used in prevention and treatment of complications. The tool takes approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete, depending on the knowledge and experience of the user.
ISOPP Policy on Endorsement of Guidelines
Do you have a guideline that you would like to submit for ISOPP's endorsement? As per the National Guideline Clearinghouse, guidelines are statements that include recommendations intended to optimize patient care that are informed by a systematic review of evidence and an assessment of the benefits and harms of alternative care options. For further details on eligibility and the evaluation process, review the ISOPP Policy on Endorsement of Guidelines.
Host ISOPP's 2018, 2019 or 2020 Symposium
Would you like to see one of ISOPP's Symposia in the next three years held in your city or country?
 
Contact [email protected] to find out more.
Meet n' Greet
Did you know that you can gather colleagues for an ISOPP "meet n' greet" at a conference you attend to say hello and share the benefits of ISOPP membership?.  

Contact [email protected] to find out more.
JOPP Reviewers Needed


Submissions to JOPP, ISOPP's official journal, have increased dramatically over the last few years. As a result, we need additional reviewers to keep the review and decision times as short as possible.

If you are interested in becoming a reviewer for JOPP, please send your curriculum vitae to Barry Goldspiel at [email protected].
ISOPP Sponsored Membership Program
The Sponsored Membership Program exists to support 
members who, given their 
personal or regional financial situations, may not be able to become an ISOPP member or continue their ISOPP 
membership.

Thanks to the generosity of members who have made 
additional payments, there is 
a pool of money to help support others in the field of oncology pharmacy pay membership fees. Do you know someone who would like to join ISOPP? 


Read more on the program.
Calendar of Events
Submit an Article

Contact Jill Davis, Newsletter Editor at [email protected]
to submit an article.
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