I had the privilege of receiving a Wild Card Travel Grant to attend the 2024 CAPhO Conference in Moncton. This year’s conference theme was Rising Tides Lift All Boats: Partnering to Advance Oncology Pharmacy. As a first time attendee (and still considering myself new to the field of oncology), this conference was an eye-opening experience to the national landscape of oncology pharmacy practice.
It started with an Oral Chemotherapy Management Workshop, where attendees had the opportunity to participate in facilitated round table discussions about patient cases in the management of CDK4/6i, VEGF TKIs, and ALK inhibitors. It was invaluable to discuss different practices and management strategies with other pharmacists across the country, and I especially enjoyed the moments at the end where various pharmacists shared their practice experiences. Coincidentally this session was exceedingly timely for my practice (despite how rare ALK mutations are in lung cancer), as I saw a patient the following week to discuss starting them on an ALK inhibitor, so the expertise shared from experienced pharmacists immediately helped me to provide more effective patient care.
The current strain on healthcare professionals is palpable in our Canadian healthcare system, which is why the opening plenary titled: The Edge of Compassion: Staying Well While Working in Oncology was such a timely discussion. Francoise Mathieu had a way of captivating the audience with her first statement. I found her review of practical skills such as mindfulness, empathy, and remaining engaged in a stressful event so valuable. In taking these tools back to my practice, I am able to prevent burnout and continue to provide the level of care my patients deserve.
Another thoughtful presentation was delivered by Bernard Marini, titled Transforming Cancer Care: Pharmacists at the Helm of Common Sense Oncology. As more expensive, resource intensive treatments are being approved for use in Canada, the speaker highlighted the role of the pharmacist to appraise the appropriateness of these treatments for our patients. New treatments often come with significant financial, time, and traditional toxicities. His point that treatments should help patients live longer, or live better, changed my perspective on cancer treatments. This presentation has inspired me to firstly increase my primary literature consumption to develop an improved understanding of the benefits and toxicities of our treatments, and secondly to have a stronger voice in the appropriateness of these treatments for our patients.
Overall, this conference offered me an avenue to network with oncology pharmacy colleagues, learn from experts, and have fun while doing it. This was my first but certainly not my last CAPhO conference. I am grateful to the awards committee for providing me with the opportunity to attend and look forward to ISOPP CAPhO Symposium 2025 in Victoria!