From the President: PSA at the FIP World Congress in Seville, Spain … next year Brisbane!

Opinion
By
Dr Fei Sim FPS BPharm (Hons) PhD FHEA GAICD FPS
-
Dr Fei Sim FPS BPharm (Hons) PhD FHEA GAICD FPS

I have just returned from FIP’s World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Seville, where PSA CEO Mark Kinsela, PSA Senior Pharmacist Peter Guthrey and I met and connected with inspiring leaders from around the world, sharing our experiences throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and all that has come since.

We were all very proud to boast the achievements of Australian pharmacists – from the more than 8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines delivered in community pharmacies, through to the hard work of our pharmacists in developing the new Guideline for pharmacists supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with medicines management, so that we can all deliver the best care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.

As we are still facing the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must take the opportunity to create more comprehensive plans to better manage health crises that may be on the horizon.

It is our responsibility as a global community of pharmacy leaders to review our shared experiences and search for solutions to advance the well-being of global communities.

FIP has elected Paul Sinclair AM MPS as their next President, the first Australian to hold the role. I am very excited to work with Paul and the FIP team to strengthen our international engagement and make a global impact. I’m also excited to announce that FIP 2023 will be hosted in Brisbane, Queensland – bringing the World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences to Australia for the first time in 20 years.

This will be an opportunity for Australian pharmacists to connect with international pharmacy leaders like never before, right here on our own shores. 

The PSA is proud to be playing a significant role in bringing FIP 2023 to Brisbane, and to show the world the hard work and dedication of pharmacists around Australia across all practice settings.

I would like to acknowledge FIP Vice- President Professor Parisa Aslani FPS as Chair of the consortium and key driver of FIP Brisbane. More information is coming soon about how to get involved.