Newswise — Chicago (Dec. 18, 2013): The Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) awards Dr. Kerry Parsons, BCOP PharmD, with the 2013 HOPA Research Award. HOPA provides support, through its Research Fund, to underwrite projects that are likely to result in facilitating the efforts of hematology/oncology pharmacists to optimize the care of individuals affected by cancer.
Dr. Parson’s research study, “The Identification and Limitation of Pediatric Chemotherapy Errors Associated with the Transition to CPOE,” highlights the need for hematology/oncology pharmacists in the transition to a computerized provider order entry (CPOE) system. CPOE systems allow medical practitioners to submit medication orders, including chemotherapy drugs, directly to pharmacists.
Dr. Parsons, a pediatric hematology/oncology pharmacist at Children’s of Alabama, has written a number of publications related to her field and has completed many other research studies. Dr. Parsons has been a HOPA member for seven years, during which time she has served on various committees and currently serves as the vice chair for the Council on Education committee. She holds her PharmD from Creighton University in Omaha, NE and her Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy from Auburn University in Auburn, AL.
“Medication errors can occur in all treatment settings, but our responsibility is to do all that is humanly possible to limit errors. Our goal remains zero errors. We have made great strides and the HOPA Research Award to Kerry should allow further improvement and greater safety for the children we treat,” said Raymond Watts, MD, professor of pediatrics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and director of the Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s of Alabama. “She is specifically focusing on new opportunity and possible new errors resulting from the greater use of technology in our hospital processes.”
With her $25,000 grant award, Dr. Parsons will be able to research methods of improving the chemotherapy error reduction process and validate the necessity of hematology/oncology pharmacists’ participation in this transition. As she continues her research study, Dr. Parsons will receive ongoing support from Dr. Watts. Findings of her project will be presented at a future HOPA annual meeting.
HOPA:HOPA is a nonprofit professional organization formed in 2004 to help oncology and hematology pharmacy practitioners and their associates provide the best possible cancer care. HOPA supports research, conducts educational conferences to advance knowledge, encourages professional development and advocates for health policy issues that improve patient care. HOPA has nearly 2,000 members and includes oncology pharmacists, as well as pharmacy interns, residents, nurses, technicians, researchers, and administrators specializing in hematology/oncology practice. To learn more about HOPA, visit www.hoparx.org.
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