The Cayman Islands is to host the 38th annual Caribbean Association of Pharmacists (CAP) Conference, from August 12 to 19 at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort.

The event will bring together pharmacists and other healthcare professionals from across the region to discuss topics geared towards the advancement of pharmacy practice in the Caribbean.

The weeklong conference will consist of various activities including an opening ceremony with flag procession, formal presentations, cultural experience night, Cayman tour day and a formal awards gala night where pharmacists in the Caribbean will recognised for their outstanding achievements.

After winning the bid to host the regional conference, members of the Cayman Islands Pharmacist Association (CPA) are well underway with plans to make this the most memorable year for the conference.

“The last time Cayman hosted the event was 2007, but it was cut short because of the threat of a hurricane,” said Samantha Conolly of the Health Services Authority (HSA).

Conolly is the Deputy Chair for the 2018 event, 2nd Vice President of CAP and award recipient of last year’s CAP conference hosted in Belize.

“I am very pleased to have the CAP conference return to Cayman after over 10 years. It is an opportunity for us to showcase our outstanding Health Care System as well as promote these beautiful Islands and Caymanian hospitality which is unlike any other Caribbean islands,” she added.

In addition, the conference is expected to bring in revenue for the country.

“Some persons attend the conference and make a vacation out of it at the same time which brings revenue to our tourism industry,” said Conolly.

She further stated that any profit made from the event will placed towards the advancement of the profession of pharmacy.

With resources and attendees taken into consideration, the Health Services Authority (HSA) is the largest supporter of the conference, which is expected to provide many benefits to pharmacy professionals who attend as well as to the Cayman Islands.

“The practice of pharmacy in the Cayman Islands is relatively young in comparison to our Caribbean neighbors, who have had qualified practitioners for over 200 years. However, our islands are blessed with very high standards of professional practice in both the private and public sectors, which will definitely be highlighted during this event,” HSA Chief Pharmacist Colin Medford remarked.

Healthcare professionals and visitors that attend the conference from all over the Caribbean, United States, United Kingdom and Canada will be exposed to continuing education sessions while the public will benefit from visits to schools, hospitals, churches and other venues where public education sessions on a number of medical topics and issues will be held.