Oncology consultant pharmacist appointed
Nicola Stoner, lead cancer pharmacist at Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, has been appointed a consultant pharmacist. She believes it
is the first such post in the area of oncology. Dr Stoner received
confirmation of her new title last week following a rigorous application
process for retrospective approval of the post according to Department
of Health guidance issued in 2005 (PJ, 9 April 2005, p409).
The title “consultant pharmacist” can only be used by pharmacists
appointed to posts approved by strategic health authorities following
submission of a business plan. Consultant posts are centred around four
main functions: expert practice; research, evaluation and service development;
education, mentoring and overview of practice; and professional leadership.
In 2006, there were 12 consultant pharmacists working within the NHS.
Dr
Stoner is an independent prescriber (PJ, 13 January, p44) who has
worked in the area of oncology for nearly 17 years. She completed a PhD
in antiemetics in cancer chemotherapy at the beginning of her career.
Dr Stoner is principal visiting fellow at the school of pharmacy, University
of Reading, where she works to develop links between Oxford Radcliffe
Hospitals NHS Trust and the university. Her NHS post is partly funded
by Cancer Research UK and she spends some of her time working in the
Cancer Research UK clinical research unit, where she is involved in phase
I, II, III and IV clinical trials.
Dr Stoner is also an expert in gene therapy and is working with the European
Association of Hospital Pharmacists on setting standards for pharmacists
for handling gene therapy in a clinical setting in preparation for when
licensed products become available.
A new cancer centre is due to open in Oxford in April 2008 and will bring
together cancer services, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery,
across Oxfordshire. “The centre aims to be a centre of excellence
and having allied health care professionals working within it at consultant
level will help with recruitment and retention,” Dr Stoner told
The Journal.
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