Senior Oncology Pharmacist, Kavita Kantilal, has been awarded a prestigious international award in recognition of her outstanding work on understanding the educational needs of pharmacists in reviewing medicines for older adults with cancer.
Kavita, who works at the Sussex Cancer Centre at Royal Sussex County Hospital, was honoured with the Nursing and Allied Health Investigator Award at the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) conference, alongside her research colleagues, in Montreal, Canada.
The award promotes research in the field of nursing and allied health professionals (AHPs) in geriatric oncology and recognises the outstanding contribution of researchers in understanding and caring for cancer in older patients.
Kavita said: “It was an honour and privilege to win this award. My co-investigators and I are very grateful to be acknowledged in this way for this important work, which we are only just beginning to explore. To our knowledge, this was the first scoping review undertaken on this topic.”
Kavita and her colleagues’ work has enhanced the understanding of the education and training needed to support oncology pharmacists caring for the complex needs of older adults with cancer, particularly those patients taking multiple medications.
Polypharmacy (the practice of taking multiple medications to treat multiple conditions) has been linked to increased risks of adverse effects from cancer treatments, higher rates of hospital admissions, and poorer health outcomes.
Kavita said: “This work is important because as the population ages, we are seeing more older adults in cancer clinics. They are more likely to have additional health conditions and be on multiple medications.
“Pharmacists working in cancer services need to have the right training to meet the pharmaceutical needs of this vulnerable patient group, improving medicine optimisation, quality of life and health outcomes.”
This work is now on an international stage and will help shape training curricula for pharmacists worldwide who support oncology teams with older patients.
Alongside her research, Kavita plays a pivotal role within the cancer care team, particularly in supporting patients on oral cancer therapies. She monitors the safe and effective delivery of medicine, helps patients manage treatment side effects and ensures the patient is as comfortable as possible.
Professor Richard Simcock, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, said: “As well as being a vital member of our team supporting people with cancer, Kavita has also been a champion for better cancer care for older people. She has been active nationally in raising the profile of pharmacists in recognising and managing polypharmacy. It’s brilliant that her latest efforts in educating pharmacists and tackling over-prescription has been recognised by the international community.”
“Kavita’s achievement highlights the incredible talent within our AHPs and how they are an integral part of modern care.”
Last year, UHSussex released our Research and Innovation Strategy which sets out our five-year ambitions for healthcare research and innovation within the Trust and for the people of Sussex. This is in support of our vision of providing excellent care, every time for all our patients.