For three days, community pharmacists from Ibero-American countries gathered in Lisbon for the 2nd SOCFIC Congress of Ibero-American Community Pharmacy. It was three days of reflection and sharing of experiences and knowledge.

The “willingness to build a common path, with agreed protocols and standardized procedures” is, for Teresa Almeida, member of ANF’s Board and SOCFIC member, the main highlight of the congress. “We gain from joint learning and can all collaborate to have a stronger community pharmacy dedicated to people, because we share common challenges,” explained Teresa Almeida.

It was in the meeting of different realities, latitudes, and pharmacy models that the event gained, according to the congress president, Carlos Maurício Barbosa, “great symbolism”. “Although Portugal and Spain have exemplary pharmacy models, other countries are making an extraordinary path of development, such as Brazil and Argentina. We want good examples to inspire the others,” stated Carlos Maurício Barbosa.

Regardless of what separates those who traveled to Lisbon for this important moment for the sector, everyone shares “a common ambition: to promote the clinical and care pharmacist, increasingly closer to people,” emphasized Carlos Maurício Barbosa.

“Community Pharmacy: more answers to health challenges” was the theme guiding the 2nd Congress of the Scientific-Professional Society of Ibero-American Community Pharmacy (SOCFIC), held at the headquarters of ANF and the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society from November 6 to 8.

SOCFIC president Jesús Gómez explained that the choice of theme reflects the growing demand for pharmaceutical services by communities. “People live longer, want to live better, and health challenges are increasingly complex. Pharmacists are already responding to these challenges, and we must work together with other health professionals to keep doing so,” said Jesús Gómez.

The "good example" of Portuguese community pharmacies

For the congress president, Carlos Maurício Barbosa, Portugal is “a good example” in the sector, thanks to its path of proximity to people. Jesús Gómez, SOCFIC president, considers that “Portugal, along with Spain, leads aspects of professional services strongly focused on people’s health.”

The Portuguese case was in the spotlight at the 2nd SOCFIC Congress. ANF president Ema Paulino presented the progress of community pharmacy in the country, emphasizing the legislative changes of 2007 and its role during the pandemic.

Later, pharmaceutical services in Portugal were the focus of a session featuring Ana Tenreiro, ANF Board member; António Teixeira Rodrigues, ANF’s Director of Health Solutions and Evidence; and family physician João Braga Simões.

Ana Tenreiro highlighted the “extremely important” role of pharmacies during the pandemic and the benefits of their intervention in minor clinical situations.

António Teixeira Rodrigues emphasized pharmacies’ contribution to equity and innovation in health, particularly through clinical trials. “In Portugal, we fail to recruit half of the patients planned for clinical trials. Pharmacies can play an essential role both in initial screening and in monitoring throughout the trials,” noted António Teixeira Rodrigues.

Finally, physician João Braga Simões advocated for greater coordination between primary healthcare and community pharmacies, reiterating the importance of “direct dialogue between both” to achieve better health outcomes.

At the closing of the congress, ANF was awarded the recognition of “Best Communication in All Thematic Areas” for the work “Design and effectiveness of a collaborative intervention between family medicine and community pharmacists for deprescribing proton pump inhibitors, potentially inappropriate in older adults living in the community”, authored by Sónia Romano, António Teixeira Rodrigues, João Braga Simões, Luís Monteiro, Nuno Lunet, and Julian Perelman.

Among the awarded oral communications, the work “Helicobacter pylori: collaborative opportunistic screening program in community pharmacy for gastric cancer prevention”, presented by Paula Teixeira, also stood out.

These awards reinforce the role of community pharmacy as an essential agent in promoting public health and the importance of integration among healthcare professionals.