The ESCP 2025 Annual Symposium took place in Grenoble, France, from November 26 to 28, 2025, under the theme “From Interprofessional Education to Interprofessional Practice.” The event brought together over 377 participants from 44 countries across Europe and beyond, fostering the exchange of knowledge, research, and professional networking. The symposium offered a rich programme of plenary lectures, workshops, oral communications, poster presentations, and sponsored lectures, and expert discussions reflecting current challenges in healthcare — from active patient involvement and the implementation of innovations into practice, to the use of digital and AI tools in clinical pharmacy.
The day before the symposium, a Masterclass of Excellence was held. This was organised by the Research Committee and led by Prof. Martin Henman, Prof. Betul Okuyan, Prof. Pierrick Bedouch, and Assoc. Prof. Daniela Fialová. The masterclass focused on the responsible use of generative AI in clinical pharmacy research. The evening before the symposium featured an opening lecture by Prof. Stéphan Chabardes, Head of the Department of Neurosurgery. He delivered an impressive talk entitled “From Deep Brain Stimulation to Photobiomodulation: Advancing Technologies to Improve Patient Care.” The evening concluded with a Welcome Reception held at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy.
The symposium was officially opened by Dr. Monika Lutters (President of ESCP), prof. Pierrick Bedouch (Symposium President and Scientific Committee Chair). The participants were also welcomed by the newly elected President of the French Society of Clinical Pharmacy (SFPC), Prof. Lise Bernard.
Plenary lectures: collaboration, the patient, and innovation
The opening of the symposium focused on the question of what collaboration in healthcare truly means and the role of the patient as a partner within it. The plenary lectures highlighted that interprofessional collaboration is not just an organisational concept, but a culture built on trust, shared responsibility, and collaborative decision-making. Prof. Sophie Lauzier and Dr. Luigi Flora explored patients’ perspectives on collaboration between healthcare professions and demonstrated that involving patients in education, research, and clinical practice leads to more sustainable and meaningful solutions. Round table discussion within the plenary sessions also addressed the issue of limited healthcare personnel resources, showing that team-based care can help mitigate these constraints. The perspectives shared by our panellists were particularly insightful, as they represented viewpoints from clinical pharmacists (Prof. Benoit Allenet, Prof. Marie Schneider, Prof. Sophie Lauzier), physicians (Prof. Michel Burnier), patients (Dr. Luigi Flora), and students (Elisa Vitale and Nina Wissing).
The 2nd day sessions shifted attention to established models of interprofessional care across various settings — from primary care and healthcare centres to long-term care (Prof. Lilian Azzopardi, Dr. Anne Spinewine, MSc. Linda Refors Öfverstedt, Dr. Sophie Logerot). Strong emphasis was placed on medication safety, continuity of care, and clearly defined roles within the healthcare team. Two of the lectures also focused on the practice of non-medical prescribing by pharmacists (Assoc. Prof. Matej Štuhec) and nurses (Prof. Tinne Dilles).
The 3rd day plenary blocks offered a forward-looking perspective, highlighting digital solutions, artificial intelligence, simulation models (Prof. Kreshnik Hoti, Dr. Loora Salurand, Dr. Alexandra Dima, and Dr. Christian Skalafouris), and innovative educational tools with the potential to significantly influence both clinical practice and pharmacy education (Prof. Pascal Bonnabry, Assoc. Prof. Abdikarin Abdi, and Prof. Shusen Sun).
The Steve Hudson Lecture was delivered by Prof. Robert Horne, professor of behavioural medicine at the University College London. In his impressive talk on “Applying Behavioural Science to Support Adherence and Improve Patient Care”, he highlighted one of the key aspects of modern pharmacotherapy — non-adherence. Based on available data, approximately 1/3 of medicines prescribed for chronic conditions are not taken as recommended, which has a substantial impact on treatment outcomes, patient safety, and the efficiency of healthcare systems. Prof. Horne offered an overview of his lifelong research in the field of behavioural medicine, building on his earlier experience as a clinical pharmacist in practice. He emphasised that non-adherence cannot be explained simply as patient “disobedience”, but requires a complex understanding of patient behaviour, beliefs, and motivations.
The lecture sponsored by Saladax featured the exceptional speaker, Dr. Ivana Tašková. She discussed therapeutic drug monitoring of antipsychotics, their clinical use, and the implementation of point-of-care testing. The sponsored workshop by DoseMe was led by the outstanding speaker, Dr. Sharmeen Roy. Participants had the opportunity to explore forecasting precision using population models for optimized antimicrobial dosing.
Workshops: interactivity, practical focus, and shared experience
A major component of the symposium was its extensive workshop programme, delivered in parallel sessions over all three days. The workshops were characterised by a strong emphasis on interactivity, active participant engagement, and work with real-life practice examples. Participants worked in small groups, shared their own experiences, addressed model scenarios, and jointly developed solutions transferable to diverse clinical and educational settings. This format was repeatedly highlighted as one of the key strengths of the symposium. Workshop topics included patient and public involvement in research and education; rational and safe use of medicines, including opioids; implementation science as a driver of change in clinical pharmacy; assessment of interprofessional education; polypharmacy and geriatric pharmacotherapy; point-of-care testing in everyday practice; the use of artificial intelligence in education and clinical decision-making; geriatric care simulation; or how to design an innovative training.
An integral part of the programme was the poster sessions, which naturally connected formal scientific presentations with informal professional discussions during breaks. Posters covered a wide range of topics — from research projects and innovative educational approaches to the implementation of clinical pharmacy services across different healthcare systems. The poster sessions provided space for intensive exchange of ideas, expert feedback, and the initiation of new collaborations, particularly between early-career researchers and experienced professionals. The parallel sessions also included oral communications, allowing presenters to showcase specific projects, research findings, and examples of good practice in a concise and dynamic format. They provided a space for sharing practical and research experience.
The Closing ceremony led by the newly appointed ESCP President, Dr. Anna Oleárová, also included the presentation of awards for the best posters and oral communications. The Best Poster Award and the Best Oral Communication Award were presented to: Eman Alhmoud for the poster presentation on Pharmacy-Supported Transitional Care Interventions in the Emergency Department: a Scoping Review; and to Lisa-Marie Smale for the oral communication on Deprescribign and Formulation Switching Strategies to Improve Environmental Sustainability of Hospital Care: a Delphi Study.
During the symposium were hel meetings of our working committees (Education, Research and Communication) and Special Interest Groups (SIGs on mental health, deprescribing and YESCP). Two of these were kick-off meetings (SIGs on antimicrobial stewardship and pharmacogenomics).
The event’s ambience was enhanced by the walking dinner held at the Fort de La Bastille. The Grenoble World Trade Center provided a delightful setting, complemented by high-quality catering. Attendees also had the opportunity to participate in the YESCP Dinner and/or a Fun Run supporting children with cancer, all under the stunning and majestic mountains of the Alps.
A sincere thank you to all plenary speakers, workshop moderators, the Scientific and Organising Committees of the symposium, the ESCP International Office, our sponsors: Saladax, DoseMe, BD, AstraZeneca, and supporters: French Society of Clinical Pharmacy (SFPC), and National Association of Clinical Pharmacy Teachers (ANEPC), as well as all participants for sharing their knowledge, skills, and work through posters, oral communications, and networking.
When the fog lifts
The first days of the conference were marked by rainy and foggy weather, which kept the peaks of the surrounding Alps hidden from view. Only when the fog lifted and the sun emerged did the mountains reveal their majesty and beauty. What a symbolic metaphor. The work of clinical pharmacists is often ‘invisible’, taking place behind the scenes of everyday healthcare. However, when examined closely — by analysing its impact and linking it to clinical outcomes — the essential role of clinical pharmacists in ensuring medication safety, supporting healthcare colleagues and improving patient outcomes becomes evident.
The roles of the clinical pharmacists will be further explored at the spring workshop, which will take us to the other side of the Alps in Innsbruck and focus on medication safety. We look forward to welcoming you again at one of our future events and/or webinars.
