The HOPA Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2012 HOPA Foundation Research Award, Dr. Kamakshi Rao for her project Improving & Defining the Impact & Value of Pharmacists in Stem Cell Transplant, and to Dr. Quan Li, for his project, In Vitro Stability of Erlotinib, Lapatinib and Imatinib in Common Compounding Vehicles. These research grants, totaling more than $36,000 in funding, are intended to provide support for projects that are likely to result in facilitating the efforts of hematology/oncology pharmacists to optimize the care of individuals affected by cancer. The awardees will present the results of their research at a future HOPA annual meeting. "We were impressed with all the submissions but are certain that the two studies funded will facilitate the efforts of hematology/oncology pharmacists to optimize the care of individuals affected by cancer," says Susan Goodin, PharmD BCOP, HOPA Research Foundation Chair.
Below please find descriptions of the studies to be funded:
Improving & Defining the Impact & Value of Pharmacists in Stem Cell Transplant
Dr. Kamakshi Rao
Grant Amount: $15,200
As the profession of pharmacy evolves, pharmacists are being woven into an increasingly collaborative model of healthcare. Within the oncology pharmacy practice area, expansion into ambulatory clinics has been on the upswing. In the area of bone marrow/stem cell transplant (BMT), pharmacists have long been an important part of the collaborative care team, and now, their presence is growing in the ambulatory care clinics of BMT programs. As these involvements grow, there is now a need for an evaluation of the impact pharmacists are making in this area.
This proposal seeks to develop a formalized educational program to more comprehensively meet the needs of our patients, and to develop a more comprehensive tool to accurately gauge the impact of pharmacists on patient care outcomes. Through the development of these programs, the researchers aim to:
1) improve the level and quality of pharmacist-driven care and
2) accurately and clearly describe the "value" of pharmacist services on the clinical, economic, and humanistic outcomes of patient care.
In Vitro Stability of Erlotinib, Lapatinib and Imatinib in Common Compounding Vehicles
Dr. Quan Li
Grant Award: $21,270
Oral chemotherapy agents are widely used in clinical practice, however, a significant portion of oncology patients cannot swallow whole tablets. There are only two chemotherapy drugs, tamoxifen and megestrol acetate, that are currently commercially available in oral liquid dosage forms. The goal of this study is to identify an optimal temperature and maximum time for which oral liquid compounds of erlotinib, lapatinib and imatinib are stable with total retention of the dose being 90% or above (USP criteria for oral compounding). This project will provide in vitro stability data and develop standard compounding methods for three commonly prescribed oral chemotherapy agents for hospital and compounding pharmacy.
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