ShareKUWAIT: The first Kuwait Pharmaceutical Advancement Exhibition and Conference (KPAC), organized by the Kuwait Pharmaceutical Association (KUPHA), kicked off on Sunday, focusing on the advanced role of pharmacy practice in Kuwait. KPAC aimed to “ensure representation of all pharmacy sectors in Kuwait, highlight career opportunities for all pharmacists, continue professional development for pharmacists, and improve patient care in all pharmacy sectors.”
In a statement to KUNA, Chairman of KPAC Dr. Ahmad Taqi said that this conference is the first of its kind to include all sectors under the umbrella of pharmacy. In turn, Dr. Farah Al-Enezi, co-chairwoman of KPAC, said, “The conference aims to bring all pharmacists together” and is seeking to be recognized and ranked among the leading worldwide scientific conferences to network and share updated information related to pharmacy.
Pharmacists at the Kuwait Minister of Health (MoH) and KPAC organizer Ph. Dana Al-Aynati explained that this conference “is by pharmacists for pharmacists,” and “the organizers and photographers are also pharmacists.” The topics discussed in the conference centered on innovative developments regarding healthcare in pharmacy practice, ranging from pharmacy education to updated clinical guidelines.
The lectures, by renowned pharmacists and researchers in this field, were carefully selected to highlight the diverse challenges and strategies concerning clinical pharmacy, toxicology, drug supervision, and manufacturing. Local and global speakers participated in this conference, sharing their research and data with attendees through workshops, exhibitions, and other educational programs offered at the event. Kuwait University faculty member Dr. Maryam Al-Owayesh’s lecture discussed “Cost of Illness Studies” in Kuwait, where the field of pharma-coeconomics focuses on the economic and financial magnitude of an illness or disease.
Pharma-coeconomics quantifies the expenses of the disease, which will aid in forecasting the needed budget for that specific disease, she explained. In his lecture “A Closer Look at the Current Status of Drug Manufacturing in Kuwait,” Dr. Rashed Khazal, chairperson and manager of Kuwait Saudi Pharmaceuticals Industries Company, talked about the ambitious and opportune future of drug manufacturing in Kuwait. Whereas Director of Drug Inspection Administration at Kuwait MoH Dr. Reem Al-Essa’s lecture, “Pharmacy Inspection Process in Kuwait,” discussed the meticulous inspection and pharmacovigilance processes in the region.
The workshops offered include Practical Scenarios for Warfarin Dosing and Monitoring by Dr. Asmaa Al-Buloushi, Pharmacy Care Services for Older Adults by Mariam Al-Haddad, An Introduction to Kuwait’s Poison Control by Dr. Abdullatif Al-Oumi, and much more. Researchers from Kuwait University, local hospitals, visiting and local pharmacists, members of KUPHA, pharmacy students, and associations participated and attended the two-day workshops and conference. — KUNA
