“Empowering pharmacists for tobacco cessation in the Eastern Mediterranean Region” 

Attendance an online digital event on July. 02, 2024 entitled “Empowering pharmacists for tobacco cessation in the Eastern Mediterranean Region”. The event was offered by International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).

Description: In the Eastern Mediterranean Area, 17.9 % of individuals aged 15 years and above are tobacco users. Presenting the regional and universal burden and prevalence of tobacco usage, especially as a risk agent for noncommunicable illnesses, it is essential that the function of pharmacists in tobacco usage cessation and prevention is consolidated and expanded. The Eastern Mediterranean Regional Pharmaceutical Forum and FIP invited us to participate in the present event to learn more concerning the burden of tobacco usage in the Eastern Mediterranean area and the function that pharmacists can perform in tobacco cessation. The present event contained views from the WHO Regional Office, the presentation of FIP resources, and country examples of pharmacist services to develop tobacco cessation by pharmacists.

Moderator:

- Nadia Al Mazrouei, President EMRPharm Forum, UAE.

Panellists:

- Fatimah El-Awa, Regional Adviser, Tobacco Free Initiative WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (WHO EMRO), Egypt.

- Wael Ali, President of Egyptian organization of pharmacy (EOP), Vice president of Eastern Mediterranean Pharmaceutical (EMRPharm) Forum, Egyptian organization of pharmacy, Egypt.

- Pascale Salameh, PharmD, MPH, PhD, HDR. - Professor of Epidemiology INSPECT-LB & Lebanese University, Lebanon.

- Husam ALSalamat, Chairperson of Continuous Professional Development CPD committee, Jordan Pharmacists Association, Jordan.

- Inês Nunes da Cunha, FIP Practice Development and Transformation Projects Manager FIP. The Netherlands.