HOPA Publications Committee
Christan M. Thomas, PharmD BCOP, Editor
Renee McAlister, PharmD BCOP, Associate Editor
Lisa Cordes, PharmD BCOP BCACP, Associate Editor
Andrea Clarke, PharmD BCOP
Jeff Engle, PharmD MS
Ashley E. Glode, PharmD BCOP
Sidney V. Keisner, PharmD BCOP
Chung-Shien Lee, PharmD BCOP BCPS
Heather N. Moore, PharmD BCOP
Gregory Sneed, PharmD
Diana Tamer, PharmD BCOP
Jennifer Zhao, PharmD BCOP
View PDF of HOPA News, Vol. 18, no. 2
Board Update: Springing into Action
Larry Buie, PharmD, BCOP, FASHP
HOPA President (2021–2022)
Manager, Clinical Pharmacy Practice
PGY2 Residency Program Director, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, NY
The winter was long and hard. We have all been battered by COVID-19, politics, and social injustice. We remain resilient; we are full of hope and energized for change.
A Note of Thanks
I want to thank David DeRemer, Immediate Past-President, and the 2020-2021 HOPA Board of Directors for their leadership through unprecedented times in our history. I also want to thank board members who have completed their terms: Susie Liewer, Past-President; Sally Barbour, Secretary; and Jeremy Whalen, At-Large Member, for their years of service to HOPA. You will be missed, but your legacy will be continued in the work we do.
At the time of this writing, spring is in full bloom and we just completed our 17th Annual Conference. The energy was evident, even within a virtual platform. We had more than 1,400 registrants, making it the largest HOPA attendance ever! For many of us, the Annual Conference was an opportunity not only for education, but also to be able to “see” our friends and colleagues for the first time in a very, very long time.
Mission, Vision, Growth
As we look ahead, I want to remind everyone of our mission, which is to support pharmacy practitioners with tools and resources that allow them to optimize the care provided to cancer patients; and also our vision, which is that all cancer patients have access to a pharmacist who serves as integral member of their care team.
HOPA as an organization is strong and our membership continues to expand as the “care team” continues to evolve. We now have more than 4,000 Members! Over the next year, HOPA will continue to expand its reach. A student task force is already meeting to talk about opportunities for enhanced student engagement between schools of pharmacy and HOPA.
HOPA should be the professional home for all pharmacists taking care of patients with cancer, including those working in specialty pharmacies and with oncology investigational drugs. HOPA is committed to serving pharmacists who work in these areas and these topics will be the focus of our fall practice management meeting (Save the date: October 7, 2021!)
In addition, HOPA will move forward next year in creating a collaborative research framework. HOPA will sponsor projects focused on quality improvement and pharmacist-led research that will ultimately show the value of the hematology/oncology pharmacist. HOPA will use this information to develop standards and publish best practices; we have a real opportunity to lead in this space!
We are kicking off this effort with the creation of the Oral Chemotherapy Collaborative, which will bring together experts in oral chemotherapy, quality, advocacy, and research. This collaboration will be led by Drs. Karen Ferris and Benyam Muluneh.
Equity Embedded in All We Do
Not only did we suffer through a pandemic this past year, we have also seen racial and social injustice highlighted in unimaginable ways. The Annual Conference Keynote by Dr. Lakesha Butler, entitled “Dismantling Structural Racism in Pharmacy,” set the stage for much of our diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work to come. This is only the beginning of our efforts to better understand structural racism and disparities in healthcare.
A new DEI Task Force is being led by Drs. Maurice Alexander and Britny Brown. Under their leadership, HOPA will approve a DEI statement and the task force will recommend how to best weave DEI into all of our strategic pillars. Goals will be set and metrics will be used to measure our progress moving forward. Our ultimate goal is inclusive excellence within HOPA. Ours should be an organization where everyone can thrive, regardless of our differences or orientation.
Honored to Serve
Post-COVID, the world and our profession will be different. HOPA will continue to do all it can to advocate for oncology pharmacists and cancer patients. It really is the honor of a lifetime to serve as the 18th HOPA President, to work with and for you all. As our committees begin their work for the next year, know how much you are appreciated for all you do for HOPA and your patients. I hope you have a wonderful summer and that you are able to spend quality time with those that matter most in your lives!