On Friday, I was delighted to meet with representatives from BSNA (British Specialist Nutrition Association) at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre to hear about the development of specialist pharmacy services supporting cancer treatment on site.

Firstly, I was taken on a tour of the hospital’s Pharmacy Unit to see the complex systems that are in place to store and administer the wide range of aseptic products used in the treatment or management of a range of diseases, disorders or medical conditions. 

I was also pleased to hear about the strong partnership between the Centre and Baxter Healthcare as the commercial compounding company that supplies aseptic solutions into the Centre, and also about the Government’s vision for the future of aseptic pharmacy, where the commercial compounding sector will continue to play a vital role as a partner to the NHS.

It was an insightful visit, were I learnt a lot about the commercial compounding sector, the complex production process and how BSNA members work with NHS colleagues to ensure patients can access to the treatments they need.