TOP at HOPA
Attendees at the 10th Annual Conference of the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) said there’s no place like HOPA for reconnecting with friends and colleagues in the pharmacy world, and learning from face-to-face time with their peers.
Edward Li, PharmD, of the University of New England College of Pharmacy, Portland, Maine, told The Oncology Pharmacist (TOP) that he enjoys reconnecting with friends and acquaintances from years past, from his days in training to his current research projects. “It’s a great networking opportunity here. It’s also a place to present your latest research,” he said. Since his research interest is in public health policy issues, Li said he enjoyed discussions on such topics as 340B pricing.
Nancy Nix, PharmD, Oncology Pharmacy Clinical Coordinator at St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System in Hilton Head, South Carolina, enjoys the conference for the same reason. “I have come to know a lot of the speakers over the years, through discussions, interviewing for residency, and so forth, and I probably know one third of the attendees by sight or name. I like interacting with colleagues, finding out what’s going on at other centers, especially academic centers…things I can take back to our community setting,” she said.
Jan Kover, RPh, of MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, said she, too, welcomes the opportunity to learn how her colleagues are dealing with certain issues. One that particularly interests her is adherence to oral agents, especially endocrine agents. “I’m interested in talking to others about what other people are doing in this area,” she said.
Increasing One’s Knowledge Base
Leah Wolfe, RPh, of Westside Hematology Oncology, Inc, in Westlake, Ohio, said coming to HOPA is a way to increase her knowledge base. “I am particularly interested in chemotherapy dosing in obese patients and the use of chemotherapy during pregnancy—because the literature is sparse on those topics—and the BCOP session on biostatistics,” she told TOP. “I also like talking to speakers and attendees about what they are doing in various areas.”
David Beribeault, BS, a member of TOP’s editorial board, said HOPA attendees get plenty of what they need to practice at the highest level. “The level of programming at this meeting is much higher than you get at other professional pharmacy meetings. It’s a better fit for these practitioners, and the scope of the training extends from the pharmacy resident to someone in practice for 20 years.”