“This was a wonderful opportunity to learn about health care, drug formulation and development including natural products, and pharmacy practices and education abroad while networking with colleagues from across the country,” said Gayle Brazeau, professor for the School of Pharmacy and editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education.
“We were able to have very productive discussions forming foundations for future research collaborations,” added Daniel Brazeau, associate professor of research for the schools of pharmacy and medicine.
The education exchange delegation included 15 pharmacy education professionals from across the U.S. The program included discussions with Cuban doctors and health officials about their healthcare system, discussions with the Cuban Society of the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Cuban Society of Pharmacology, a visit to a community pharmacy, and discussions with pharmacy faculty and students at the University of Havana Institute of Pharmacy and Foods to learn about their undergraduate and graduate pharmacy education. There were also visits to Cuba’s Center for State Control of the Quality of Medicines, the regulatory agency for pharmaceuticals and medical devices, BioCubaFarma, the Cuban organization of biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, and Finlay Institute, Cuba’s vaccine research and production center.
During an education seminar on the last day, Gayle Brazeau led sessions about the knowledge base needed by future pharmacists, opportunities for shared teaching experiences and publishing in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education.