UKZN Academic Elected to Leadership of Global Pharmaceutical Body

BY: .

School of Health Sciences Senior Lecturer Mr Andy Gray was elected a Vice-President of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) at the 74th World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 2014 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Founded in 1912, FIP represents three million pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists worldwide and is in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO). The Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa is one of 132 member organisations of FIP. In addition, pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists can become individual members of FIP.

Gray is the first South African to win the election at this level of executive governance. ‘I am proud to serve FIP as one of the nine Vice-Presidents on the Bureau,’ he said.

He has been serving as Chairman of the Board of Pharmaceutical Practice of the FIP for the past four years. He has also been an individual member of FIP for 13 years and has served at various levels, including as President of the Hospital Pharmacy Section.

According to Gray, four of the nine Vice-President positions were filled in Bangkok. Two are elected by the Boards of Pharmaceutical Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences respectively, and five are elected by the Council.

Gray, who is a Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, is also a Research Associate at CAPRISA (Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa). His research interests include analysis aimed at improving the effectiveness of national medicine policies.

Nombuso Dlamini