Pharmacy Practice in Developing Countries: Achievements and Challenges

Pharmacy Practice in Developing Countries: Achievements and Challenges offers a detailed review of the history and development of pharmacy practice in developing countries across Africa, Asia, and South America. Pharmacy practice varies substantially from country to country due to variations in needs and expectations, culture, challenges, policy, regulations, available resources, and other factors. This book focuses on each country's strengths and achievements, as well as areas of weakness, barriers to improvement and challenges. It sets out to establish a baseline for best practices, taking all of these factors into account and offering solutions and opportunities for the future. This book is a valuable resource for academics, researchers, practicing pharmacists, policy makers, and students involved in pharmacy practice worldwide as it provides lessons learned on a global scale and seeks to advance the pharmacy profession.

Ahmed Ibrahim Fathelrahman is currently an assistant professor at the Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, Saudi Arabia. Prior to that from September 2011 to August 2017, he was an assistant professor and Head at Department of Pharmacy Practice, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. Before joining Qassim University in 2011; he worked with the Ministry of Health, Sudan for 13 years in different units and departments such as the Central Medical Supplies Public Corporation (CMS) Sudan (1997-2000); the Revolving Drug Fund, Khartoum State (2000-2005); the General Directorate of Pharmacy and the Khartoum State drug Information Centre, the Ministry of Health Khartoum State (2005-2010), and the General Directorate of Planning and Development of the Khartoum State Ministry of Health (2010-2011).

Ahmed Fathelrahman is the main author or co-author of more than 50 articles and titles that represent publications in international peer-reviewed journals, books, book chapters, or conference presentations besides other works published in some local journals. Ahmed Fathelrahman is a reviewer for a variety international peer-reviewed journals from the fields of Pharmacy, Public Health, Tobacco Control and Toxicology and he acted as a member of review committees of various international scientific meetings regularly organized by international societies such as the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research (ISPOR) and the Society for Research on Nicotine & Tobacco (SRNT). Ahmed Fathelrahman is also an Editorial Board member of Heliyon, an opend access multidisciplinary journal published by Elsevier. In April 2016, he produced together with Professor M Izham Mohamed Ibrahim from Qatar University and Professor Albert Wertheimer from College of Pharmacy, Nova SE University, US an edited book published by Elseiver Science entitled “Pharmacy Practice in Developing Countries: Achievements and Challenges”. Ahmed Fathelrahman was a winner of the Young Investigator Scholarship of the APACT 8th Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health, Taipei, Taiwan 17-20 October 2007, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Research Fellowship, (September 2007- December 2009), and Sanggar Sanjung award for best Publication, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2010.
Ahmed Fathelrahman worked as a member of Research Ethical Committees of various institutions; the Ministry of Health Khartoum State, the Community Medicine Council of Sudan Medical Specializations Board, the College of Pharmacy- Qassim University and the Research Ethical Committee of Al-Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia. Ahmed Fathelrahman supervised the research of more than 30 medical or pharmacy students in Sudan and Saudi Arabia at levels of Bachelor, Pharm D, M.Sc., MD and Fellowship.

Mohamed Izham Mohamed Ibrahim is a Professor of Social and Administrative Pharmacy at College of Pharmacy, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar. He graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Pharmacy from Universiti Sains Malaysia in 1990 and obtained his PhD degree in Pharmacy Administration from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy & Science (PCPS), Philadelphia, USA in 1995 with a cognate in Pharmaceutical Policy & Supply Management, Pharmacoeconomics, Pharmacoepidemiology, Socio-behavioral Aspects of Pharmacy, and Pharmacy Management & Marketing. He obtained his Associate Professorship from Universiti Sains Malaysia in 2002, then Full Professorship from the same university in 2008. Dr. Izham is a prolific researcher and author. His publications, consultancies and areas of research emphasis include pharmaceutical policy and management, economic evaluation of drug therapies & pharmacy interventions, and social pharmacy. He has published over 250 peer-reviewed papers, multiple proceedings, monographs, research reports, bulletins, newsletters. He is serving as member of editorial board and reviewers of several international journals. He has also authored 10 books and multiple book chapters (local and international), presented more than 100 invited presentations, and is the recipient of 9 international, 18 national and 11 university research grants. Dr. Izham has supervised and/or participated in the training of around 70 MSc and PhD graduate students from 12 countries (Africa and Asia). He has also functioned in multiple consultant roles to government (i.e. Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Sudan) and non-governmental bodies at national (e.g. pharmacy organizations) and international levels (e.g. World Health Organization in the Western Pacific Region, World Health Organization in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Health Action International, International Organization of Consumer Union). He was formerly the Coordinator of Health Campus Program at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Director of the Corporate and Sustainable Development Division, Chancellory Department, Universiti Sains Malaysia; the Deputy Dean of Research and Postgraduate Studies, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia; and Professor and Chairman, Pharmacy Practice Department, College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Al-Qassim, KSA. His last position was at College of Pharmacy, Qatar University as the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies Affairs. He was also the recipient of the Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Award for Staff Excellence Service Award in 2004; Bintang Cemerlang Melaka (BCM) in 2004 from State of Malacca; Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Award for Publication Excellence in several years; Al Qassim University College of Pharmacy Excellence Professor Award 2010; and recently, Scopus awards recognized Dr. Mohamed Izham as one of Qatar University’s most distinguished researchers for his outstanding achievements. He also won the 2015 Scopus Medical & Health Sciences Scientist Award.

Albert I Wertheimer is a professor of pharmacy economics at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Previously, he was a professor at Temple University, and at the University of Minnesota, and the Dean at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. He earned his pharmacy degree at the University of Buffalo, his MBA at the State University of New York at Buffalo, and his PhD from Purdue University. He was also a postdoctoral fellow in the Social Medicine Department of St. Thomas’ Hospital Medical School, University of London.He is the author or co-author of 35 books, many book chapters and about 430 articles in scientific and professional journals. He is the editor of the Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research. He has advised 90 PhD graduates and more than that number of Masters degree students. In addition, he has been the advisor of about 15 postdoctoral research fellows.

Dr. Wertheimer has lectured or consulted in about 70 countries. He received the research achievement award from the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, is a fellow of the International Pharmacy Federation (FIP) and is a Scheele Laureat from the Swedish Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences. He is peer reviewer for about 20 journals and on the editorial board of three. He holds adjunct appointments at Pharmacy faculties in Malta, China, Turkey, Taiwan. Slovenia, and Mexico. Currently, he is working in the area of health policy analysis.