Championing the Role of Oncology Pharmacists in Patient-Centered Cancer Care

At Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, oncology pharmacists play a central role in bridging inpatient and ambulatory care, advancing research, and shaping clinical practice—both within their institution and nationally. LeAnne Kennedy, PharmD, BCOP, CPP, FHOPA, FASTCT, director of pharmacy, clinical oncology southeast at Atrium Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, exemplifies this commitment to excellence in patient care, professional development, and leadership. In addition to serving as a clinical leader and regional pharmacy representative for oncology within the southeast Atrium Health network, Kennedy is past president of the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA), where she helped elevate the voice and impact of oncology pharmacists across the country.

In this interview with Pharmacy Times®, Kennedy reflects on the collaborative culture at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, the importance of research mentorship, strategies for demonstrating the value of oncology pharmacists, and the lasting rewards of professional leadership and advocacy.

Pharmacy Times: What makes the experience of the oncology pharmacist at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist unique?

LeAnne Kennedy, PharmD, BCOP, CPP, FHOPA, FASTCT: I love being a part of the Wake Forest oncology team here. I think we're a great team that really works together. We are able to provide care to both our inpatients and our patients in the ambulatory setting. We work well to transition our care between both settings, really working to provide excellent education for our patients, for our nurses, and our physicians. But really, I think the family part of our team is the thing that really sets us apart.

Pharmacy Times: What are some of the unique opportunities available for oncology pharmacists at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist to get involved in research?

Kennedy: Opportunities to be able to get involved with research might be through our residency program, as we have 4 oncology pharmacy residents, then we have 4 projects that need to be done every year, so being able to mentor those new practitioners and getting research accomplished through the year, looking to see what changes are new in clinical practice, and what we can do to be able to make a difference, to be able to evaluate maybe a new therapy and what that means for our patients, or maybe there's a new guideline that's come out, and we're trying to assess, as we make those changes, what does that mean for our patients and their outcome?

Then as we look to collaborate with other institutions, we're looking to see as practices are different in other institutions, what can we do to compare those practices and be able to report that out on a larger scale? So that's something we're looking forward to beginning to do now and in the next few years.

Pharmacy Times: What is your experience of colleagues at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist understanding the value of the oncology pharmacist in patient care?

Young female pharmacist checking inventory of medicines in pharmacy. Image Credit: © StratfordProductions

Kennedy: I think, really, as an oncology pharmacist, we need to continue to promote what we do, whether we're talking to patients, nurses, providers, the people who we work with on a day to day basis—they know. They know that we're here to educate our patients. They know that we're here to help with symptom management and decision management for our patients. But really making sure that those people who may not know us on a day-to-day basis, the first time you meet a patient, making sure they know, “Hey, I'm your oncology pharmacist. I'm here to take care of you, and this is what you should expect from me.” I think that's an important part. We have to market ourselves, and I think that that's what we need to continue to do.

I think as we continue to market ourselves—even outside—is taking the research that we've done, making sure that we promote the research, making sure we publish it, that we are presenting on it, and helping other people to know that we are oncology pharmacists and that we're here to take care of those patients. As I talk to family, I want to help them to make sure that we know that I'm not just a drug pusher. I mean, that's important, but I'm here just to make sure that every [patient with cancer] has the best therapy, whatever they choose, and that they’re cared for in the best way, with the minimal side effects and the best outcomes for everyone.

Pharmacy Times: How did you get involved in leadership at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist?

Kennedy: Leadership is different for everyone. I think leadership for me came in 2 ways. There's leadership here in the day-to-day practice within Wake Forest Baptist and being able to be a leader through the team, being a clinical leader within our team, and then moving up into management and leading the path, being able to represent them on a larger scale, to be able to guide clinical practice as a whole. Then recently, I've moved into leadership for the southeast within Atrium Health and being able to represent all of the oncology pharmacists in the southeast and really trying to use my experience and my relationships to help broaden and make sure that pharmacists are represented in all clinical practices, and making sure that we have all of our patients cared for by an oncology pharmacist.

If you look at leadership outside of the institution, I think there's great opportunities for leadership within organizations. I actually started with the American Pharmacy Association, or APHA, in their new practitioner panel, and then got involved with HOPA, the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association, and did some general committee work with that. And recently, I'm finishing up 6 years on the board of directors, and I'm looking forward to being able to go to HOPA in the next little bit, and to be able to see everyone. The connections I've made through those experiences have been invaluable.

Pharmacy Times: As past president of HOPA, what was your experience as president like when reflecting back on your time in that role?

Kennedy: I think one of the things that I gained most from being president of HOPA was being able to see what all different pharmacists are doing in different practices, being able to see the research that's going on, being able to see the advocacy that's being done on behalf of our patients, and being able to see what we can do in clinical practice and education and direct education of our patients. I think realizing that there's so much that all of us are doing individually but pulling that together as an organization and representing the oncology patient, I think, has been the most rewarding part of being able to see it from the sky view and being able to look down. I look forward to moving back out of the board of directors and then being able to see what I can do more and on an individual, but to always be the cheerleader for the organization and for all of those practicing for oncology patients.