Kuwait signs the Montreal Declaration on Noncommunicable Diseases
The Kuwait Pharmaceutical Association confirmed that its participation in the 84th World Congress of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) in Montreal, Canada, enhanced Kuwait’s professional and research presence through participation in the Federation Council, delivering a scientific lecture, presenting two Kuwaiti research papers, and signing the Montreal Declaration on Non-Communicable Diseases.
Dr. Ahmed Taqi, President of the Association and head of the delegation, told KUNA on Wednesday that Dr. Badr Al-Kharraj, a board member and the Association’s representative on the Federation Council, participated in discussing, voting on, and adopting professional decisions and statements addressing patient safety, therapeutic substitution, professional ethics, professional recognition, non-communicable diseases, and Federation governance.
Taqi added that the Association’s signing of the Montreal Declaration reflects its commitment to supporting the prevention, early detection, and improved treatment of non-communicable diseases, while strengthening the pharmacist’s role in awareness, screening, adherence support, rational drug use, and referral, particularly for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and mental health.
He noted that he delivered a lecture titled “Updating National Legislation: A Comprehensive Bill to Develop Pharmacy Practice and Protect Professional Practice in Kuwait,” in which he highlighted the need to update the Pharmacy Law issued in 1996 and its limited amendments in 2006, to better support patient safety, expand the scope of pharmacy practice, and regulate digital pharmacy and modern therapeutic developments.
The study involved 360 participants and revealed that 51.4 percent mistakenly believe antibiotics treat colds or influenza, while 41.1 percent reported engaging in at least one unsafe behavior, underscoring the need to standardize pharmaceutical counseling and study the adoption of a mandatory minimum standard for pharmaceutical advice when dispensing antibiotics.
Kuwaiti researcher Dr. Mona Al-Anzi participated with a research paper based on her doctoral thesis on developing a digital twin model for the Kuwaiti population to support precise drug dosing. The paper was presented on her behalf by Dr. Raj K. Singh Padhan.
The research relied on records of approximately 2,100 patients and validated the model using monitoring data of five drug levels in 42 patients, paving the way for more tailored doses and treatments aligned with the physiological characteristics of patients in Kuwait.
Taqi stated that the Kuwaiti delegation held meetings with Federation leaders and representatives of member organizations to discuss partnerships in practice, research, and education, emphasizing that international participation aims to achieve actionable outcomes that contribute to professional development and improve pharmaceutical care in Kuwait.
At the conclusion of the participation, the Association congratulated Egyptian Dr. Wael Ali on his election to the Executive Committee of the Community Pharmacy Section of the Federation for the term 2026–2029, and on being awarded the Federation Fellowship for 2026, affirming that this achievement enhances the Arab pharmaceutical presence and professional cooperation among countries in the region.
