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ESTABLISHING AN ACTIVE WORKING GROUP FOR PHARMACISTS WORKING WITHIN PAEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY AND HAEMATOLOGY IN SWEDEN, FINLAND, NORWAY AND DENMARK

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European Statement

Clinical Pharmacy Services

Author(s)

Ranaa El Edelbi, Joacim Götesson, Sanna Veijalainen, Mari Vanhatalo, Taija Heikkinen, Ulla Taipale, Gunn-Therese Lund Sørland, Margrete Einen, Magnus Dahlander

Why was it done?

There is a great need for pharmaceutical expertise within the field of pediatric oncology and hematology, where chemotherapeutic regimens and supportive therapy often require intense treatment with drugs from many therapeutic groups. The complex drug environment created requires competence in diverse pharmaceutical subjects and many centers of pediatric oncology and hematology within NOPHO has concluded that hiring a pharmacist can cover the perceived knowledge gap and also increase the quality of the drug treatment. However, working as a single clinical pharmacist in a very specialized hospital setting such as pediatric oncology and hematology can be very difficult and time-consuming as everything depends on your own knowledge and experience. In most pediatric oncology and hematology centers it is not feasible to have more than one pharmacist and thus collaboration and discussion between different hospitals and countries are necessary.

What was done?

A working group for pharmacists was established within the Nordic Society of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology (NOPHO).

How was it done?

The need for a group of pharmacists working within pediatric oncology and hematology was raised by pharmacist Ranaa El Edelbi at Astrid Lindgren’s Children’s Hospital, Stockholm, during the autumn of 2014. She sent out an email to all the pediatric oncology and hematology centers within NOPHO and asked if they had any pharmacists involved in the care setting. She got a positive reply from a few centers and invited the pharmacists for at first meeting in Stockholm in November 2014 and a working group for pharmacists with NOPHO was created in early 2015. The network has since then grown to 17 pharmacists from 4 countries and 10 centers.

What has been achieved?

An active working group with regular email discussions as well as Skype and physical meeting to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience. The group has also undertaken and finished a project to develop a guideline for extravasation of chemotherapeutic drugs, which was published in December 2016.

What next?

Developing a guideline for safe and accurate administration of oral chemotherapeutic drugs to children.

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