The Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences University of Sri Jayewardenepura in collaboration with CASPPER (Collaboration of Australians and Sri Lankans for Pharmacy Practice, Education and Research) and University of Peradeniya (UoP) organized and held a joint forum to share research findings related to pharmacy practice research supervised/conducted by this group. The program was held on a hybrid mode on 22 November, 2022 from 10.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. (Colombo time) at the Old Senate Boardroom, USJ. Prof. Ian Coombes, Director of Pharmacy, Royal Brisbane and Women’s hospital, and Professor at School of Pharmacy, The
University of Queensland, Australia, and Dr. Judith Coombes, Conjoint Lecturer (Princess Alexandra Hospital), School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Australia who are also directors of CASPPER chaired the session in person. Eight presenters who were mainly postgraduates, presented their findings at the forum which were related to clinical pharmacy and medication safety. In addition,
supervisors and co-investigators from UK, Australia, UoP, and USJ participated (online and in person). Prof. D.M.S Fernando, Dean, FAHS, USJ, Prof. M.D.J Wijayabandara, Head, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, FAHS, USJ, and representatives from the Pharmaceutical Society of Sri Lanka, and Government Pharmacists Association of Sri Lanka participated as stakeholders who could initiate
translating these research findings to practice. All the studies that were presented at the forum concluded that clinical pharmacy services could improve patient care in the Sri Lankan setting. Therefore, a half hour discussion was held after the presentations to discuss the way forward and ways to disseminate these findings in a broader and impactful way to health administrators who are gatekeepers in establishing clinical pharmacy services in Sri Lanka.
