Lilian M. Azzopardi
Malta Enterprise, Malta
Title: Innovations in Clinical Pharmacy Education and Research
Biography
Biography: Lilian M. Azzopardi
Abstract
Pharmacy professional services evolve over time in response to social needs and in tandem with developments in technology, regulatory and economic forces. Failure to respond and adapt may result in the profession’s loss of efficacy. Hence, innovative processes within pharmacy professional services to ensure individualized patient care are essential. Focal contributions of the pharmacists in the different healthcare delivery settings are ensuring access to medicinal products, collaboration with other healthcare professionals in disease management to ensure rational, safe and effective use of medications, risk management with pharmacotherapy, and patient advocacy. From an education perspective, the challenge is to drive academia to also move in tandem with the developments in the profession. How do we integrate pharmaceutical sciences with clinical pharmacy education? Concepts of establishing the developments in innovative medicinal products and medical devices and how these are used within an interdisciplinary care model to ensure safe, rationale and effective patient care are presented. Different methods of teaching can be adopted to ensure clinical pharmacy education that is relevant for contemporary needs and which empowers graduates to deliver care with a vision for future innovations. How can pharmacy education support the delivery of innovative pharmaceutical services for individualized patient care? Examples of activities in clinical pharmacy education and research are reviewed. Models of supporting practicing pharmacists within post-graduate education programs are presented.
