HOPA Publications Committee

Christan Thomas, PharmD, BCOP, Editor

Lisa Cordes, PharmD, BCOP, BCACP, Associate Editor

Renee McAlister, PharmD, BCOP, Associate Editor

Lydia Benitez, PharmD

Alexandra Della Pia

Jeff Engle, PharmD, MS

Karen M. Fancher, BS, PharmD, BCOP

Chung-Shien Lee, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS

Robert Steven Mancini, BCOP, FHOPA

Bernard L. Marini, PharmD

Alan L. Myers, PharmD, PhD

Gregory T. Sneed, PharmD

Diana Tamer, PharmD, BCOP

Kristin Held Wheatley, BCOP, PharmD

View PDF of HOPA News, Vol. 18, no. 4

Board Update: Four Councils, Immeasurable Impact

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

Fall has set in, the leaves are changing, another American Pharmacist Month has passed, and I am half-way through my year as HOPA President. Although I am privileged to serve in this role, advocating for our members and our patients, I am by no means doing it alone. I work with a dedicated group of board members and I want to share important updates that are timely, impactful, and moving our organization forward.

Advocacy Council – Emily Mackler, Chair
On October 21, 2021, a total of 26 volunteers participated in a virtual HOPA Hill Day. The passion for our profession and patient care was on full display through a total of 43 meetings conducted with representatives from more than 20 states. In addition to educating members of Congress about the role of the hem/onc pharmacist, we asked for support for two important bills: Provider Status and Oral Chemo Parity. We couldn’t have done this without the leadership of the Public Policy Committee, Mark Hamm (Chair) and Jeffrey Pilz (Vice-Chair).

Also thanks to the work of the Advocacy Council, the Patient Advisory Panel now stands ready to provide patient perspectives, insights, and feedback to help inform the work of committees and task forces. You can find an article about them starting on page 22, of this issue of HOPA News.

Education Council – LeAnne Kennedy, Chair
HOPA’s virtual fall program, Emerging Trends + Models in Practice Management, was held on October 7, 2021 and attracted 295 registrants. Ninety-four percent of attendees said they were satisfied with the topics and 96% said they would recommend the program. We would like to thank Nicholas Baker (Chair) and Corbin Bennett (Vice-Chair) for their leadership in planning two independent tracks, Specialty Pharmacy and Investigational Drugs.

Planning is underway for HOPA’s Annual Conference 2022 (AC22), The Heart & Science of Cancer Care, which will take place in Boston March 30-April 2. Thirty-six sessions and 40 CEs are being planned. We are looking forward to seeing many of you in person for the first time in two years! HOPA will offer up to 60 travel grants to AC22 in Boston!

The last live education event scheduled for 2021 was BCOP Live!, a one-day virtual BCOP and ACPE learning experience held on November 30, 2021.

Professional Practice Council – David DeRemer, Chair
The Student Engagement Task Force, a time-limited, problem-solving initiative is winding down. But first, they will assemble the HOPA National Student Group (NSG) Committee, which will be run entirely by students, with the guidance of full pharmacist members. The NSG is charged with making the student voice heard and to empower students to decide how HOPA can most benefit them in terms of professional development.

Patient education is an important part of what we do. HOPA and our collaborators (NCODA, ONS, and ACCC) have launched and maintained two important chemotherapy patient education initiatives: IVCancerEdSheets.com and OralChemoEdSheets.com. Finally, the Council is leading a HOPA position statement on Chemotherapy Stewardship and the important role that oncology pharmacists play.

Research Council – Patrick Medina, Chair
At the time of this writing, an Oncology Landscape Survey was in the field and an Oncology Staffing Survey was just released by the Practice Outcomes and Professional Benchmarking Committee (POPBC). We look forward to sharing the insights gained from the survey results.

HOPA continues to offer research opportunities for pharmacists and new grants are available via the HOPA Research Fund and Early-Career Research awards. For those interested in developing additional research skills, HOPA is partnering again with ACCP for the FIT/MeRIT training programs. No matter how much or how little experience you have with clinical research, HOPA is here to support you.

Thank You, HOPA Volunteers!
The councils listed above support all four HOPA strategic imperatives and encompass more than 30 committees and task forces. We thank you all for everything that you do for HOPA and your patients. It would be impossible to accomplish any of our goals without your continued engagement.

I hope that you enjoy this edition of HOPA News – be sure to check out the articles on quality initiatives, credentialing, clinical pearls, member research, and much more. Finally, I hope that you all enjoy a wonderful holiday season. See you in 2022!