In order to promote the training of clinical pharmacists in Sichuan province and western China, propel the development of new drugs and transformation of innovations, better serve patients, and advance the high-quality development of clinical pharmacy, the inaugural meeting of the Rational Drug Use Branch, sponsored by the Sichuan International Medical Exchange & Promotion Association (SCIMEA), was successfully held on September 24, 2022 through a combination of online and offline methods.

Scene of the meeting

The inaugural meeting was attended by Ms. Zhang Mengfan, Secretary General of SCIMEA, Prof. He Jinhan from West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Prof. He Qin from the Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, Prof. Zheng Yan from the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Prof. Xiao Hongtao from Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Prof. Gan Xiaohong from Chengdu Second People's Hospital, Assoc. Prof. Huang Liang from West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University, and Assoc. Prof. Wu Fengbo from the West China Hospital of Sichuan University. In addition, due to the epidemic prevention and control, some members of the branch were unable to attend the meeting in person, but they participated in the inaugurating meeting online.

Prof. He Jinhan from West China Hospital of Sichuan University delivers a report on the preparatory work.

The first item of the inaugural meeting was a preparatory report by Professor He Jinhan, one of the initiators of the Rational Drug Use Branch of SCIMEA. Prof. He Jinhan said that Sichuan is located in the western region, where the development of clinical pharmacy is relatively slow and lags far behind the international and domestic developed regions, the technical level of clinical pharmacists is obviously differentiated, and the ability of new drug development and innovation is relatively insufficient. As the new national medical reform continues to deepen, the zero-markup drug policy is carried out and the development of clinical pharmacy discipline faces new issues, new opportunities and new challenges. However, the State Council promoted the new experience of Sanming’s medical reform, which points the way forward for the development of clinical pharmacy. West China Hospital of Sichuan University will lead the pharmacy workers in Sichuan and western China to explore the value of pharmacy, strengthen discipline construction, accelerate talent training, accelerate industrial development, and provide a continuous momentum for the development of clinical pharmacy.

Mr. Tong Yubo, Director of Academic Conference Affairs Department of SCIMEA, organizes the election.

Later, Tong Yubo, Director of Academic Conference Affairs Department of SCIMEA, organized the election of the Rational Drug Use Branch and read out the results. And the leaders at all levels of the branch were elected at the scene according to the election provisions in the Articles of Association of Sichuan International Medical Exchange & Promotion Association. As a result, Prof. He Jinhan was elected as the president of the Rational Drug Use Branch, 10 experts including Gan Xiaohong as the vice presidents, 25 experts including Du Xiao and He Miaoquan as members of the standing committee, 83 experts including Cao Xihong and Chen Bin as members, Zhang Zhiyong as the secretary general, Dai Guoyou as the deputy secretary general, and Wang Xueyan as the secretary.

Secretary General Zhang Mengfan reads out and awards the approval for the establishment of the Rational Drug Use Branch.

Secretary General Zhang Mengfan read out the “Approval for the Establishment of the Rational Drug Use Branch of Sichuan International Medical Exchange & Promotion Association”, and awarded the approval for the establishment and letter of appointment to the newly-elected president Prof. He Jinhan.

Secretary General Zhang Mengfan awards the letter of appointment to Prof. He Jinhan, president of the Rational Drug Use Branch.

President He Jinhan awards the letters of appointment to the vice presidents of the Rational Drug Use Branch.

President He Jinhan and the vice presidents awards the letters of appointment to the members of the standing committee of the Rational Drug Use Branch.

President He Jinhan awards the letters of appointment to the deputy secretary general and the secretary of the Rational Drug Use Branch.

Prof. He Jinhan, president of the Rational Drug Use Branch of SCIMEA, delivers a speech.

Prof. He Jinhan, the newly elected president of the Rational Drug Use Branch, spoke on behalf of all members of the branch, and expressed his sincere thanks to all the experts and staff who supported and helped the establishment of the Rational Drug Use Branch. He also noted that currently for the development of pharmacy, we are facing the challenge of developing original new drugs, the challenge of urgently cultivating talents with “knowledge of medicine and pharmacology”, and the challenge of high-quality innovation development of the discipline.

Prof. He Jinhan said that all members should respond to the call of the times, grasp the opportunities of the times and meet the challenges of the times. In the future, under the leadership of SCIMEA, the branch will actively carry out academic exchanges and training in the field of pharmacy to cultivate versatile and practical pharmacy talents with solid basic pharmacy theory and practical skills, continuously improve their comprehensive capabilities in clinical pharmacy management, pharmacy technical services, therapeutic drug monitoring, clinical evaluation of new drugs, etc., and promote the integrated and innovative development of pharmacy in Sichuan.

Secretary General Zhang Mengfan gives an introduction on SCIMEA.

Secretary General Zhang Mengfan of SCIMEA delivered a speech and introduced the relevant information of the SCIMEA. She also expressed her warm congratulations on behalf of the SCIMEA on the official establishment of the Rational Drug Use Branch. She introduced that SCIMEA is committed to encouraging international medical exchange and cooperation, facilitating academic exchange and discipline development, and promoting the service-based, platform-oriented industry organization that focusing on integration of industry resources and value transformation. SCIMEA will give full play to the advantages of the industry platform, and constantly match industry development resources. Moreover, SCIMEA will, based on the needs of the experts, continue to provide more professional and precise services for the experts and the Rational Drug Use Branch, jointly promote the discipline construction and clinical research of pharmacy, and contribute to the construction of a healthy Sichuan and a healthy China.

Group photo of some online members

Group photo

The Rational Drug Use Branch of SCIMEA will serve as a platform for practitioners in the field of pharmacy to exchange views and collaborate with each other, and promote multi-dimensional collaboration in clinical pharmacy talent training, continuing education, grassroots support, scientific research and innovation, project declaration, policy interpretation, and transformation of results. It will also continuously improve the overall rational drug use of clinical pharmacists and help promote the innovative and high-quality development of clinical pharmacy in western China!

Annex: Member List of Rational Drug Use Branch