Welcome from the Symposium Presidents

Dear colleagues, friends and guests,

It is our pleasure to welcome you to the ESCP Symposium 2026, under the theme “Bridging Gaps: Clinical Pharmacy in Digital Transitions of Care.”

The symposium will be hosted at the Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, in Almada. Set across the Tagus from Lisbon, connected by an iconic bridge and close to the Atlantic coast, Almada offers a fitting backdrop for a symposium dedicated to connection, transition and innovation. For about three decades, Egas Moniz has trained pharmacists with a clinical focus, supported by an intersectoral innovation ecosystem and infrastructure dedicated to experiential learning. This makes Egas Moniz a particularly meaningful setting to discuss how education, practice and innovation can come together to shape clinical pharmacy.

We are proud that this symposium is jointly presided over by representatives from academia and community pharmacy, reflecting the spirit of bridging gaps. This shared leadership reminds us that digital transitions of care depend on strong connections across professions and settings.

Digital tools, data-driven interventions and digitally supported medicines reconciliation are reshaping how patients move across care settings. Yet technology alone is not enough. Clinical pharmacists have a vital role in ensuring that digital innovation translates into safer, more person-centred and more equitable care.

Across the programme, we will explore how digital ecosystems can support transitions of care, how we prepare the next generation of clinical pharmacists, and how research can generate evidence for practice and policy. Through plenary sessions, round tables, workshops, poster discussions and networking opportunities, we hope this symposium will foster critical reflection, practical learning and new collaborations among participants from across Europe and beyond, representing practice, research, education, policy and leadership.

We believe that learning to improve patient care goes beyond the scientific programme. It also involves engaging with different cultures and building the human connections that sustain meaningful professional practice. With this in mind, we have prepared opportunities for shared experiences, inviting participants to enjoy the natural beauty, historic character and warm Portuguese hospitality.

This symposium would not be possible without the dedication of our speakers, moderators, scientific committee, organisers, partners and volunteers, to whom we extend our sincere thanks.

May these days inspire us to build stronger bridges between knowledge and practice, between innovation and care, and among one another.

Welcome to Almada, and welcome to ESCP 2026.

Mara Guerreiro, Ema Paulino and Anna Oleárová
ESCP 2026 Symposium Presidents and ESCP President