Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and President of Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has officially inaugurated the 25th edition of the Dubai International Pharmaceuticals and Technologies Conference and Exhibition – DUPHAT, the biggest pharmaceutical event in the Middle East North Africa region, dedicated to pharmacy professionals, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. 

 

Running until February 27, 2020, DUPHAT, brings together top pharmacy professionals, researchers, academicians and industry executives under one roof, with the aim of exploring and exchanging knowledge about the latest breakthroughs, new advances in drug design and research as well as focus on the most important issues facing the industry. 

 

Following the official opening ceremony, Sheikh Hamdan along with a number of senior healthcare officials from the government and private sector, leading pharmacy professionals, top pharma experts and key decision makers in the industry, toured the exhibition area, where the delegation was briefed about how new research is enabling superior drug research and how new technology advances are proving helpful in designing top pharmaceutical products.  

 

Commenting on the launch of the 25th edition of DUPHAT, Dr Ali Al Sayed Hussain, Conference Chairman, DUPHAT, said: “Today, the profession of pharmacy is witnessing fundamental transformation with increasing push towards greater automation, robotics and upgradation of high-quality services. With so many updates in the healthcare fraternity, influx of new technologies and availability of state-of-the-art infrastructure, it is immensely important that pharmacy professionals enhance their knowledge and keep themselves up-to-date with the latest trends and practices in pharmacy.”

 

He added: “Keeping this in mind, DUPHAT 2020 conference and exhibition presents a comprehensive agenda specifically designed for the benefit of attending pharma professionals and a key focus on the most critical topics facing pharmacists and key decision makers in the field of pharmacy as well as the presence of biggest pharma brands from the region and the world. We are confident that DUPHAT as the largest pharmaceutical educational platform in the region, will serve the needs and the demands of the industry and help in building a roadmap for the future of pharmacy.”

 

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Abdul Salam Al Madani, Executive Chairman of the DUPHAT Conference and Exhibition said: “Today, we recognise the need to develop healthcare services and achieve accessible and affordable care and safety for all members of our society as the basis for the social and economic development of our countries. Here, we intend to highlight the importance of activating the role of pharmaceutical services in the prevention and safety of our communities from diseases. At DUPHAT, it is important for us to focus on educating pharmacists and provide them with highly specialised scientific and technical knowledge in addition to introducing them to the latest advances and developments in the pharmaceutical industry. DUPHAT is the leading pharmaceutical scientific platform for discussing such ideas that advance the field of pharmacy and brainstorm about the future of this very important field of medicine.”

 

He added: “Over the next few days, DUPHAT is expected to attract over 33,000 visitors and participants from 75 countries including the USA, UK, China, Pakistan, India, France, Germany, South Korea, Egypt, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Mena region while the conference witnessed the presence of 156 speakers from the region and across the globe, who share their experiences and expertise with visitors and participants. In addition, the conference is featuring 171 scientific sessions focusing on the most critical scientific topics in pharmacy, while 840 poster presentations and 22 workshops are showcasing the latest research in pharmaceutical sciences. We hope that the DUPHAT Conference and Exhibition will achieve its objectives in developing the pharmaceutical sector and helping participants, specialists and doctors in their respective fields of expertise in pharmacy.

 

On the first day, DUPHAT 2020 presented a rich comprehensive conference programme focusing on key scientific topics related to the latest in pharmaceutical sciences such as ‘Pharmacogenomics and Personalised Medicine: It’s all in the genes?’, ‘Drug Shortages: Causes and Management’, ‘How the Pharmaceutical Epidemiology Inspire Today Pharmacy Advancement’, ‘Latest Trends that have advanced Pharm care/Pharm Practice’ and ‘Design and analysis of multi-country, multi-database pharmacoepidemiologic studies among a few others.

 

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of DUPHAT main conference, a special pharma gathering related to the latest rules and regulations in pharmacy and patient safety such as ‘Patient Support is a True Commitment’, ‘Patient Services and Patient Support Beyond a Job’ and ‘The Importance of Community Involvement and the Impact of Research’ among others. In addition, the Saudi Conference Programme taking place on the sidelines of the main conference focused on specialised topics in pharmacy such as ‘Acute Kidney injury: Guide to diagnosis and management’, ‘Updates in diabetes management: Focus on the recent ADA recommendations’ and ‘Reasons for and against prescribing pharmacist’ to name a few. 

 

On the other hand, on the first day at DUPHAT 2020, 2 workshops were held under the title ‘Empowering Pharmacists for New Roles in Direct Patient Care Utilising Point of Care Diagnostics’ and ‘The Pharmacist as the Key Player in Securing Drug Safety and Quality’. 

 

Furthermore, DUPHAT conference attendees will get a chance to receive 32.25 CME credit points accredited by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and 22 CME points from The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA). In addition, attendees can also avail an opportunity to interact with the top pharmaceutical experts and learn about the future trends in the pharma market.  

 

With the aim of catering to the needs of the pharmaceutical industry, the DUPHAT exhibition occupying an overall space of 25,200 square meters offered 790 participating brands from across the region and the world, a great opportunity to showcase their pharmaceutical products and technologies while also giving them a chance to interact with key industry professionals within the local pharmaceutical market. In addition, DUPHAT OTC provided pharma companies that specialise in ‘Over-The-Counter’ products a platform to showcase OTC consumer health products, that are driving the growth of this niche area in pharmacy. 

 

Additionally, DUPHAT -Tech on the sidelines of DUPHAT 2020, presents upstream and midstream pharmaceutical manufacturers from a number of distinct areas of pharmacy such as R & D, Processing and Packaging Machineries, Quality Control, Medical Coding, Labeling and Storage and Logistics, a chance to showcase the nuances of the entire pharma manufacturing supply chain. 

 

Considering the huge scope and demand for business expansion in the pharma industry, the DUPHAT Hosted Buyers Programme ‘Pharma Business Hub’ allows key decision makers, potential buyers, suppliers and manufacturers in the pharma sector to arrange 571 pre-arranged One-to-One B2B Meetings with top DUPHAT exhibitors and explore future business collaboration opportunities in the region.

 

DUPHAT is organised annually by INDEX Conferences and Exhibitions – a member of INDEX Holding in strategic partnership with General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), Dubai Health Authority (DHA), American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology, European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences and European Society of Clinical Pharmacy. -- Tradearabia News Service