Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

Strengthening cancer medication safety and workforce capability in Cambodia: A multi-phase capability-building initiative  (146540)

Marissa Ryan 1 2 , Roza Chin 3 , Ratha Mils 4 , Sovannara Sovath 5 , Sunnorin Kang 6 , Thet Ko Aung 7 , Sokha Suon 7 , Adriana Alminana 7 , Alfredo Polo 7 , Diogo Neves 7 , Pich Bunthoeun 7 , Aaron Hansen 8 , Doreen Tapsall 8 , Desmond Yip 9
  1. Pharmacy Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  2. School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  3. Oncology Department, Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
  4. Calmette Hospital, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
  5. Oncology Department, National Paediatric Hospital, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
  6. Oncology and Radiotherapy Department, Laung Me Hospital, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
  7. City Cancer Challenge, Geneva, Switzerland
  8. Division of Cancer Services, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  9. The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT, Australia

Aim: 
To describe a multi-phase capability-building initiative co-designed by the foundation City Cancer Challenge (C/Can), seven Cambodian healthcare institutions, and subject matter experts from an Australian tertiary hospital to strengthen the safe prescribing, dispensing, administration, and governance of cancer medicines, and build workforce capability in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Methods: 
Documentation and work shadowing materials pertaining to the initiative were reviewed to characterise the co-design process, encompassing the journey from the point of institution needs analysis through to a work shadowing program, with findings described descriptively. 

Results: 
Three main phases were identified. First, supported by C/Can, seven Phnom Penh healthcare institutions mapped their cancer medication circuits, including procurement, storage, prescribing, compounding, administration, and cytotoxic waste disposal. For the second phase, a pre-visit survey was used to identify variations in practice, priority improvement areas, and learning needs across participating institutions. The third phase used findings from the first two phases along with key stakeholder discussions to inform a tailored one-week work shadowing program at the Australian host hospital. The program was refined through ongoing feedback and adjustments before and during delivery to ensure alignment with participant objectives and local implementation priorities and included discipline-specific and multidisciplinary work shadowing, workflow observation, technical discussions, and a workshop focused on adapting learnings to the Cambodian institutions in the context of available resources and infrastructure. The three phases involved a combination of virtual and in-country communication.

Conclusion: 
This multi-phase initiative provides a road-map for a co-designed international partnership aimed at strengthening medication safety and workforce capability. Through service mapping, needs assessment, tailored education, and work shadowing, the program enabled context-specific learning and supported the development of practical strategies to improve cancer medication management. A fourth post-visit phase will evaluate the delegate work shadowing experience, while a fifth phase will track implementation progress of identified initiatives.