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Letter to the Editor International Journal of

Pharmacy Practice International Journal of Pharmacy Practice 2015, 23, pp. 232–233

Development of a collaborative professional group for HIV pharmacists: experience from the Canadian HIV/AIDS Pharmacists Network Michelle M. Foisya and Alice Tsengb,c on behalf of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Pharmacists Network a

Northern Alberta Program, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, AB, bImmunodeficiency Clinic, Toronto General Hospital and cFaculty of Pharmacy,

University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada Both authors have contributed equally to the conception and writing of this manuscript. doi: 10.1111/ijpp.12164

Over the past two decades, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pharmacotherapy has become increasingly complex as the focus of care has shifted from management of acute opportunistic infections to chronic care of an ageing population. With new compounds and additional data constantly emerging and therapies often being used in unique situations, professional collaboration and support have become invaluable for pharmacists practising in this rapidly evolving field. In Canada, HIV pharmacy specialists comprise a small proportion of pharmacists spread across a vast geographical region, which can lead to professional isolation. This brief report serves to outline the development, goals and activities of a national network of pharmacists specialized in HIV practice and research. To our knowledge, this is the first network of this type to be described in HIV practice. Canadian HIV/AIDS Pharmacists Network (CHAP) was created in 1997 by two pharmacists practising at urban hospital HIV clinics in Toronto, Ontario, who envisioned networking with other pharmacists who provided HIV care across the country. Thirteen pharmacists involved in HIV practice and/or research across Canada were identified and invited to become working group members, and support for travel expenses through an unrestricted educational grant was secured via a collaborative partnership with the pharmaceutical industry.[1] The group first met for a full-day meeting in Washington, DC at the 1997 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. At that inaugural meeting, the mission and goals of the group were established and ideas for collaborative projects to improve patient care and further HIV education and research were discussed. Since then, the group has met annually to coincide with the Canadian Association for HIV/AIDS Research conference in Canada. The overall goals of CHAP are (1) to promote national sharing of experiences and ideas to improve patient care, including specialty areas such as perinatal care, paediatrics and geriatrics; 2) to develop practical clinical guidelines on © 2014 Royal Pharmaceutical Society

the role of the pharmacist in caring for patients with HIV/ acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS); 3) to collaborate on research protocols that demonstrate positive drugrelated outcomes; 4) to share continuing education resources, in order to make information on HIV drug therapy more accessible to all pharmacists and their patients, regardless of practice site; 5) to foster the development of HIV/AIDS pharmacist mentors; and 6) to promote the pharmacists role in HIV therapeutics on a national and international level. As a result, CHAP activities include numerous endeavours such as clinical information sharing via group list serve, annual meetings in conjunction with a national HIV conference, regular production of a newsletter, multi-site research projects, creation of a group website and file-sharing service for members. In addition, CHAP members have published a comprehensive assessment of available HIV drug interaction websites,[2] a review paper on abacavir hypersensitivity[3] and two key publications of a Canadian position paper on the role of the pharmacist in HIV care.[4,5] A summary of these initiatives can be found on the CHAP website.[6] In the fall of 2001, CHAP was expanded to include a working group (consisting of provincial representatives) and a general membership of pharmacists with an interest in HIV. All pharmacists wishing to join CHAP may do so free of charge and are welcome to participate in email discussions and attend the annual network meeting. Currently, CHAP has 115 members and also has an international voice with pharmacists from several countries across three continents, including North America, Europe and South Africa. We believe CHAP has successfully linked most HIV pharmacists across Canada, resulting in improved communication, clinical sharing, education and collaborative research, ultimately resulting in better patient care. Through the dedication and efforts of CHAP members over the past 17 years, the role of the HIV pharmacist in Canada and internationally has been strengthened and further defined as a critical member of the health care team. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice 2015, 23, pp. 232–233

Letter to the Editor

233

Declarations

Merck Canada, Gilead Sciences Canada Inc., Janssen Pharmaceuticals and ViiV Healthcare.

Conflict of interest Michelle Marie Foisy received speaker honoraria and/or unrestricted educational grants from ViiV Healthcare, Gilead Sciences Canada Inc., Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck Canada. Alice Tseng received speaker honoraria and unrestricted educational grants from AbbVie,

References 1. Tseng A et al. Development of a national HIV/AIDS pharmacists network in Canada. Proceedings of the XIV International AIDS Conference. Barcelona, Spain, July 7–12, 2002: abstract E11553. 2. Sheehan NL et al. Evaluation of HIV drug interaction web sites. Ann Pharmacother 2003; 37: 1577–1586.

© 2014 Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Acknowledgements We would like to thank the working group members of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Pharmacists Network for their review of this manuscript.

3. Hughes CA et al. Abacavir hypersensitivity reaction: an update. Ann Pharmacother 2008; 42: 387–396. 4. Tailor SAN et al. The role of the pharmacist in caring for persons living with HIV/AIDS: a Canadian position paper. Can J Hosp Pharm 2000; 53: 92–103. 5. Tseng A et al. The role of the pharmacist in caring for patients with HIV/AIDS: clinical practice guidelines. Can J Hosp Pharm 2012; 65: 125–145.

6. The Canadian HIV/AIDS Pharmacists Network 2014. http://hivclinic.ca/chap/ (accessed 16 October 2014).

International Journal of Pharmacy Practice 2015, 23, pp. 232–233

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