Oncology drug funding processes impact treatment options available to patients. Frontline pharmacy practitioners have a key perspective and role that allows them to be more engaged in funding processes.

The topic of episode 10: How clinical oncology pharmacy team members can become engaged in and help improve drug funding processes

Learning Objectives:

• Describe current Canadian oncology drug funding process
• Examine the role of frontline clinical pharmacy team members in drug funding
• Discuss how oncology pharmacy practitioners can become more engaged in and help improve drug funding processes

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Guest for this episode: Nicole Kennedy

Nicole Kennedy is the Systemic Therapy Manager of Pharmacy Services at Eastern Health, and currently manages oncology therapy funding for the Provincial Cancer Care Program and the Regional Medicine Program. She sits as a representative for NL on the Provincial Advisory Group for pCODR, and also for pCPA. Nicole is currently serving on the Board of Directors for NL’s Pharmacy Board as the hospital representative, as well as on the Board of Directors for CAPhO as Education Committee Chair for Pharmacists – Fundamentals. Nicole obtained her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree at Memorial University in 2015 and went on to complete a Hospital Pharmacy Residency through Dalhousie University in 2016. She obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Toronto in 2020. Information and additional resources mentioned during this episode of the podcast:

• Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health
• Drug Access Canada
• Health Canada: Drug and health product review and approval
• Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS)
• Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance