Elsa López Pintor, a professor in the Area of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology at the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), participated in the 83rd World Congress of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), held in Copenhagen (Denmark), and as a European ambassador at the Global Respiratory Infection Partnership (GRIP) meeting in Warsaw (Poland). Both events focused on discussing the current challenges in patient-centered pharmacy care and global public health.

In Copenhagen, López Pintor spoke at the scientific sessions, “Community management of reflux-like symptoms: The evolving role of the pharmacy team” and “New treatments for gut-brain interaction disorders and the growing role of pharmacists.” In the first session, the UMH professor highlighted the need to strengthen the pharmacist’s role in managing reflux-type symptoms. Among other issues, she also warned about the risks of prolonged self-medication with proton pump inhibitors. In the second session, Elsa López addressed the pharmacist’s role in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Following the Congress, the UMH professor and CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP) researcher attended the GRIP meeting as Europe’s ambassador. This partnership brings together experts from around the world to promote the rational use of antibiotics and combat the growing threat of bacterial resistance. “Every interaction at the pharmacy is an opportunity to improve patients’ lives, helping with better medication use and self-care, and, of course, to confront one of the great global health problems of our time: bacterial resistance,” López Pintor stated.

With a pioneering career in implementing Pharmaceutical Care in Spain, Elsa López Pintor leads research lines from the UMH and CIBERESP focused on patient-centered pharmacy and the rational use of medicines. Her work has been recognized with awards such as the FIP Wise Rising Star 2022 distinction, which recognized 20 female pharmacists worldwide, as well as various national awards for research and therapeutic adherence.