HOPA 2018–2019 Publications Committee

Ashley Glode, PharmD BCOP, Editor

Megan Bodge, PharmD BCOP, Associate Editor

Christan Thomas, PharmD BCOP, Associate Editor

Heidi D. Finnes, PharmD BCOP, Board Liaison

Jessica Auten, PharmD BCOP

Lisa M. Cordes, PharmD BCOP BCACP

Jeff Engle, PharmD MS

Karen Fancher, PharmD BCOP

Craig W. Freyer, PharmD BCOP

Sarah Hayes, PharmD BCOP

Sarah Hoffman, PharmD BCOP

Kasey Jackson, PharmD BCOP

Emily Kathol, PharmD BCOP

Abby Kim, PharmD BCOP

Houry Leblebjian, PharmD BCOP

Remee McAlister, PharmD

Sarah Newman, PharmD

Candice Wenzell, PharmD BCOP

View PDF of HOPA News, Vol. 16, no. 1

Board Update: For Everything a Season

From Ryan Bookout, PharmD BCOP BCPS, HOPA President (2018–2019)
Blood and Marrow Transplantation Pharmacy Supervisor
Moffitt Cancer Center
Tampa, FL

The holidays have come and gone, and winter has set in. I hope that you were able to break away from your busy work life and enjoy some much needed time with those who matter most to you. We all need recharging now and then. As January brings shorter days, less sunshine, and seemingly endless tasks on the to-do-list, you continue to push HOPA forward along a trajectory that has limitless possibilities.

I wanted to take a moment to showcase the amazing HOPA Journal Clubs and the fantastic work our residents have done with these. The Journal Clubs are great educational offerings from residents, and they are free of charge to HOPA members and nonmembers. They give our residents wonderful opportunities to hone their presentation skills and delve deeply into current literature. Our education team has done so well that the schedule for HOPA Journal Clubs is filled through the middle of 2020. If you want to schedule opportunities for your future residents, contact the HOPA education staff at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and plan ahead.

HOPA’s Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist (BCOP) Recertification Program celebrates its fourth year in 2019. The program currently offers 38 hours of continuing education that meets a range of needs. The program has these components:

You can purchase individual webinars, multiple sets of programming, or the entire 2019 BCOP Program Bundle. I would like to thank every single member of the BCOP team: members of the BCOP Oversight Committee, BCOP Conference Programming Subcommittee, BCOP Field Testing Subcommittee, BCOP Item Writing Subcommittee, BCOP Self-Study and Webinar Courses Committee, and BCOP Updates Course Subcommittee. If it were not for their hard work and dedication, this anchor of our educational opportunities would not exist for our members and the BCOP-credentialed pharmacists who use this program.

In 2019 HOPA will launch its Mentorship Pilot Program, as announced by the Leadership Development Subcommittee at HOPA’s 2018 Practice Management program. The program will focus on professional competencies and leadership skills for practicing oncology pharmacists. The Leadership Development Subcommittee has created a stellar program that will be expanded over the next few years after evaluation of the pilot program. The creative and inventive team that worked on this project was made up of HOPA Past President Phil Johnson (chair), Rebecca Fahrenbruch (vice chair), Matthew Chui, Sandra Cuellar, Raj Duggal, Dave Henry, HOPA Past President Cindy O’Bryant, Alexandra Shillingburg, J. Andrew Orr-Skirvin, and Steve Stricker. This is just one of the great initiatives focusing on leadership development for our members.

As we re-enter our regular routines, we often find ourselves stretched very thin. Our lives are full, as we seek to meet commitments to our families and friends, our workplaces, and the organizations we volunteer for. As pharmacists, we may fill our plate with so many tasks, responsibilities, appointments, and activities that we have to burn the candle at both ends. We may be able to maintain this course for a while, but let’s make one New Year’s resolution: to take time for ourselves, for the hobbies and activities that refresh and reenergize us. Go to the gym or start taking a kickboxing class. Put on your running shoes and go for a walk or run outside (or use a treadmill if it’s bitter cold and snowy outside). Get on a Pilates reformer or work up a sweat in a yoga class. Try meditation. Grab your loved ones or your pets and venture to a park. Go to the movies, read a book, go dancing. Turn off your phone, disengage from the computer and e-mail, and make time for the things you really love. Figure out ways to keep recharging yourself and breaking from the cycle of draining your batteries constantly and limiting your enjoyment. You need breaks and time to recharge, and you deserve it.

Have a wonderful winter! I look forward to seeing you all in Fort Worth, TX, April 3–6, at HOPA’s 15th Annual Conference.