Re: Reflections on FIP Copenhagen 2025 – Advancing Oncology Pharmacy at the Intersection of Climate and Crisis
Dear CAPhO Travel Grant Committee,
I would like to sincerely thank the Canadian Association of Pharmacy in Oncology (CAPhO) for awarding me the travel grant that enabled my participation in the 2025 International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Congress in Copenhagen. As a pharmacist specializing in both oncology and planetary health, attending this conference was a powerful opportunity to explore how the global pharmacy community is responding to the rapidly evolving intersection between cancer care, climate change, and disaster preparedness.
The FIP sessions reinforced a critical message: the climate crisis is a cancer crisis.
Environmental exposures—from rising air pollution to microplastics and water contaminants—are increasingly recognized as carcinogenic. Meanwhile, extreme weather events are already disrupting continuity of oncology care, drug supply chains, and access to life-saving therapies. Pharmacy professionals are uniquely positioned to mitigate these impacts through ‘climate-smart’ care. The conference in particular highlighted research efforts within the reduction of pharmaceutical waste as well as the advocacy for system wide sustainability.
I was particularly inspired by international efforts to integrate planetary health principles into pharmacy practice including oncology pharmacy practice. These include lifecycle assessments of medications, climate resilience planning for wider centers, and considerations for how wildfire smoke affects wider health concerns. My participation in these discussions, along with the meetup that I organized for planetary health and pharmacy professionals and my poster on climate vulnerability assessments, validated the need for Canadian oncology pharmacists to lead in climate-informed practice and policy development.
Furthermore, sessions on disaster preparedness underscored the urgency of ensuring uninterrupted access to cancer care during climate-induced emergencies. I gained practical tools to help integrate disaster response planning into oncology pharmacy workflows—especially important for vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by both cancer and climate change.
Thanks to CAPhO’s support, I return from FIP with renewed purpose and globally informed strategies to enhance oncology pharmacy practice in a warming, uncertain world. I look forward to sharing these insights with colleagues across Canada and contributing to the advancement of climate-resilient oncology care.
With sincere gratitude,
Shellyza Sajwani