Pharm to Table: Serving up BMT and Cellular Therapy Education for Nurses

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and cellular therapies are advancing rapidly, creating increasingly complex responsibilities for oncology nurses and interdisciplinary teams. Ongoing, structured education is critical to ensure safe, evidence-based care and to support professional development for staff involved in cellular therapy. This need was especially critical at our public, safety- net hospital, with a brand-new cellular therapy program and autologous transplant program. To support the successful implementation and meet annual education requirements outlined by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT), a pharmacist -led monthly educational series was developed. This initiative aimed to build foundational knowledge, boost staff confidence amongst oncology nurses, and promote interdisciplinary collaboration in the delivery of complex cellular therapies. The series is offered monthly in a hybrid format to optimize accessibility. Topics are selected based on staff requests, clinical practice changes, and emerging literature. Topics include HSCT workup, conditioning regimens, infection prophylaxis, post-transplant complications, cytokine release syndrome (CRS), immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), and CAR T-cell therapies. Sessions are led by pharmacists with invited interdisciplinary speakers as appropriate and incorporate institution-specific considerations, such as addressing social barriers to care. Continuing medical education (CME) credit is provided for applicable sessions. The series contributed to positive clinical outcomes, supporting 79 apheresis collections with no adverse events and 26 cellular infusions without delays or complications. It also fulfilled FACT's annual educational requirements, ensuring regulatory compliance. Preliminary feedback has been positive, with staff reporting improved understanding of complex concepts along with increased confidence in applying knowledge in practice. The pharmacy-led perspective has been highlighted as valuable in bridging medication knowledge with nursing care. CME credit availability supported participation and professional development. This initiative demonstrates that pharmacist-led education is feasible, impactful, and adaptable across oncology settings. Future directions include expanding content areas, incorporating case-based learning, and evaluating ongoing practice impact.