Accommodation: Long Beach Garden Hotel, Pattaya
Venue: Burapha University
Date: 21st – 27th August 2015
Asia Pacific Pharmaceutical Symposium (APPS) is an annual congress for pharmacy students from all over the Asia Pacific region. Thailand was chosen as the host for 14th APPS 2015. APPS 2015 was held in Pattaya, a beautiful island which is known for water sports and nightlife. This congress successfully gathered more than 400 pharmacy students all around the Asia Pacific region, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Australia and Canada. There were 29 delegates from Malaysia including 6 participants from The National University of Malaysia.
A series of fascinating activities were organized and the seven days spent in Pattaya was worth remembering for a lifetime. Symposiums and workshops were intended to provide knowledge and additional information about the current updates in the pharmacy profession. Topics that had been discussed in the symposium encompass Pharmacy Education, Pharmaceutical Marketing, Antibiotic: Smart Use in Community Pharmacy and Langkasuka Model. Participants had to choose four workshops out of 16 different workshops available. Due to safety concerns (explosion in Bangkok few days before the event), we were unable to carry out the outdoor Public Health Campaign. Instead, aerobic exercise was carried out in an indoor ballroom. The whole session was recorded and compiled into a video in order to increase public awareness about obesity. Moreover, participants were also given an opportunity to have a visit to the local hospital and pharmaceutical laboratory. Participants were guided by facilitators and sent to different temples and places to enjoy the breath-taking scenery of Thailand. Beside, we embraced ourselves to the Thai culture too.
The most entertaining part of the APPS programme was the social events! The main focus of hosting the social events is to encourage interaction among participants from different countries. Gala night marks the end of the symposium. It is indeed a wonderful experience in Pattaya. I never regret joining this symposium as I gained fruitful knowledge through this programme. See you next year for APPS 2016 in South Korea!
By: Teoh Nien Hwei