While Washington D.C. braced for a shutdown, HOPA members and staff were hard at work advocating for cancer patients in the nation's capital for HOPA Hill Day on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
The annual advocacy initiative brought hem/onc pharmacists, as well as cancer patients and caregivers, to Washington D.C. to meet in person with the offices of their elected officials to discuss the hem/onc pharmacy profession and barriers to accessing cancer care across the nation. Over a full day of meetings at the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, 45 HOPA advocates - a new record for in-person HOPA Hill Day participation - brought your concerns and support directly to elected officials across 24 states.
During HOPA's 68 meetings with representatives and staffers, hem/onc pharmacy advocates brought awareness to critical issues such as:
- Supporting the search for solutions to present and future cancer drug shortages, which still threaten cancer care due to supply chain and manufacturing issues, natural disasters, lack of manufacturing incentives, and other concerns
- Supporting and cosponsoring the Clinical Trial Modernization Act, a House Bill introduced in May 2025 which aims to improve participation in clinical trials by underrepresented populations and address the economic barriers that prevent larger participation in clinical trials
- Providing and maintaining funding for critical federal cancer research, prevention, and surveillance programs that are essential in the fight against cancer
With a new record set for participants - ranging from pharmacists to cancer survivors, experienced Hill Day advocates to first-time attendees and pharmacy residents - HOPA Hill Day 2025 marked yet another historic advocacy effort, continuing to push for progress in cancer care and for the best for all patients.
More Than Meetings
In addition to advocacy, HOPA's Fall Programming also brought educational opportunities to Washington D.C. this year with a One-Day Quality Training Program Workshop on Monday, September 29. Led by faculty from the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Quality Training Program®(ASCO QTP), the exclusive one-day workshop provided an introduction to quality improvement principles and strategies as well as networking opportunities in an engaging and interactive format.
To learn more about ongoing quality efforts and resources, click here.
Continuing the Conversation
While HOPA Hill Day 2025 is over, the work of advocating for hem/onc pharmacy and cancer patients is far from finished. To continue voicing support for optimized cancer care and making a difference, join in HOPA's new letter-writing campaign. Found in HOPA's Legislative Action Center, the campaign offers sample messages and easy-to-use guidance to keep this week's productive conversations about drug shortages, federal cancer funding, and clinical trial representation going.
Click here to go to the Legislative Action Center and add your support!
The fight against cancer never stops - and neither does HOPA's advocacy for the best care for patients. HOPA Hill Day will continue these critical conversations with elected officials in 2026, both virtually in the spring and in person during the fall. For more information about HOPA's Hill Day plans, click here. And to make your voice heard between Hill Day events, visit the Legislative Action Center.
