Dear Colleagues:

The article titled “Introducing the Family Pharmacist, A New Service for Patients with Chronic Conditions in Belgian Community Pharmacies” describes important advances in community pharmacists’ provision of care. The “Family Pharmacist” service allows patients with chronic conditions to identify a community pharmacist as their primary pharmacist. Under this service, the pharmacist conducts medication reviews, which are documented in an electronic medical record developed by national community pharmacists’ associations. Over this electronic record, patient profiles may then be shared with other community pharmacists and/or health care professionals, as indicated. The Belgian experience exemplifies how pharmacists, as members of the health care team, can leverage new technologies to advance patient care in all practice settings, at a national level.

The title featured in the Book Highlights section of the issue, Nephrologic/Geriatric Care, is the latest and last release in the 2016–2018 Ambulatory Care Self-Assessment Program (ACSAP) series. The book reviews key topics in renal diseases and caring for the older adult patient.

The article titled “2018 ACCP International Symposium: Pharmacists and the Heart” describes the upcoming program to be delivered November 16 in Beirut, Lebanon. Cardiovascular diseases contribute significantly to the burden of noncommunicable diseases and health care costs worldwide. Patient care services provided by pharmacists, in all practice settings, can advance the acute and chronic treatment of patients with cardiovascular diseases and improve patient outcomes.

Finally, the piece titled “2018 ACCP Global Conference on Clinical Pharmacy – A Wrap” provides a pictorial synopsis of activities during the 2018 ACCP Global Conference on Clinical Pharmacy, October 20–23, in Seattle, Washington. The conference was a great venue, not only to learn about worldwide initiatives to advance clinical pharmacy education, practice, and research by a wide variety of professional stakeholders but also to see colleagues and develop new international friendships and professional contacts.

I hope the articles included in this issue of ACCP International Clinical Pharmacist provide you with incentives to further advance your professional development and the services you provide at your practice/institution.

Sincerely,

Wafa Y. Dahdal, Pharm.D.