Central Zone Pharmacy Team presented with two first place HOPE Awards

Central Zone’s Pharmacy Oncology team was recognized with a first place HOPE Award (Honouring Oncology Pharmacy Excellence) for teaching and education.

Established in November 2021 with the goal of improving patient care and increasing the number of patients receiving education from an oncology pharmacist, the clinic follows patients with neoadjuvant or adjuvant breast cancer who are receiving intravenous systemic therapy for cancer at the VG site, QEII in Central Zone. In December 2022, it expanded to include a specific population of gynecology oncology patients.

The clinic, which is open between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, is operated by a rotating team of three pharmacists. The pharmacists consult their patients to get a full medical history, assess for drug interactions, review chemotherapy orders for safety and appropriateness and make recommendations about dose adjustments or delays when necessary. They provide an initial patient education session, including a personalized medication calendar, about a week prior to the patient’s first day of treatment. They also provide follow-up to patients a few days after their first two cycles of treatment and on an as-needed basis. The team manages toxicities experienced by patients, the most common of which is chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

Patients who are followed by the team may experience many benefits, including: better knowledge of what to expect, improved symptom control and improved quality of life.

Prostate Cancer Shared Care Clinic was established in 2019 for patients with prostate cancer who are receiving oral anti-cancer therapies. This team was presented with a first place HOPE Award for contributions to innovative patient care in the category of interprofessional programs.

Patients receive care from an interdisciplinary team of nurses, pharmacists and physicians with the pharmacist working to the full scope of their practice, leading clinic visits. This realignment of work supports physicians and nurses in optimizing their clinic appointments to see additional patients in need of care. Patients visit the clinic at the start of treatment, in the early stages of treatment when side effects are most likely and then as part of ongoing care. 

Currently, the clinic supports patients receiving oral treatment for prostate cancer within the practice of two medical oncologists in Halifax. The patients seen by this team live in communities all across Nova Scotia. Patients with prostate cancer who are not currently seen by this clinic include those who receive these oral treatments for their prostate cancer from other physicians working in the areas of urology, radiation and surgery.

The clinic pharmacist works with patients to document best possible medication histories, assess for drug interactions, completes ongoing reviews of oral anticancer therapy orders for safety and appropriateness, provides initial and ongoing patient education and makes recommendations about dose adjustments/treatment toxicities. 

The mission of the clinics is to provide improved symptom control, improved health outcomes and improved quality of life for patients. In addition, in establishing both clinics and shifting from physician and nurse-led clinics to pharmacist-led clinics, has freed clinic slots for patients waiting for a new diagnosis or to start a curative treatment, as well as those waiting for other care that can only be provided by the physician and nurse team.

Photos (L-R) of (1) Prostate team members Becky Tunstall, RN; Dr Robyn Macfarlane; Lauren Hutton, RPh; Dr Myuran Thana; and April MacInnis, RN (2) Pharmacy Oncology Clinic team members Amanda Daniels; Ny Phonchareon; Samantha Scott and Laura Minard.