Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

Background:
A small regional private hospital with an outreach oncology and haematology day service expanded the pharmacist’s role to support personalised care within the treatment unit. The service supports patients from rural and remote communities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. A conversational, relationship-based pharmacy model was introduced to foster trust, strengthen community connections, and improve patient care.

Objective:
To implement a patient-centred clinical pharmacy service addressing the needs of a complex regional community and improving medication safety and patient outcomes.

Action:
Increasing treatment complexity led to the allocation of an additional eight pharmacist hours per week. Patients were referred by nursing or medical staff or identified through pharmacist review. Structured consultations and informal conversations enabled pharmacists to build rapport while identifying medication-related needs. A staff survey was conducted three months after implementation.

Evaluation:
Three of five nurses in the unit, responded to the survey. All respondents (n=3) reported improved patient experience, enhanced quality of care, and increased patient trust. High-value pharmacist activities included tailored medication plans, medicines information, comprehensive medication reviews, and counselling on side effects, preventative care, and take-home medicines.

Examples included:

• Development of colour-coded medication schedules for complex regimens
• Cold-chain storage education for patients travelling to remote locations
• Proactive identification of patients requiring medication management support

The conversational model created a safe environment for patients to discuss concerns, facilitating earlier intervention and more comprehensive counselling.

Immediate access to pharmacist expertise and collaborative problem-solving supported nursing and medical staff, reducing clinical workload and improved patient care.

Discussion:
Embedding a pharmacist within the cancer care unit enhanced person-centred care, improved medication adherence and side-effect management, reduced medication-related risk, and supported nursing practice. The conversational model fostered patient trust and enabled earlier identification of medication-related concerns.