The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, (SEHA), the UAE’s largest healthcare network, successfully concluded the first SEHA International Clinical Pharmacy Conference earlier this month, held in partnership with the University of California in San Diego,USA. The two-day virtual event highlighted the impact of COVID-19 on frontline workers, clinical pharmacists and pharmacists, discussed recent innovations in the clinical and pharmaceutical industries, as well as created aknowledge-sharing platform for further medical opportunities and collaborations.
In its biggest year yet, over 4,200 participants from 35 countries attended the conference which provided delegates with an opportunity to hear and meet key leaders at the forefront of the pharmacy industry. The conference, which was virtually hosted from Abu Dhabi, brought together world class leaders,as well as top medical personnel, from all around the world, such as clinical pharmacists, pharmacists, physicians, nurses, pharmacy students and industry representatives. Speakers from the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Egypt, United Kingdom, and the United States addressed the conference and share their experiences with the audience.
Commenting on the success of the event and its importance for the industry, Dr. Anwar Sallam, Group Chief Medical Officer, SEHA, said: “The transformation of healthcare worldwide is redefining the roles of providers and bringing recognition to the value each member brings to the team. By striving to maintain industry standards, adopt best-practice in patient care, and provide the very best care to those who walk through our doors, pharmacists form an instrumental part of the patient journey, and our ambition throughout this conference, has been to equip pharmacists from across the globe with the right knowledge, resources, and tools, to be able to bring the best of themselves to the forefront of patient care.”
Under the theme of “Supporting the community and advancing the profession”, the conference took a deep dive into the current state of clinical pharmacy, where the SEHA scientific committee prepared a comprehensive high-quality program featuring respected international and local renowned speakers. The event explored the current challenges in pharmacy practice, illustrated transformation of patient access to pharmacy services and promoted excellence in pharmacy practice, research and education. The successful launch of the virtual event was instrumental in the dissemination of the latest insights, knowledge and expertise derived from recent research.
Speaking about the success of this year’s event,Dr. Zain Al Yafei, Conference President, Director SEHA Pharmacy and Allies Health, said:“The participation of 4,200 delegates signifies the importance of Clinical Pharmacy within the medical community and how invaluable the SEHA International Clinical Pharmacy Conference has been in initiating and strengthening collaboration and knowledge exchange. The content provided during this conference, hosted from our Emirate of Abu Dhabi, will benefit healthcare professionals and patients around the globe.”
Dr. Waiel Al Naeem, Conference Chair, Director, SEHA Pharmacy Residency Program, Clinical Pharmacy Manager, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC),added: “The conference was a momentous event filled with fruitful discussion about the current state-of-the-art advances in the clinical pharmacy practice, with a focus on how innovations, advanced pharmacy education and patient centered care can improve medication therapy outcomes. We are extremely proud of the huge success of this year’s conference, in partnership with the University of California San Diego, and how it has firmly cemented its place within the international clinical pharmacy calendar.”
The annual SEHA International Clinical Pharmacy Conference is a testament to University of California San Diego and SEHA’s scientific committees continued collaborative efforts in delivering the highest quality health education opportunities. The two entities will continue working in close partnership for knowledge exchange and training as healthcare continues to evolve.
