Improving Access to International Collaboration - Review of PharmAlliance Week 2021
20 January 2022
PharmAlliance’s annual conference, held virtually in 2021, drew more than 400 attendances over 10 sessions promoting science and new ideas in pharmacy practice, education, and research.
PharmAlliance is a strategic, international partnership between three top-10 schools of pharmacy in the world. The Partnership holds an annual week-long conference to bring new ideas, space for discussion, and opportunity for collaboration to faculty, staff, and students at UCL School of Pharmacy, Monash University Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.
In 2021, the annual PharmAlliance Week was again hosted virtually. This virtual format has significant benefits including improved accessibility and inclusivity, however. PharmAlliance Week drew more than 400 attendances over 10 unique sessions in pharmacy practice, education, and research. The sessions featured 43 faculty and staff presenters and 19 student presenters, representing diverse perspectives and science.
Research Domain-hosted events included two neuroscience-themed research seminars highlighting cutting edge research from 12 scientists among the Partnership. Additionally, the Research Domain hosted the annual Graduate Research E-Symposium, which gave 17 graduate students the chance to promote their science and practice effective communication skills.
The Education Domain hosted three events during PharmAlliance Week 2021, focused on pharmacy education research, academic integrity, and global community development. Participants were able to learn about and participate in ongoing, collaborative research into the core concepts that underpin pharmacy and pharmacology. Additionally, Education Domain leadership hosted a discussion-based masterclass on academic integrity and a crowd-sourced session on tips and tricks for research in pharmacy education.
The Practice Domain also incorporated global community development into their two sessions for PharmAlliance Week 2021. Their first session, “Great Debates in Pharmacy Practice,” provided space for clinicians and academics to discuss topics in medication safety and sustainable reimbursement models, as well as the pharmacist’s role in disease states like behavioural health, aged care, and substance use disorder. These discussions helped further the Domain’s understanding of topics of interest for future Policy Pulse on Practice editions. In their second session, emerging research was presenting on the intersection of digital health and pharmacy practice by three esteemed researchers within the Partnership.
Finally, a new effort was launched during PharmAlliance Week 2021 – The PharmAlliance Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement. The Statement includes a mission, vision, community guidelines, and commitments intended to improve quality, accessibility, and inclusivity of PharmAlliance events and initiatives. During the launch session, feedback was collected from PharmAlliance Week participants on the Statement itself and how the Partnership addresses diversity, equity, and inclusion at baseline.
Further information:
- PharmAlliance
- About PharmAlliance
- First edition of Policy Pulse on Practice, focused on the COVID-19 pandemic
- Follow us on Twitter - @PhrmAlliance
- Monash University Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
- UCL School of Pharmacy
- UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy
Contact:
Caroline Sasser, PharmAlliance Programme Coordinator