World Smart Medication Day 2026 | Full Webinar

World Smart Medication Day 2026 explores one of the most relevant and timely topics in contemporary clinical pharmacology: race, ethnicity and socioeconomic factors in clinical pharmacology.

Organized by the Medical & Clinical Pharmacology Committee of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR), this annual scientific webinar brings together international experts to discuss how race, ethnicity, socioeconomic context, pharmacogenetics, ageing, paediatrics, health insurance, access to medicines and global healthcare inequalities can influence medication use, drug response and clinical decision-making.

This edition also features the International Student Poster Competition, highlighting the contribution of students and early-career researchers from around the world.

Programme and speakers

• Welcome and introduction to World Smart Medication Day 2026
  Prof. Francesca Levi-Schaffer, President of IUPHAR
• Introduction to the learning session
  Prof. M. Isabel Lucena, Professor of Pharmacology, University of Malaga, Spain; Chair, Medical & Clinical Pharmacology Committee, IUPHAR
  Prof. Priyadarshani Galappatthy, Deputy Chair / Co-Chair, Medical & Clinical Pharmacology Committee, IUPHAR
• Race vs ethnicity and socioeconomic issues
  Prof. Nicholas Buckley, Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, Sydney Pharmacy School, University of Sydney; Pharmacoepidemiology Committee, IUPHAR
• Polypharmacy in Japan and influence of universal health insurance
  Dr. Kazunao Kondo, Fujita Health University, Japan; Japanese Society of Pharmacology
• Polymorphic and ethnicity factors influencing drug metabolism
  Prof. Nuala Helsby, University of Auckland, New Zealand; Pharmacogenetics, Drug Metabolism and Transport Committee, IUPHAR
• Race, ethnic and socioeconomic influences on clinical pharmacology: a paediatric reflection
  Prof. Karel Allegaert, KU Leuven, Belgium; Erasmus MC Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Pediatric Committee, IUPHAR
• Race, ethnic and socioeconomic influences on ageing, frailty and medication use
  Prof. Sarah Hilmer AM FAHMS FASCEPT, Conjoint Professor of Geriatric Pharmacology, University of Sydney, Australia; Chair, Geriatrics Committee, IUPHAR
• Race and ethnicity: effects on PK/PD and access to high-cost drugs
  Prof. Francesca Levi-Schaffer, Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
• Addressing ethnicity in teaching interindividual variation in pharmacokinetics
  Dr. Jennifer Koenig, Associate Professor of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, UK
• Health insurance and medicines: global landscape
  Dr. Pravin Prasad, MBBS, MD Clinical Pharmacology, Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Tribhuvan University, Nepal; Early Career Researchers Section, IUPHAR
• Reflections, questions and discussion
  Moderated by Prof. Priyadarshani Galappatthy and Prof. M. Isabel Lucena
• International Student Poster Competition winners
  General Poster Winners announced by Dr. Saibal Das, India; Medical & Clinical Pharmacology Committee, IUPHAR
  Research Poster Winners announced by Prof. Gordana Dragovic Lukic, Serbia; Medical & Clinical Pharmacology Committee, IUPHAR
  International Collaboration Poster Winners announced by Prof. Gabriele Stocco, Italy; Medical & Clinical Pharmacology Committee, IUPHAR
• Conclusion and announcement of the 2027 topic
  Prof. Scott A. Waldman, USA; Medical & Clinical Pharmacology Committee, IUPHAR

Chapters

• 00:00 Welcome and introduction - Prof. M. Isabel Lucena, Prof. Priyadarshani Galappatthy
• 01:43 Introduction to the learning session - Prof. Francesca Levi-Schaffer
• 06:54 Race vs ethnicity and socioeconomic issues - Prof. Nicholas Buckley
• 12:54 Polypharmacy in Japan and universal health insurance - Dr. Kazunao Kondo
• 16:51 Polymorphic and ethnicity factors influencing drug metabolism - Prof. Nuala Helsby
• 22:03 Paediatric clinical pharmacology reflection - Prof. Karel Allegaert
• 28:44 Ageing, frailty and medication use - Prof. Sarah Hilmer
• 34:56 Immunopharmacology and access to high-cost drugs - Prof. Francesca Levi-Schaffer
• 39:54 Teaching interindividual variation in pharmacokinetics - Dr. Jennifer Koenig
• 45:03 Health insurance and medicines: a global landscape - Dr. Pravin Prasad
• 48:55 Reflections, questions and discussion
• 1:04:38 International Student Poster Competition winners - Dr. Saibal Das, Prof. Gordana Dragovic Lukic, Prof. Gabriele Stocco
• 1:29:03 Conclusion and 2027 topic announcement - Prof. Scott A. Waldman