The President of IPDAL, Paulo Neves, was the keynote speaker at the opening session of the 2nd Congress of the Sociedad Científico Profesional de Farmacia Iberoamericana Comunitaria (SOCFIC), which took place in Lisbon from 6 to 8 November. The congress brought together specialists, public decision-makers and institutional representatives from the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America to discuss the future of community pharmacy and its growing role in Ibero-American health systems.

The inaugural session was attended by several key authorities from the sector, including the President of INFARMED, Rui Santos Ivo, representing the Minister of Health; the Vice-President of the Health Committee of the Portuguese Parliament, Alberto Machado; the President of the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society, Helder Mota Filipe; the President of the National Association of Pharmacies (ANF), Ema Paulino; and the President of SOCFIC, Jesús C. Gómez. Their contributions highlighted the relevance of the initiative and the increasing interest in aligning health strategies between Europe and Latin America.

In his keynote address, Paulo Neves emphasised the strategic importance of Ibero-American cooperation in the health sector, highlighting the role of community pharmacies as a frontline of proximity, trust and social resilience. He stressed the need to strengthen coordination between regulatory authorities, health professionals and multilateral organisations, promoting innovative models to respond to emerging challenges such as population ageing, the digitalisation of services and growing pressure on public health systems.

The President of IPDAL also underscored the importance of deepening health diplomacy within the Ibero-American space, drawing attention to the role of professional networks and institutions that foster transnational technical cooperation, including SOCFIC and IPDAL itself, which has been expanding its work in this sector.

IPDAL’s participation in this opening session reinforces the Institute’s role as a central platform for Ibero-American cooperation, contributing to the development of integrated solutions and to the strengthening of synergies between different countries, sectors and institutions.