Oncology Pharmacy Spotlight with Dr. Sara Koth

0:14 What is the role of an oncology pharmacist on the health care team? (Includes discussion of how the role of the oncology pharmacist has changed over the years.)
1:40 How did you select oncology pharmacy as a career path?
2:45 What rotations do you participate in as an oncology pharmacy resident?
4:07 What are your most important daily responsibilities and patient care experiences?
5:50 What is the most rewarding part of your role as an oncology pharmacist?
6:51 What challenges do you face in oncology pharmacy practice and how do you overcome these? (Includes information on the pharmaceutical pipeline—staying up-to-date with approvals for new medications and new indications.)
9:46 What steps should interested students take toward becoming clinical oncology pharmacists? What resources are available to students to learn more about oncology pharmacy practice and residency?
13:23 What can students expect with regards to job demand and outlook for oncology pharmacists?
14:12 What do you see in the future for oncology pharmacy practice? How will this area of practice evolve in the coming years?

In this feature, Dr. Koth, an oncology pharmacy resident at UW Health, shares her wealth of knowledge on oncology pharmacy. She discusses the roles and responsibilities of oncology pharmacists, reflects on her experiences as an oncology pharmacy resident, and projects the evolution and growth of oncology pharmacy in the coming years.

About Dr. Koth:
Sara Koth, PharmD received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2010 and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University Of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy in 2014. After completing pharmacy school, Dr. Koth completed a PGY-1 pharmacy practice residency at UW Health in Madison, WI, and is currently a PGY-2 pharmacy oncology resident at the same institution. Her practice interests include oncology, hematology, infectious diseases, leadership/administration, and global health. Dr. Koth is passionate about developing future leaders, ensuring evidenced-based medication use, and advancing the roles of pharmacists throughout the spectrum of care. She is actively involved in the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin (PSW), American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), and Hematology Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA). Upon completion of her PGY-2 program, Dr. Koth will stay at UW Health as a clinical oncology pharmacist. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, watching the Packers, and eating macarons.

Dr. Koth's Research Projects:
-Your bone marrow or mine: evaluation and standardization of chronic graft versus host disease management
-Fungus among us: the standardization of prophylaxis in liver transplant
-Implementation of a chemotherapy dose-rounding delegation protocol
-PSW Competence Development Collaborative resident lead
-Evaluation of a continuous immune globulin and platelet infusion in allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients with allo-immune thrombocytopenia
-Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of TBO-filgrastim versus filgrastim in patients with cancer

Recommended Resources:
AJHP article on advances in oncology pharmacy practice: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26...
HOPA resource library website: http://www.hoparx.org/about/Knowledge...
Drug Topics article on oncology pharmacists’ growing roles: http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.com/...
Dr. Koth's article on updates on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: www.ajhp.org/content/74/11/812

Filming & Editing: Paria Sanaty Zadeh
Interview Date: April 14, 2016

UW-Madison students: Please email me with inquiries or requests to feature specific pharmacy specialties in the video series.