Vanya Slavova-Boneva is a Specialist Senior Adult Oncology Pharmacist and Senior Lecturer in Cancer Care at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. She leads clinical pharmacy services for the Senior Adult Oncology Programme (SAOP) and is module lead for the Independent Prescribing course at The Royal Marsden School. Her expertise focuses on optimising medication use in older adults with cancer, independent prescribing, medication reviews, and developing evidence-based medicines pathways through clinical practice and research. Clinical and Professional Leadership • Independent Prescribing: Expert in managing complex cancer cases with a focus on geriatric and breast oncology, developing personalised treatment plans that integrate chemotherapeutic and targeted therapies, particularly for older adults. • Multidisciplinary Collaboration: Leads cross-functional teams to ensure holistic, patient-centered care; excels in communication and collaboration with a wide array of healthcare professionals. • Chemotherapy & Oncology Expertise: Skilled in handling complex cases with advanced knowledge of oncology medications and therapy optimisation. Service Delivery and Development • Oncology Service Innovation: Led the integration of electronic chemotherapy prescribing systems, managing projects that enhance geriatric oncology service delivery. • New Clinical Pharmacy Services: Pioneers clinical pharmacy service development in the Senior Adult Oncology Programme (SAOP), implementing safe, effective and cost-efficient medication pathways. • Cost Management: Analyses prescribing trends, drug usage, and budget impacts, generating detailed expenditure reports and cost improvement recommendations. Quality Clinical Governance and Risk Management • Safety and Error Prevention: Actively identifies medication-related errors and establishes initiatives to improve safety, ensuring adherence to NHSE/NICE guidelines and evidence-based protocols. • Policy Development: Regularly reviews, maintains, and develops geriatric-oncology-specific treatment protocols and drug evaluations for hospital-wide committees. Strategic Leadership • Program Coordination: Leads comprehensive clinical pharmacy services within SAOP, working closely with Allied Health Professionals, Clinical Nurse Specialists, and Oncology Leads to optimise drug therapy and patient outcomes. • Pharmacy Leadership in Geriatric Oncology: Acts as a strategic voice in geriatric oncology pharmacy, fostering a culture of quality and improvement in cancer care for older adults. Clinical Pharmacy and Patient Care • Comprehensive Patient Care: Delivers tailored medication reviews and adherence assessments for geriatric oncology patients, liaising with primary and secondary care providers for optimised patient outcomes. • Psychological Support for Patients: Addresses the psychological needs of older cancer patients, referring to specialised support when required. Clinical Governance and Safety • Evidence-Based Practices: Implements best-practice policies to enhance treatment outcomes, aligning with national guidance, and ensures clinical protocols meet patient safety standards. • Systematic Safety Initiatives: Develops and monitors medication safety measures, incorporating learnings from preventable medication-related incidents. Service Development and Innovation • Oncology Service Expansion: Initiates and leads new service pathways in senior adult oncology, evaluating prescribing changes and their budgetary impacts, while forecasting drug expenditures collaboratively with service teams. Education and Training Leadership • Educational Program Development: Leads cancer and geriatric oncology training programs for pharmacists and healthcare professionals, focusing on SACT accreditation for those treating older patients. • Multi-Level Teaching: Designs and delivers teaching sessions locally, nationally, and internationally on pharmaceutical care in geriatric oncology, identifying and fulfilling training needs. Research and Clinical Leadership • Pharmacy Research Promotion: As a pre-doctoral fellow, contributes to geriatric oncology pharmacy research, enhancing the pharmacy profession’s profile through presentations and educational events. • Research Dissemination: Represents Royal Marsden in educational events, sharing research findings and identifying new service development avenues. Management and Supervision • Team Leadership: Manages and supervises foundation and pre-registration pharmacists, conducting performance reviews, overseeing recruitment, and supporting quality improvement initiatives within the department. Governance and Incident Reporting • Medication Safety Advocacy: Promotes a proactive approach to medication incident reporting and learning within the clinical pharmacy service. • Clinical Governance Participation: Engages in Trust governance programs to ensure safe, effective medication use, with a specialised focus on SAOP.