A dedicated Oncology Pharmacy for children with cancer is now open and operating at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, with Children’s Cancer Foundation supporters contributing $250,000 towards its delivery.
The pharmacy opened in May 2026 as the Bodman Cancer Centre for Children officially opened in the Wattle Building. It is dedicated solely to children’s cancer care and sits right beside the outpatient clinic, so children can collect their medicines straight after their appointment, with no separate trip to the main hospital pharmacy.
A journey like Ashton’s means many appointments and many complex medicines, each carefully measured and precisely timed. The new pharmacy was created with children like him in mind, because every day counts, and so does every dose.
For families, those few steps matter more than they might seem. Ashton was diagnosed with leukaemia at just five days old. After months of chemotherapy, a relapse, a life-saving bone marrow transplant, and 300 days in hospital, he was declared cancer free, and today he’s four.
Inside the pharmacy, robotic dispensing and AI-assisted precision dosing help the team prepare complex cancer medicines accurately and safely.
About 40 children visit the Centre’s outpatient service each day, with around 200 new cancer diagnoses every year. Every one of them now has access to the new pharmacy.
With new childhood cancer cases in NSW projected to rise from 224 in 2016 to 264 in 2031, the need is growing. A dedicated oncology pharmacy helps the hospital keep pace.
The oncology pharmacy is the latest example of the Children’s Cancer Foundation’s national impact. Since 1992, the Foundation has invested more than $78 million in research, treatment and family support. It partners with leading hospitals and research institutes, invests in research through Children’s Cancer CoLab, and funds national family counselling and fertility preservation for children and families across Australia.
“This pharmacy means families can collect their child’s medicines just steps from the clinic, prepared with the precision that complex cancer treatment demands. It exists because our supporters gave and believed in a better future for these children. On behalf of every family it will help, thank you.“
To everyone who has donated, fundraised, or shared the Foundation’s work – we thank you. This pharmacy is what your generosity looks like in action, giving clinicians the tools they need to deliver the best care to children with cancer, every day and with every dose.
Copyright 2026 Children's Cancer Foundation
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