Cancer Pharmacists Group

Professional Development Educational Events in 2025

We are excited to announce details of our major educational event for 2025, the COSA CPG Clinical Practice Course for Cancer Pharmacists. The event will be held at the Crown Plaza in Melbourne, Saturday-Sunday 3-4 May 2025. Mark these dates in your calendar and join us for an informative and fun weekend.

This two-day intensive course is targeted at pharmacists at all levels. After last year’s success running the Foundation and Advanced Streams at the same time, we will again run the two streams simultaneously. The Foundation Stream, led by Gail Rowan, is designed to assist pharmacists who have a basic knowledge of cancer. The Advanced Stream, led by Katie Wright and featuring expert presenters, is suited to pharmacists working at an advanced clinical level in oncology and haematology pharmacy practice.

                                                                                                                                                                               
Topics to be covered in the Foundation Stream include:

• • Understanding Chemotherapy Protocols
  • Dosing in Kidney and Liver Dysfunction
  • Immunotherapy, CAR-T, and other Novel Therapies
  • Plus workshops on Lymphoma, Breast Cancer, Melanoma and Myeloma.

The Advanced Stream will include the sessions:

• • Advances in Cancer Genomics and Personalised Medicine
  • Direct Oral Anti-Coagulants (DOACs) Monitoring and Reversal
  • Read and Interpret Studies
  • Plus workshops on Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, Ovarian Cancer, and Lymphoma

The ever-popular end-of-day panel discussions will again feature on the program, providing an opportunity for delegates to ask those burning cancer pharmacy questions to our esteemed panel of expert cancer pharmacists.

There will be an opportunity to relax, network, and have fun with fellow delegates and the speakers at a social event on the Saturday evening. Another sell-out is expected, so spread the word about this fantastic, practical course. Don’t miss out on Early Bird Registration!

Webinars 2025

The CPG will continue to team up with BOPA, CAPhO, HOPA, and ISOPP to host webinars with free member-only access. These webinars are in line with our commitment to ensuring cancer pharmacists living and working in rural or regional areas have access to high quality educational opportunities. Please get in touch with COSA if you have suggestions for webinar topics. CPG Executive Committee members, Neil Lam and Marliese Alexander, organise these webinars and would love to hear from you.

Collaborating with other groups

BOPA have confirmed they will again offer a COSA CPG member complimentary registration for this year’s BOPA Symposium, so look out for the EOI for this incredible opportunity later in the year. COSA will be returning the favour, offering a complimentary registration for a BOPA member for the COSA ASM 2025 in Adelaide in November.

Involvement by CPG members in other COSA Groups

Pharmacists Perspective at 2024 COSA ASM

For the third year running, Kimberley-Ann Kerr, participated in a panel discussion hosted by the COSA Geriatric Oncology Group at the 2024 COSA ASM ensuring the important perspectives of cancer pharmacists are considered in the provision of multidisciplinary cancer care. Kimberley-Ann will continue to offer a pharmacist perspective on the COSA Geriatric Oncology Group this year.

Mentoring Pharmacists from LMICs

A number of CPG members mentor pharmacists in Fiji and Papua New Guinea as part of the COSA Global Oncology Group’s activities to improve healthcare worker capability in Low- or Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Last year we hosted cancer pharmacist Christy Wai from Papua New Guinea to the CPG Foundation Stream. Christy was our second LMIC delegate, and COSA is again offering one complimentary Foundation Stream registration for a LMIC delegate this year.

CPG Members on Membership Committee

CPG members Lachlan Roth and Christine Carrington have been contributing to the multidisciplinary COSA Membership Committee during the past year. This Committee will work together to continue to strengthen and grow COSA membership into the future.<

Advocacy, Consultation and Research

The CPG Committee and members will continue to offer feedback and review on government and other professional documents as we have done in the past. Personally, I am part of the COSA Working Party putting together a COSA Research Report on e-Cigarettes and Cancer. Professor Bernard Stewart is leading this project to provide evidence that e-cigarette usage is linked to a cancer risk. The report may be the basis of informed community comment and increased restrictions on the availability of e-cigarettes in Australia.

Another piece of work I am involved with is a review of the Global Oncology Pharmacy Services being delivered by different countries. This is a first step towards research collaborations between the CPG and other cancer pharmacy organisations to identify and advance cancer pharmacy services around the world.

Finally, we wish everyone a fantastic year ahead. We look forward to your involvement and engagement with CPG this year and hope to see you at an event or two!

A/Professor Marissa Ryan Chair
COSA Cancer Pharmacists Group