Clinical oncology pharmacy has become a reality: results of a member survey of the European Society of Oncology Pharmacy Global

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: The European Society of Oncology Pharmacy (ESOP) Global has almost 4000 members across 70 countries. Over the past few decades, the focus of oncology pharmacists has shifted, from a mostly product-based role to include a patient-centric care model, often termed clinical pharmacy. To map the advancement of the integration of clinical pharmacy into daily oncology pharmacy practice, a survey was conducted among the members of the ESOP Global in 2023. Methods: A survey comprising 28 questions was distributed across the full ESOP Global membership. Questions were grouped to obtain demographic results (first section), the practice of clinical pharmacy (second section), and barriers to providing clinical oncology pharmacy (third section). Results: Overall, 314 colleagues responded to the clinical oncology pharmacy survey from 59 individual countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, yielding a response rate of 28.6%. Overall, all participants who responded to the survey reported being involved in one or more tasks associated with clinical oncology pharmacy, with the highest responses in the section's patient counseling (62.5% of participants actively counseling outpatients) and drug–drug interaction checking (performed by 58% of participants). Furthermore, almost 50% of participants indicated that their pharmaceutical interventions are always or usually accepted by doctors. Conclusions: This survey showed that there is currently an operational clinical oncology pharmacy service in all countries surveyed. This may provide a reference for policymakers, promote international communication, and shed light on the future development of clinical pharmacies in oncology settings. These survey findings may also help guide future education strategies for the ESOP Global and other providers of oncology pharmacy education.