Special Event: Improving the role of Community Pharmacists to deliver advanced pharmaceutical care in neuropsychiatric disorders through innovative educational programs
Next-generation therapeutics (NGTs)—including precision medicine, biologics, nanomedicines, eHealth, and AI—are transforming the landscape in medicine, including the management of neuropsychiatric disorders. Community pharmacists (CPs), as the most accessible healthcare professionals, are well-positioned to support patients with these conditions. However, limited training and collaboration opportunities hinder their full potential.
This satellite event will present a 100-hour online training program, “Advanced Training in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Community Pharmacy,” developed by the Community Pharmacist Association of Heraklion in partnership with the School of Medicine at the University of Crete. The initiative aims to equip CPs across Greece with the skills to enhance their role in delivering advanced pharmaceutical care within the context of NGTs as well as on their continuously evolving role in the healthcare ecosystem.
The session aims to explore strategies and foster collaboration, illustrating how targeted educational interventions can empower pharmacists to become pivotal contributors to the neuroscience healthcare ecosystem and enhance their role in the provision of healthcare for neuropsychiatric disorders.
Community Pharmacists Association of Heraklion
The Community Pharmacists Association of Heraklion (CPAH), a Public Law Legal Entity, represents around 340 pharmacists across 320 pharmacies in the region. Its mission is to promote pharmaceutical science, public health, and professional development through training and innovative practices in community care. The CPAH Scientific Committee supports ongoing educational programs and fosters interdisciplinary collaboration with academic and research institutions for research initiatives. CPAH has signed collaboration agreements with the University of Crete and FORTH to advance research, education, and innovation in the fields of pharmaceutical science and public health. CPAH organizes an annual scientific conference and leads research and educational initiatives, including the “Advanced Training in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Community Pharmacy” program in collaboration with the University of Crete. Through continuous investment in education and research, CPAH enhances pharmacists’ roles in integrated, community-based healthcare.
Dr. Marios Spanakis is a collaborating researcher with the School of Medicine at the University of Crete (UoC) and the Foundation for Research & Technology – Hellas (FORTH). He holds a PharmD and a PhD in Pharmacy from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. His research focuses on pharmacokinetics, applied pharmacology, and pharmacoepidemiology. Dr. Spanakis has led studies on drug interactions and contributed to developing in silico pharmacology tools and eHealth platforms as well as bioanalytical methods within the context of personalized and stratified medicine. As a community pharmacist, he supervises the Scientific Committee of the Community Pharmacist Association of Heraklion (CPAH). He coordinates research and educational initiatives between CPAH, UoC and FORTH, including training programs for community pharmacists and healthcare professionals. Dr. Spanakis is the Academic Supervisor of the “Advanced Training in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Community Pharmacy” program at the University of Crete.
Dr. Ioannis Charalampopoulos is a Professor of Pharmacology at the School of Medicine, University of Crete, and a collaborating researcher at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) of the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH). Dr. Charalampopoulos leads the Regenerative Pharmacology Laboratory at the University of Crete, focusing on the molecular mechanisms by which neurotrophic factors and their receptors regulate the regenerative capacity of the adult nervous system. His research has contributed to the development of neuroprotective and neurodegenerative agents, with applications in neurodegenerative diseases and brain injury. Through the collaboration between CPAH and the School of Medicine at the University of Crete, he provides lectures in Pharmacology for the attendees of the “Advanced Training in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Community Pharmacy” program.
Aristotelis Skountakis is a Community Pharmacist operating a pharmacy store located in Heraklion. He has been a member of the Community Pharmacist Association of Heraklion since 1998. Since 2019, he has been the head of the board for the CPAH. In this role, he advocates for the interests of community pharmacists and actively participates in public health discussions and scientific forums supporting the professional development of pharmacists in the Heraklion region. Under his presidency, memorandums of understanding have been signed between CPAH and University of Crete as well as Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH). These partnerships signify a strategic effort to modernize pharmaceutical care in Crete, fostering innovation and improving pharmaceutical care through education and technological advancement.
Speakers:
- Christina Dalla (opening remarks)
President of the Mediterranean Neuroscience Society
Second Department of Obstetrics – Gynecology, Aretaieio Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
- Marios Spanakis (Case Study -Educational program)
Community Pharmacists Association of Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Department of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Crete
Computational Biomedicine Laboratory, Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research & Technology, (FORTH)
- Ioannis Charalampopoulos (Future Directions & Educational Initiatives)
Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research & Technology Hellas (FORTH)
Session Chair
- Christina Dalla
President of the Mediterranean Neuroscience Society
Second Department of Obstetrics – Gynecology, Aretaieio Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
- Aristotelis Skountakis
Pharmacist
President of the Board of Community Pharmacists Association of Heraklion, Crete, Greece
