The 2022 ACCP Global Conference on Clinical Pharmacy was held from Oct 15 through 18 at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square, USA. This was a physical conference that was much awaited after 3 years. I was humbled to be given the opportunity to represent Singapore to speak at this international conference, my first in the capacity as President, 116th Council PSS.

Pharmacists from Hong Kong SAR, Malta, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States of America

I spoke on the “Digital Transformation of Clinical Pharmacy Services in Singapore” in the symposium track “Advances in Clinical Pharmacy Practice Around the World”. This track was crafted to provide conference delegates with updates on the status of clinical pharmacy practice and practice innovations in the Middle East (UAE) and Asia. There were 2 other speakers namely Assoc Prof Bassam Atallah who spoke on the clinical pharmacy practice at Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi and Assoc Prof Lin Shu-Wen who spoke on the monitoring of antifungal therapy in Taiwan. The session was moderated by Prof Jerry L Bauman, Dean Emeritus and Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, Chicago, Illinois. The conference provided an excellent platform for us to share how clinical pharmacy practice had progressed and training required for the provision of the clinical pharmacy services in our respective countries. There were also 3 additional symposium tracks added in view that this was a global ACCP conference: (1) Clinical Pharmacy Education and Training: Global Perspectives, (2) Global Community Clinical Pharmacy Practice and (3) Global Clinical Pharmacy Innovations.

From Left to Right: Dr Vivianne Shih, Prof Jerry L Bauman, Assoc Prof Lin Shu-Wen, Assoc Prof Bassam Atallah, Prof Alan Lau (Professor and Director, International Clinical Pharmacy Education, University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy, Chicago, Illinois, USA)

At the conference, there was a separate international delegate reception held where pharmacists could relax, network and explore potential collaborations to advance clinical pharmacy practice. For pharmacists who wish to connect with focused groups of clinical pharmacists to enhance professional support and collaboration, they could attend the numerous ACCP Practice and Research Networks (PRNs) events held during the conference.

This was a fulfilling conference. Besides being updated on the latest in pharmacotherapy, it was also nourishing for the heart – to be able to meet like-minded passionate pharmacists from around the world and to establish long-lasting friendships and network.

By Dr Vivianne Shih, President, 116th Council PSS