25-26 March 2026 - Sandton Convention Centre
On Day 1, the programme features a Corporate Stage presentation, “Provide Protection for Your COPD Patients,” highlighting practical strategies to support respiratory health and optimise COPD management in everyday practice.
On Day 2, the Breakfast Symposium brings together pharmacist and GP perspectives to strengthen collaborative, guideline-aligned care for patients living with COPD and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Pharmacy-focused sessions provide practical counselling strategies, inhaler device education, safe medicine guidance, and CKD risk management tools to reduce preventable harm and improve adherence, while GP-led discussions focus on early identification, optimised therapy, and evidence-based interventions to reduce exacerbations, slow disease progression, and improve cardio-renal outcomes. Together, the programme equips primary care teams with actionable insights and practical tools to deliver measurable improvements in patient care.
WHEN: 25, 26 March 2026
WHERE: DAY 1: Corporate Stage, Exhibition Hall 1, DAY 2: Boardrooms 1, 2 & 3 – Sandton Convention Centre
| Time | Topic | Speaker | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13h30 | Provide Protection for Your COPD Patients | Prof Guy Richards |
| Time | Topic | Synopsis | Speaker | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patient journey from pharmacist to HCP | ||||
| 09:15-09:30 | Arrival – Breakfast in foyer | |||
| 09:30-10:00 | COPD | Pharmacist's Perspective: Reframing the impact of pharmacy in COPD Care | This session reframes the role of community pharmacy in COPD care by linking disease burden and the patient journey to practical, pharmacy-led actions. Attendees will learn how focused counselling and education at the counter can improve symptom control, adherence, and quality of life. Device education will be covered – MDI versus DPI – covering correct technique and common pitfalls, and highlight essential treatment principles, contraindications, and cautions for safe use. By the end, participants will gain actionable strategies to elevate COPD outcomes within the pharmacy setting, strengthen collaboration with prescribers, and deliver measurable benefits to patients. | Prof S. Steyn |
| 10:00-10:30 | CKD | Pharmacist's Perspective: CKD at the pharmacy counter: Risks & Actions | This presentation will equip pharmacists to provide concise, safety-focused counselling for patients with or at risk of CKD at the pharmacy counter. From the pharmacist’s perspective, the emphasis will be on the safe use of over‑the‑counter medicines – recognizing potential nephrotoxic agents, understanding their impact on kidney function, and giving clear avoid/adjust guidance alongside side‑effect counselling and when to refer. Practical advice and education on sodium limits, hydration, adherence support, basic renal dose considerations, and a red‑light/green‑light approach to common prescriptions will be shared. Pharmacists will leave with streamlined counselling prompts, quick‑reference checklists, and dietary pointers to support kidney health, reduce preventable harm, and coordinate effectively with prescribers. | Prof S. Steyn |
| 10:30-11:00 | BREAK | |||
| 11:00-11:30 | COPD | General Practitioner's Perspective: COPD: More than just lung disease | From a general practitioner’s perspective, this session will review COPD disease burden and the disproportionate impact of exacerbations on lung function, quality of life, healthcare use, and mortality. Key recommendations from GOLD and local guidelines will be highlighted, compare dual versus triple therapy with a focus on the role of ICS (including eosinophil-guided use and pneumonia risk), and synthesize insights from the latest clinical trials. Emphasis is placed on early identification, accurate diagnosis, and timely guideline-aligned treatment – underscoring where mortality benefit is observed with optimized therapy and risk reduction. Attendees will obtain practical steps to personalize COPD care and reduce exacerbations in the primary care setting. | Dr Naidu |
| 11:30 -12:00 | CKD | General Practitioner's Perspective: From albuminuria to action, CKD management | This session will support general practitioners to translate early CKD signals into timely, guideline‑aligned action. Discussion will be around demystifying UACR and eGFR, stage CKD quickly to guide counselling, and clarify key thresholds (A2/A3 albuminuria, eGFR breaks) for escalation and monitoring cadence. Practical actions and follow‑up timing are outlined to reduce progression risk and enhance cardio‑renal outcomes, with a brief case study to reinforce real‑world application. By strengthening early identification, diagnosis, and treatment, General Practitioners can improve patient safety and achieve measurable benefits, including reduced hospitalization and mortality risk. | Dr Naidu |
| Q&A | ||||
| QR Code feedback | ||||
| 12:10 | Close |
