There is something special about a MyDispense symposium.
On the surface, it is just another education conference. A small and intimate event, where like-minded educators meet to improve pharmacy education, around the MyDispense platform and other simulation technologies. However, in reality, it is much more than that. MyDispense has created a community similar to those involved in open-source software, where collaboration and working to the mutual benefit of all is the key factor.
MyDispense is free, but that does not mean it is a bargain-basement application. In fact, it is regarded as the best simulation system for pharmacy around the world. Used by over 260 schools of pharmacy globally, the experience is the same for prestigious universities and for those that are less well resourced. Thus, our symposia bring together a special blend of dedicated health educators, who have a collaborative mindset and a collective desire to improve medication safety by developing the best possible educational tools.
The MyDispense symposium is the antithesis of a huge conference where speakers are in fear of being criticised by their peers. In fact, we limit numbers to keep the symposium intimate and to allow our attendees to mix and form friendships based on mutual interest.
So, what can you expect from a MyDispense symposium? We think you will agree that:
- It is an opportunity to be involved in making decisions to shape the future of MyDispense and pharmacy education;
- an event in which to meet pharmacy educators from around the world and discover their methodologies;
- A place to discover how MyDispense can be beneficial for your curriculum;
- to explore the many ways that you can incorporate MyDispense into your research;
- to share resources, expertise, experiences and stories.
We have held seven symposia around the world so far and every single event has been a joy to attend. Watching our MyDispense family grow and work together, to make MyDispense better, to share knowledge and resources and to make friends along the way.
MyDispense Global Symposium
In July 2016 we hosted our first MyDispense International Symposium.
The venue of beautiful Prato, in the heart of Tuscany provided a wonderful setting to share experiences and begin to determine what we wanted to achieve with these events.
The symposium was very successful with 40 attendees from 17 countries. It was a truly extraordinary event, where firm collaborations were made. Indeed, people who had never met before the event had forged highly productive connections and friendships by the end.
It set the benchmark for all of our subsequent symposia and is the template that we still follow today.
MyDispense Asia Symposium
Many of the Schools of Pharmacy that use MyDispense are very far from Europe making it particularly difficult for our users in Asia to attend the Global symposium. For this reason, we held our first MyDispense Asia symposium in Kuala Lumpur in 2019. The event was a resounding success, with 38 attendees from 6 countries participating in two days of workshops and discussions.
Once again, we had fantastic engagement from our participants, who embraced the spirit of sharing and collaboration wholeheartedly. Our global MyDispense community grew a little bigger in Kuala Lumpur and we look forward to many more meetings with our colleagues in the region.
MyDispense Philippines Symposium
We have 16 institutions using MyDispense in the Philippines, with many more expressing an interest in the simulation. Led by our indefatigable partner, Dr Erwin Faller, our Philippine users decided to create their own symposium in 2025 and invite us along!
The result was an incredible event which was challenged by not one but two typhoons in the region! The ability of the organising team to pivot under rapidly changing circumstances was truly impressive and we managed to hold a two day event which was very successful.
The event was also attended by over 120 students online, who worked alongside us to complete MyDispense exercises.
We hope the Philippines symposium will become a regular event in our calendar.
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