Dr. Alexandre Chan, Founding Chair of the UC Irvine School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences’ Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, has been appointed as Vice Chair of the Board of Pharmacy Specialties’ (BPS) Oncology Pharmacy Specialty Council.
BPS is a group that is responsible for establishing standards related to the training and certification of pharmacists. Within the organization, there are multiple specialty councils that focus on specific aspects of pharmacy care.
The purpose of the Oncology Pharmacy Specialty Council is “to validate that the pharmacist has the advanced knowledge and experience to provide treatment and education that optimizes safety and outcomes for individuals receiving treatment for cancer or non-malignant hematologic conditions, palliative and supportive care, and/or survivorship care.”
As Vice Chair, Dr. Chan helps to oversee the Oncology Pharmacy Specialty Council, offering his expertise as an experienced oncology pharmacist to support their mission of upholding BPS standards, with the ultimate goals of assuring that patients receive the best care possible.
“As part of the Oncology Pharmacy Specialty Council, I am involved with the development of the board certification examination to ensure that we provide a consistent experience and high-quality examination development outcomes,” he explained.
Dr. Chan will serve a two-year term as Vice Chair. During that time, he hopes to work toward increasing board certification rates in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).
“Unfortunately, many pharmacists from LMIC are not able to afford the fees associated with board certification, as well as the maintenance of board certifications,” he said. “Currently, I am working with a few African countries to understand their unmet education needs, as well as their pharmacists’ motivations on board certification.”
Dr. Chan’s vision for his time as Vice Chair of the BPS Oncology Pharmacy Specialty Council aligns with his interest in global health and global oncology.
“This appointment means a lot to me,” he shared. “As a long-time board-certified oncology pharmacist (17 years and counting), I’ve witnessed how the board certification process provides confidence to many oncology pharmacy practitioners. Over the past two decades, I have visited many parts of the world and spoken to many leaders in oncology pharmacy, and I have discussed the benefits of board certification with numerous pharmacists.”
