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. 3
Board Update: Thanks to Volunteers, Committee Work Shines
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
As I write this, it’s a beautiful summer day! I hope all of you have been able to enjoy summer, reconnect with family and friends, and relax a bit despite the wrenches that COVID-19 is again throwing our way.
HOPA has been hard at work for you, our members, during this time. During our virtual annual conference in April, I told you that we couldn’t accomplish any of our goals for the year without volunteer support. In usual fashion, you all stepped up to the challenge! We have more than 300 volunteers serving on a variety of different committees, subcommittees, and task forces. All of our collective work ladders up to support our four strategic pillars: Education and Professional Development; Professional Tools and Resources; Research; and Advocacy.
In addition, HOPA has been involved with multiple meetings with our supporters and stakeholders to continue to understand ways that we can work together on existing and new programs; collaborative research; patient advocacy; and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Here are just a few examples:
Chemotherapy Education—Oral and IV
This year, the Oral Chemotherapy Collaborative officially kicked off. And, in addition to our oral chemotherapy education sheets, we are partnering with NCODA, ACCC, and ONS to develop IV education sheets that can be shared with our patients.
Immuno-Oncology Time to Talk™ Campaign
The Time to Talk Immuno-Oncology Toolkits, focused on immune checkpoint inhibitors and cellular therapies, were created and launched last year by a task force led by Dr. Heidi Finnes and can be found on HOPA's website under Patient Education. We recently partnered with iHeart Media to reach diverse populations, including African-American and Latinx patients and their caregivers, through radio broadcast tactics, streaming audio and video placements, and targeted social media.
This campaign will bring important immuno-oncology information into patient homes, cars, and earbuds, and encourage them to speak to their oncology pharmacist—or download a free Time to Talk I-O toolkit from our website. Personally, I think it is awesome that HOPA will be on iHeart Radio!
National Student Committee
Our task force on student engagement has recommended that we establish a National Student Committee. The purpose of this engagement is to advance the professional development of pharmacy students interested in hematology/oncology pharmacy practice, research, scholarship, or advocacy.
We appreciate the efforts of this student engagement task force, led by Drs. Amy Pick and Ginah Nightingale, and we are excited about this opportunity for students moving forward. Watch for additional information about this committee, as well as opportunities to get involved via the volunteer activity center (VAC), in the coming months!
Practice Management: Emerging Trends + Models
Recent concerns about the seriousness of the COVID-19 delta variant prompted us to change the format for Practice Management 2021 from in-person to virtual. The committee, staff, and presenters are all still committed to delivering a full day of Emerging Trends + Models in Practice Management on October 7, 2021. There are two learning tracks: investigational drug services and specialty pharmacy. Be sure to attend these sessions to learn about challenges and opportunities, quality improvement, and advocacy in these niche spaces of oncology pharmacy practice.
I know that by the time you see this summer will be fading and fall will usher in busy schedules and a very active HOPA agenda. I hope that you enjoy this issue of HOPA News with a feature on pharmacist burnout, practice management pearls, HOPA member contributions at the ASCO quality care symposium, tips for first time preceptors, and much, much more! Until we can all be together again, take care and stay safe!