OIPCX kicks off at OCEC

Oman International Pharmacy Congress and Exhibition is a platform for developing the pharmacy profession and a forum for exchanging experiences

Muscat: The activities of the Oman International Pharmacy Congress and Exhibition (OIPCX), organized by the Ministry of Health, represented by the General Directorate of Medical Supply, began today at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center (OCEC), and will continue for 3 days with local, regional and international participation under the patronage of His Excellency Dr. Hilal bin Ali Al Sabti, Minister of Health.

Pharmacist Ibrahim bin Nasser Al Rashidi, Director General of Medical Supply at the Ministry of Health and Chairman of the Congress, delivered the opening speech, during which he pointed out that the Oman International Pharmacy Congress and Exhibition is considered one of the important scientific events in the region to develop the pharmacy profession, and a forum for exchanging experiences with the presence of a distinguished elite of speakers and experts in various fields to achieve comprehensive development of the health sector and achieve Oman Vision 2040.

He said that Congress in its current session is distinguished by its new form in terms of comprehensive coverage of various fields of pharmacy, starting with pharmaceutical education, supply chains, legislation and laws regulating pharmaceutical practice to patient-centered pharmaceutical care, as it is an important platform for all professionals and decision-makers working in the health field in general and in… The field of pharmacy in particular, to learn about the latest developments and technologies used in the field.

He stated that the Congress includes training courses that hone the skills of health personnel, including doctors, pharmacists, and health practitioners. To monitor and follow up on the management of shortages of medicines and medical supplies in cooperation with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), and leadership skills in the field of supply chains and procurement in cooperation with the International Purchasing and Supply Institute, and in order to strengthen the efforts of the General Directorate of Medical Supply in the field of supply chains. It will also contract with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the International Purchasing and Supply Institute to obtain professional certifications and establish an effective supply shortage management system.

The Director General of Medical Supply at the Ministry of Health stated that the development in the field of research and development has led to the creation of medicines similar to biological medicines (biosimilars) that provide treatment options for many diseases. Within this framework, Congress includes a special axis on the safe use of biological medicines and biosimilars with the participation of leading international organizations. in the field.

Dr. Paul Bush – Vice President for Global Resource Development and Consulting at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists – gave a lecture entitled “It Takes a Multidisciplinary Team to Manage Drug Shortages,” during which he reviewed the concept of the term drug shortage, events that affect drug supplies, and characterization. Current drug shortages by category, how drug shortages are managed, and the impact of drug shortages on inpatients.

The conference bears the slogan “Shaping the future of pharmaceutical services,” guided by the pillars of Oman Vision 2040, the Health Outlook 2050, the Sustainable Development Goals, the World Health Organization’s program of action on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases and the global agreement to move forward towards achieving universal health coverage.

The conference witnesses the attendance of more than 1,000 participants from health personnel, including pharmacists, doctors, nurses, and pharmacist assistants from various health institutions in the various governorates of the Sultanate of Oman, in addition to other participants from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, other international participants, and officials from various advanced international organizations in the field of pharmaceutical practice. 95 international, Gulf and local speakers will lecture at the conference, during which 105 working papers on the latest developments in pharmaceutical practice will be discussed, distributed over 14 workshops and two dialogue sessions, in addition to a review of 42 scientific posters prepared by health practitioners and students of colleges of pharmacy.

The conference activities began this morning with a dialogue session on empowering and shaping the future of pharmaceutical education, and several workshops, including a workshop on the medical system’s methodology for managing drug shortages, drug safety practices in the Gulf countries, laws regulating medical devices, and the most important international quality standards and regulatory requirements to ensure maximum benefit to patients. At the conclusion of the opening ceremony, His Excellency the Minister of Health, the patron of the occasion, toured the accompanying exhibition, in which many of the most important and largest international companies manufacturing medicines and medical devices, and the leading pharmacies in the Sultanate of Oman, in addition to the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, participated, and reviewed the latest products in the field of medicines and the provision of pharmaceutical information.