HOPA Publications Committee
Ashley Glode, PharmD BCOP, Editor
Megan Bodge, PharmD BCOP, Associate Editor
Christan Thomas, PharmD BCOP, Associate Editor
Edward Li, PharmD, Board Liaison
Lindsey Amerine, PharmD MS BCPS
Brandi Anders, PharmD BCOP
Lisa M. Cordes, PharmD BCOP BCACP
Morgan Culver, PharmD BCOP
Karen Fancher, PharmD BCOP
Craig W. Freyer, PharmD BCOP
Robert Mancini, PharmD, BCOP
Sarah Newman, PharmD BCPS
Sarah Ussery, PharmD BCOP
View PDF of HOPA News, Vol. 15, no. 4
Board Update: From Summer to Winter
From Ryan Bookout, PharmD BCOP BCPS, HOPA President (2018–2019)
Blood and Marrow Transplantation Pharmacy Supervisor
Moffitt Cancer Center
Tampa, FL
As the dog days of summer have moved into the times of changing leaves of fall and the chill of winter, the amazing work that you all have been involved in through HOPA has continued without notice of the seasonal changes. Your dedication and tireless efforts are what continue to propel the work of this small but mighty pharmacy association across the country and around the globe.
The 2018 HOPA Pharmacy Practice Management program was held in Chicago in September and was a great success—as always. If you have never attended this program, launched in 2013 through the efforts of past-president Niesha Griffith, RPh MS, you should know that it is an amazing oncology pharmacy meeting! Focusing on the topics that keep oncology pharmacy managers and directors up at night, it continues to inspire the participants and push the boundaries of knowledge in our field. The brilliant team of the Practice Management Program Committee—Michelle Rockey (chair), John Valgus (vice chair), Renne Curtis-Freitag, Jim Koeller, Jeff Lombardo, Darcy Malard-Johnson, and Jeffrey Reichard—aided by the Practice Management Program Session Proposal Subcommittee of Dayna McCauley (chair), Carolyn Smith-Bondarenka (vice chair), Manpreet Chahal, Jeff Lombardo, Tim Miller, Audrea Szabatura, Sonia Thomas, Brian Verlizzo, and Deborah Ward as well as HOPA staff members Dawn Herman and Katy Meyer, generated a phenomenal 2-day event with fantastic presentations across the whole program. The speakers were riveting, teaching through experience, real-life examples, and explanations of the current issues at hand and keeping the crowd engaged throughout the sessions.
Education by HOPA members continues beyond HOPA’s own offerings. Morgane Diven, Kate Jeffers, Patrick Kiel, and Rowena Schwartz led Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist (BCOP) education sessions at JADPRO Live in Hollywood, FL, in November. JADPRO Live is the annual conference of the Advanced Practitioner Society for Hematology and Oncology (APSHO). HOPA has developed a partnership with APSHO to certify BCOP opportunities at JADPRO Live. At the same time, Michelle Bustamante, Nicole Lubcke, and Kristin Wheatley were delivering BCOP education to our pediatric colleagues at the Pediatric Pharmacy Association’s fall conference in Philadelphia, PA. HOPA members’ outreach in education expands our ability to educate all oncology practitioners. It is this level of drive that propels us forward in the world of oncology and supports HOPA’s Strategic Plan.
HOPA’s Entry-Level Competencies Task Force has completed amazing work compiling resources and paving the way for graduates of Doctor of Pharmacy degree programs and postgraduate year-1 pharmacy residents to develop necessary skills and have a successful orientation into hematology/oncology pharmacy practice. These resources, designed specifically for didactic, experiential, and PGY-1 residency curricula, are available on HOPA’s website in the Resources section, under “Professional Tools” (hoparx.org/resources/professional-tools). Let us take a moment to congratulate the team for their fine work: Ginah Nightingale (chair), Jill Comeau, Karen Fancher, Tim Miller, Cindy O’Bryant, Sarah Peters, Ila Saunders, and Jason Yeh.
Last, as we have been watching, playing, or coaching sports over the past few months, we have seen the power of teamwork displayed in many forms—whether at a child’s Thursday night Little League game, in the Saturday afternoon college rivalries, or on “Monday Night Football.” We have seen the players—engaged, motivated, and selfless—working together for the greater good. It is easy to see these qualities embodied in all of you: you are one massive team. You make plans and plays to push this association forward. Your one-handed catches and stolen bases are on our association’s highlight reels. It is your effort and drive that continue to push the boundaries of what we do as an association. Without this team and your teamwork, our association would not be what it is today.
Continue this work that you love. Continue to participate in our educational offerings, and help us expand our reach. But do not forget to cheer for yourselves and accept the admiration and praise you deserve. We are Team HOPA, and working together, we make this association stronger.
Have a wonderful fall and a safe and happy holiday season, and then be ready for an exciting and amazing New Year. Go, team!