Background
Cancer pharmacy services in hospital and health services are increasingly complex, driven by rapidly evolving systemic therapies and high-risk treatment pathways. Without a dedicated cancer-specific clinical educator, services commonly face inconsistent onboarding, fragmented education delivery, and incomplete alignment with Advanced Pharmacy Australia (AdPha) frameworks. A formal re-scoping process identified a need for clearer governance, defined role boundaries, and coordinated workforce capability development.
Objectives
To further develop and implement a cancer clinical educator role delivering structured onboarding, coordinated education, and competency-based training across a multi-site health service, while establishing foundations for a collaborative cancer pharmacy education network.
Method
A structured needs assessment defined role priorities across four domains: (1) standardised cancer-specific onboarding and competency assessment; (2) coordinated education across all pharmacist career stages; (3) integration with quality, digital, and medication safety initiatives; and (4) professional development. Stakeholder mapping clarified roles and minimised duplication. A centralised education portfolio and training calendar enabled equitable, site-agnostic access. Initiatives included structured mentorship; targeted clinical and operational oncology education; competency assessment using nationally recognised tools; and research involvement to support undergraduate pharmacists and those undertaking AdPha credentialing. A collaborative pharmacy cancer education network was also initiated to support future statewide alignment.
Evaluation
Early evaluation encompassed onboarding consistency, competency attainment, residency engagement, and stakeholder feedback. Early outcomes demonstrated improved baseline capability across sites, reduced onboarding variability, and strengthened support for complex oncology practice.
Discussion
This initiative addresses a critical gap in specialised oncology pharmacy education across health services. By embedding governance, standardisation, and cross-site collaboration, the model supports sustainable workforce development, enhances medication safety, and provides a scalable framework applicable to cancer pharmacy services more broadly.