The National Pharmacy Congress (MÜEFKON25), organized by Marmara University Faculty of Pharmacy under the theme "Healthy Living with Current Approaches," began on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Complex Health Campus. The congress, which will be held between May 8–10, will host not only scientific presentations but also sectoral exhibitions.

“Pharmacy is in a deep transformation process.”

Speaking in the opening speech of the congress, MÜEFKON Organizing Committee Chair and Dean of Marmara University Faculty of Pharmacy Prof. Dr. Hatice Kübra Elçioğlu spoke about the future of the pharmacy profession. Elçioğlu, stating that the pharmacy profession, just like other professions, has entered a deep transformation process with developments in health and technology, and that its fields of work have expanded, said: “With the digitalization in healthcare, the restructuring process we have entered allows us to predict that in the future, pharmacists will play an active role in many areas, such as providing home patient care services, conducting pharmacogenetic evaluations, creating 3D drug designs with artificial intelligence, using biosensor-based rapid diagnostic kits, and providing digital health consultancy.”

Continuing her speech, Dean Elçioğlu also shared a development that was received with sorrow by the faculty community: “We have learned with deep sadness the news of the death of our professor Prof. Dr. Emre Dölen, who served for many years as a faculty member in the Department of Analytical Chemistry at our faculty and also held important administrative positions such as dean and vice-rector. We wish God’s mercy upon our professor who carried out valuable studies in the fields of the history of pharmacy and the history of Turkish universities; and extend our condolences to his family, students, and all his loved ones.”

Finally, giving information about the program, Dean Elçioğlu stated that the National Pharmacy Congress, which will last three days, is planned under a total of nine sessions, including topics such as healthy aging, traditional and complementary treatments, drug and food safety, and next-generation drug research. She said, “I would like to thank each of those who contributed to the organization of our congress — especially our organizing committee, scientific board, secretariat, social committee, administrative staff, and our sponsors.”

Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kurt: “Pharmacy plays an important role in improving the quality of life”

Speaking at the opening session of the congress, Marmara University Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kurt stated that the congress with theme “Healthy Living with Current Approaches” offers an important platform not only for the field of pharmacy but also for sharing innovative ideas and practices for many disciplines such as health sciences, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and health technologies.
Emphasizing the importance of the pharmacy profession and research in this field, Rector Prof. Dr. Kurt continued his words as follows: “The pharmacy profession is not limited only to the supply of drugs but also plays an important role in protecting public health, developing sustainable quality of life, and individualized treatment approaches. Today, the scientific aspect of pharmacy has gone far beyond classical patterns. That is why the National Pharmacy Congress is an extremely valuable opportunity not only for information sharing but also for producing collective wisdom, establishing new research networks, and discussing ideas that will guide the health systems of the future.”

Rector Kurt emphasized that the National Pharmacy Congress is not limited only to scientific knowledge sharing, but also constitutes a valuable opportunity for young researchers with its structure that allows discussions on ideas that will shape future health systems. Pointing out the importance of scientific organizations for young researchers, Rector Kurt continued his remarks as follows: “I believe that this valuable organization will be especially beneficial in contributing to the academic development of our young researchers and offering them the opportunity to be in close contact with the scientific world. In this regard, I wish that the passion of our youth for science continues with curiosity and courage at all times, and I hope that they will continuously develop themselves by taking part in every work that will increase their scientific and professional competence. On this occasion, I would like to express my thanks to the valuable dean and faculty members of our Faculty of Pharmacy, primarily those who contributed to the organization of the congress, the scientific board of the congress, all supporting institutions, all the preparatory teams of the organization, and our students.”

At the end of the session, certificates of appreciation were presented to the students who performed in the music recital. Afterward, Dean Prof. Dr. Hatice Kübra Elçioğlu presented a plaque of appreciation to Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kurt, and the opening session ended with a group photo.

Following the lunch break, the congress presentations began with the first session. The National Pharmacy Congress is scheduled to conclude on 10 May, following a three-day duration.