Day 6: Tue 26 Sep - Brisbane

12-27 degC, windy

An earlier start at the congress venue today, 9am. Jane and Sylvain chaired a session they didn't even know they were chairing up until a few days before the congress. It was titled Plenary Session - Humanitarian crises: Challenges, opportunities and sustainable solutions. Three humanitarian pharmacists gave presentations. At the end of the session a couple of humanitarian pharmacists asked how they, the humanitarians, could divorce themselves from MEPS as they see the military as the cause of all the conflicts in the world. They tried this about five years ago and were told to get back in their boxes. We'll see how this attempt goes. 

After morning tea, it was back into the classroom for another session: The humanitarian face of pharmacy - How can we facilitate the pharmacist response? There were two speakers and a panel discussion during this session.

After each filling a plate with lunch, the MEPS Board members met for the annual board meeting. This went for almost two hours as we discussed various items of interest. After the meeting I stuck around and liaised with others.

It was then back to the apartment to change clothes for the American reception at the same venue we had our meet and greet. It was a great night old and new friends. It was a relatively early night.

No pictures.

Day 5: Mon 25 Sep - Brisbane

16-24 degC, windy

After a little sleep-in, breakfast, and congress admin, I went over to the BCEC for mornos then had a wander and a chat with various people.

I was given a personal invitation to attend a lunch time session on a new specialty practice - surgical pharmacy. The session was sponsored by the GuangDong Pharmaceutical Association who, in 2018 created the speciality. They recognised that surgical pharmacists play a unique role in clinical practice, and can have an even more unique knowledge system within the surgical team. The presentations given were interesting and told of the ways in which pharmacists, when integrated into the surgical team, can reduce post-surgical morbidity and drug wastage.

Time for a comfort break before attending the first MEPS session titled Rapid Fire Session from selected oral abstracts. Four people were chosen to give a seven minute overview of their poster. All four were very topical and interesting. All of them could have been a normal presentation of 15-20 minutes.

Back to the apartment to change for the MEPS dinner that was at Stanley restaurant at Howard Smith Wharves (HSW). FIP had arranged with Brisbane City Council for a number of free ferries to get everyone from Southbank to HSW which saved a lot of hassle. We had the upstairs part of the restaurant and it was very cosy indeed. It has a low ceiling and that had no noise dampeners, so with 54 people inside, it was a tad noisy. The drinks and food menus were extensive and no-one left feeling underfed, even the vegetarians and those that do not eat seafood, nor under-hydrated. 

We decided it would be quicker if we walked to the next ferry stop to catch the last free ferry of the evening. However, we then had to wait about 15 minutes before it came along as it was held up at HSW for some reason. By the time I got back to my apartment, it was about 12:15am. For the first time in a long time, I didn't shower before bed, I just put my PJs on and went to sleep.

My personalised invitation

The rapid fire presenters with the Chair of the session: L-R: Lucas, Precious, Suzanna, Yasutaro, Petra

On the way to Howard Smith Wharves

Front row (L-R): Precious, me, Ulf

2nd row: Matthias, Ann, Jane

3rd row: Silke and Arne

Upstairs at Stanley

Dale, Kara, Julie, Steve, Jane

?, Steve, ?, Samantha, Kara

Chloe, Aden, Will, ?, ?, ?

Catherine, Issabelle, ?, ?, ?, ?, Chloe, Aden, Will, ?, Mel, Suzanna, Ina, Petra

Nita, Peter, Zheng-yu, Yasutaro, Mark, Eiko, Barbara, Angie, ?, Judith, Gordon

Lucas, Mark, Eiko, Barbara, Angie

River scenery on the way home