Press Release: 00.00h Monday 3rd November 2014
Medicines
have powerful effects to help patients. However medicines also have the
potential to cause powerful harmful effects. Education on how to ensure safe
and effective use of medicines is therefore vitally important for patients and
health services.
Sub-Saharan countries supported by the International Union of
Pharmacology, and led by Professor Douglas Oliver and Professor Christiaan
Brink, from South Africa, both of whom will be speaking at the meeting.The 3
major themes of the symposium are: educating health professionals in safe and
effective use of medicines; regulating drugs, including pharmacovigilance and
quality of medicines, reducing harm from high risk medicines and in patients
with high risk conditions.
An
International Symposium on Medicines and Patient Safety is being held in
Kigali, Rwanda at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) on
Wednesday 5th November 2014, followed by an international videoconference on
Prescribing Skills and on Pharmacovigilance on Thursday 6th November with
contributors from the UK and the WHO. The meeting will include talks on
medicines and communicable and non-communicable diseases by national and
international clinical and policy experts from Rwanda, South Africa, USA and
the UK.
The
Symposium is being held in partnership with Pharmacology for Africa, a
consortium of 8
Sub-Saharan countries supported by the International Union of
Pharmacology, and led by Professor Douglas Oliver and Professor Christiaan
Brink, from South Africa, both of whom will be speaking at the meeting.The 3
major themes of the symposium are: educating health professionals in safe and
effective use of medicines; regulating drugs, including pharmacovigilance and
quality of medicines, reducing harm from high risk medicines and in patients
with high risk conditions.
Speakers
will discuss ways to reduce risk from medicines for treating children and
expectant mothers, preventing disorders of the heart and stroke, and for
treating cancer, retroviral disease and kidney disease. There will also be
round table discussions not only on prescribed medicines, but also on the risks
of over-the-counter and traditional medicines.
Pharmacist
Dr Kayumba said: “The Symposium is timely in building on strategy in Rwanda on
pharmacovigilance and on developing our undergraduate and postgraduate
educational systems for good practice in use of medicines.”
Physician Dr
Musabeyezu added: “The Symposium will also provide important updates for
doctors, pharmacists and nurses from Referrral and District Hospitals from
throughout Rwanda on reducing risk of harm from high risk medicines often used
for high risk diseases”.
Clinical
Pharmacologist Professor Singer noted: “Partnership with Pharmacology for
Africa brings important opportunities to improve patient health and safety
through engaging with a wide range of international experts in education,
training, clinical practice and research aimed at best practice in use of
medicines.
The
symposium is supported by the World Health Organisation, Pharmacology for
Africa, the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, Partners in
Health, the Rwanda Social Security Board and the University of Rwanda College
of Medicine and Health Sciences
Information
for Editors
For further
information, including to arrange an interview with the organisers, and for a
press pass to attend the symposium on 5th November 2014, email ISMPS@gmail.com
