Eastern Mediterranean University Faculty of Pharmacy Hosts a ‘Mentor Pharmacist’ Training Seminar

The event, held on April 4, 2026, at the Faculty of Pharmacy of Eastern Mediterranean University, in collaboration with the Cyprus Turkish Pharmacists Association, was attended by numerous faculty members, academics, community and hospital pharmacy pharmacists, and student representatives. The event, which began with a moment of silence and the singing of the national anthem, first featured a speech by the President of the Cyprus Turkish Pharmacists Association (CTPA), Pharmacist Duygu Karahan Kuran. In her speech, Karahan expressed her satisfaction with the organization of such an event and conveyed her thanks to the Faculty of Pharmacy of Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU). Reminding that training programs are lifelong processes and important for professional development and continuity, the CTPA president stated that the continuity of these activities is a necessity.

Speaking next, Prof. Dr. H. Ozan Gülcan, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy at EMU, stated that the EMU Faculty of Pharmacy continues to contribute to society and the country by organizing workshops and seminars on the future of the pharmacy profession, in addition to its educational and academic studies. Professor Gülcan stated that the seminar was parallel to the student workshop held on March 4th, and that the main purpose of today's event was to share information that would facilitate the work of pharmacists in the field, especially during their internships. In this regard, he expressed his gratitude to Mr. Kuran, the President of CTPA, who contributed to the seminar, and to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bilge Sözen Şahne, a faculty member of Hacettepe University Faculty of Pharmacy, who conducted the training.

During the training, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şahne shared information with the participants on professional role modeling, expectation management, patient safety, communication/teamwork, and leadership. Elements that would assist pharmacists and students in their collaborative work, from the perspectives of scientific, health, patient, and social relations, were discussed, starting from the time pharmacy students begin their internships in community pharmacies.

The event highlighted the increasing importance of professional seminars in light of rapidly changing technology and new applications, and stated that internship activities, which play a significant role in training future pharmacists, will be carried out more effectively through collaboration between pharmacists working in academia and in the field.

Following the training, Prof. Gülcan presented a plaque to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bilge Sözen Şahne, who conducted the training. Additionally, the Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy at EMU and the President of CTPA presented participation certificates to all attendees. The event concluded with a photo session to commemorate the day.