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FIP Technology Advisory Group

Technological advancements

The impact of digital transformation in health care is already profound and, given accelerated digital advances and innovations, this impact is expected to gain even greater significance in the future. Pharmacists must keep abreast of all these emerging advances, whose immense capabilities have the potential to reshape health care worldwide. Together with their teams and with other healthcare professionals, pharmacists must also take responsibility for maintaining the currency of their digital competencies and skills to harness the benefits of digital innovations.

This is most relevant in the context of the pharmacist’s recognised role of being responsible and accountable for medication efficacy and safety. Only a confident, capable, agile and digitally enabled pharmaceutical workforce will be able to leverage the potential of digital health into a sustainable pharmacy ecosystem and tackle the challenges to usher pharmacy into its digitally supported future.
The ultimate goal is to reduce inequities in health care and improve health and well-being in line with the FIP vision. This aligns with both FIP Development Goals 20 (Digital health) and 21 (Sustainability in pharmacy) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In 2018, FIP signed the profession up to the Astana declaration so that pharmacy would contribute to universal health coverage through primary healthcare, through three main areas of work: NCDs, safety and prevention.

In 2019, FIP established “ONE-FIP forums” , to gather groups and experts around technology and regulations. The first ONE FIP Technology Forum brought together technology experts to provide a forum for mutual learning, advice and sharing of priorities. Following the move to integrate the regional forums into FIP, these ONE FIP forums have evolved into advisory groups to advise FIP and enable FIP to support pharmacists on emerging needs and developments in health technology areas.

Mission and objectives

To provide expertise and advice to FIP on matters related to its scope, by bringing together health technology experts from within FIP membership to exchange views on current activities (problem areas, best practice, emerging trends and technologies, etc.), establish new contacts, and work together on joint projects that add value and are aligned with the FIP Strategic Plan.

The main objectives of the FIP Technology Advisory Group are:

  • To provide ad-hoc technological expertise and advice on health technology matters to FIP and its members;
  • To provide ad-hoc technological expertise and advice for FIP’s collaboration with partners, namely WHO, in the area of health technology;
  • To explore global initiatives and developments in health technology and the impact on the role of pharmacy and the profession;
  • To keep abreast of trends in health technology, their effects on the pharmacy profession in different settings, and emerging opportunities for the advancement of pharmacy and new roles;
  • To outline trends in technology and their effects on pharmacists in different settings;
  • To provide guidance and education for FIP members on health technology;
  • To facilitate the gathering and sharing of best practices in relation to health technology development and implementation, particularly as it applies to pharmacy.

Members

The advisory group is chaired by Mr Lars-Ake Söderlund (Sweden).

The members of the groups include:

  • Dr Carl Schneider (Australia)
  • Dr Claudia Rijcken (Netherlands)
  • Ms Charlotte Rossing (Denmark)
  • Dr Ardalan Mirzaei (Australia)
  • Pro Aukje Matel-Teeuwisse (Netherlands)
  • Dr Whitley Yi (USA)
  • Mr Paul Fahey (Ireland)
  • Mr Dan Burns (Ireland)
  • Mr Donnacha Fitzgerald (Germany)
  • Ms Froukje Harkes-Idzinga (Netherlands)
  • Mr Robert Moss (Netherlands)
  • Ms Laia Matarrranz Torres (Spain)
  • Dr Pauline siew mei Lai (Malaysia)
  • Ms Ezinne Victoria Chinemerem Onwuekwe (Canada)
  • Dr Fereshteh Shokri (Netherlands)
  • Dr Joel Fossouo Tagne (Australia)
  • Mr Takunda Mukumba (Zimbabwe)
  • Dr Sherly Meilianti (UK)
  • Dr Heba Mohamed (United Arab Emirates)
  • Dr Khanita Duangchaemkarn (Thailand)

The FIP Technology Advisory Group is made up of people with expertise and/or interest in areas related to its scope. It is expected that every member of the FIP Technology Advisory Group should be an individual member of FIP to serve on the Advisory Group. Would you like to join the group? Find more information about FIP membership and further member benefits here.

Activities and resources

TAG co-delivers regular digital events (webinars) to upskill and inform pharmacists on technology trends. Some priority trends under active discussion include:

  • Telehealth and telepharmacy – expanding remote pharmacist services and virtual care models, which gained urgency during COVID-19
  • The “Amazonification” of health care – the entrance of e-commerce giants and online platforms into medicine distribution
  • Mobile Health (mHealth) – the use of mobile apps and wearables for monitoring health and improving adherence
  • Data analytics and big data – leveraging large datasets from practice and research to improve decision-making. The TAG’s Data working group focuses on healthcare data standards, interoperability, and how pharmacies can use data intelligence to enhance services
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) – applying AI and machine learning in areas like medication management, clinical decision support, and pharmacy operations. TAG has a dedicated Artificial Intelligence working group to explore AI’s potential and provide guidance on its implementation in pharmacy
  • Digital therapeutics and wearables – assessing new digital therapies (e.g. apps treating chronic conditions) and wearable health tech, ensuring pharmacists are prepared to counsel patients on their use (as seen in the 2023 TAG session on digital therapeutics in diabetes)
  • Standards & interoperability – promoting standards for electronic health records, e-prescriptions, and data exchange so that pharmacists can fully participate in connected healthcare systems. TAG advocates for pharmacists’ read-write access to shared health records and international standards adoption (a need highlighted by the online pharmacy survey)
  • Working Groups on Data and AI – TAG has established two internal working groups: one on Data (led by Mr. Paul Fahey) and one on Artificial Intelligence (led by Dr. Whitney Yi). These sub-groups dive deeper into their respective domains to develop specialised outputs. For example, the Data group may produce guidelines on data management or metrics for FIP’s Global Development Goals, while the AI group is exploring the development of an FIP guidance or position on the use of AI in pharmacy practice and education. These working groups engage additional experts (including from outside pharmacy as needed) and will report back with recommendations and tools for FIP members.

The FIP TAG has also produced several resources to inform pharmacists on technology trends:

Upcoming events

At the 83rd FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 2025 in Copenhagen (31 August – 3 September 2025), the FIP Technology Advisory Group (TAG) is leading dedicated sessions focused on digital health and technology in pharmacy. Below are the key TAG-related events, their details, and themes:

  1. The FIP Digital Pharmacy Summit: Pharmacy and the Future – Harnessing AI and Digital Health for Transformative Care - The Digital Pharmacy Summit takes place on Saturday, 30 August 2025, from 09:00 to 17:00 (the day before the official Congress opening). This TAG-led summit is designed to showcase how digital innovations are already reshaping pharmacy practice. Attendees will gain real-world insights into current applications of AI and digital health – from automating workflows to improving patient engagement – preparing them for pharmacy’s increasingly digital future. (Note: The detailed programme with individual talk titles and speaker names will be released by FIP in April 2025, so stay tuned to official FIP channels for updates.)
  2. Beyond the dedicated TAG summit, digital health and technology are key themes throughout the FIP world congress 2025. The overall congress theme, “Pharmacy Forward: Performance, Collaboration, and Health Transformation,” is supported by several subthemes that explicitly highlight the role of technology in advancing pharmacy practice

Contact: Please contact Ms Paula Cohen for more information about the Advisory Group at paula@fip.org.

Last update 6 May 2025

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