News

23 February 2005
First 2005 seminar for European Pharmacists Forum

The European Pharmacists Forum held its first seminar of 2005 on 22 and 23 February in Paris. Discussions at the meeting focused on:

• Partnership programmes between pharmacists and homecare providers, helping the elderly and chronically-ill remain in their own homes while receiving care;
• Initiatives to support pharmacists introducing diabetes services for patients.

During the seminar, Ornella Barra, Group Services Director of Alliance UniChem, announced that Turkey had approached the EPF wishing to become a member of the Forum, and would shortly become the ninth country to be represented. Two delegates from Turkey are expected to attend the next seminar, to be held in the Netherlands on 27-28 June 2005.

The Forum also organized a Round Table debate on the evening of 22 February on "Future scenarios for dispensing pharmacies". Participants included Jean-Etienne Martineau, President of the European Pharmacists Forum; Ornella Barra, Group Services Director of Alliance UniChem; Jean-Louis Méry, President and Managing Director of Alliance Santé; Philippe Lieberman, Vice-President of FSPF (Féderation des Syndicats des Pharmaciens de France); Claude Japhet, President of UNPF (Union Nationale des Pharmacies de France); Bernard Lemoine, Managing Director of LEEM (Les Entreprises du Médicament); and Gérard Raymond, Vice-President of AFD (Diabetes Association of France); as well as Jean-Jacques des Moutis, President of the French Council of Pharmacists in the Ile de France region. The Round Table, which was moderated by Olivier Robichon, chief editor of the journal "Prescriptions Santé" was attended by a large number of pharmacists, industry representatives and journalists.

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