SA Health Cancer Drug Committee

The SA Health Cancer Drug Committee (SAHCDC) is responsible to the South Australian Medicines Advisory Committee (SAMAC) for overseeing the development, approval and review of adult cancer therapy protocols within SA Health Hospitals.

Terms of Reference (PDF 257KB)

Role of the Committee

The scope of the SAHCDC includes adult cancer therapy protocols used in malignant haematology (for example leukaemia and myeloma) and oncology (solid tumours).

The SAHCDC provides final review and endorsement of new and updated adult cancer therapy protocols and support tools following submission by cancer services. Adult protocols are reviewed and assessed for effectiveness and suitability for endorsement using the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Evidence levels guide (PDF 195KB).

The SAHCDC also enables urgent review of ‘non-standard’ cancer therapy protocols for individual patient treatment when an endorsed protocol is not available.

Therapy protocols

Paediatric cancer therapy protocols are reviewed and approved under the Women's and Children's Health Network (WCHN) Chemotherapy Governance Committee process for use in SA Health hospitals and health services. The SAHCDC hosts the paediatric cancer therapy registers.

The approved cancer chemotherapy protocols list, SAHCDC forms and protocol template can be found on the Cancer, Haematology and Oncology web page.

Membership

Membership includes doctors, pharmacists, nurses and consumer representatives:

  • Chair — Dr Ganessan Kichenadasse, Consultant Medical Oncology Flinders Medical Centre, Clinical Pharmacologist, Lecturer Flinders University
  • Deputy Chair – Dr David Yeung, Consultant  Haematologist Royal Adelaide Hospital and SA Pathology, Clinical Senior Lecturer Adelaide University
  • Executive Sponsor - Ms Naomi Burgess, Chief Pharmacist, Clinical Systems Support and Improvement, SA Health
  • Senior Project Pharmacist - Ms Kirsty Scarborough, Principal Pharmacist, Cancer Chemotherapy, SA Health
  • Consumer Representative, Ms Karen van Gorp
  • Central Adelaide Local Health Network representatives
    • Haematologist - Dr Uwe Hahn
    • Oncologist - Dr Rachel Roberts-Thomson
    • Pharmacist - Ms Davina Gillard
    • Nurse Practitioner - Ms Nicole Loft
  • Southern Adelaide Local Health Network representatives
    • Haematologist - Dr Peng Lee
    • Oncologist - A/Prof Chris Karapetis
    • Pharmacist - Ms Helen Martin
    • Nurse – Michael Fitzgerald
  • Northern Adelaide Local Health Network representatives
    • Oncologist - Dr Chris Hocking
    • Haematologist - Dr Ka Chun (Stanley) Cheung
    • Pharmacist - Mr Chen-Yao (Marcus) Hung
    • Nurse – Vacant
  • Regional LHNs representatives
    • Oncologist - Dr Kate Wislang
    • Pharmacist - Ms Hayley Vasileff
    • Nurse - Ms Helen Phillips
    • Haematologist  — Dr Danielle Blunt
  • Women’s and Children’s Health Network representatives
    • Oncologist - Dr Ben Saxon
    • Pharmacist - Ms Cassandra Mosel
    • Nurse - Vacant
  • eCPS — Ms Bel Morris (non-voting)