Dr. Ahmad El Ouweini, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Interim Program Director of the Master of Clinical Pharmacy (MPharm) program at Dubai Medical University (DMU) College of Pharmacy, represented the university at the Forbes Middle East Future Health Summit, where he moderated Panel 8: “Breaking the Cycle: Rethinking Addiction Care.” 

The panel brought together regional experts to examine how addiction is treated across the UAE and the wider region — from the growing role of medication-assisted therapy and the pharmacist’s place within the multidisciplinary care team, to the stigma, relapse risk, and continuity-of-care gaps that often determine whether patients remain in recovery. Dr. El Ouweini guided a discussion featuring Dr. Saeed Hussein, Director of Pharmacy at a UAE rehabilitation center, and Dr. Ghattas Abu Dawoud, a clinical pharmacist practicing in addiction rehabilitation in Dubai. 

Dr. El Ouweini’s participation reflected a dual role at the summit: representing DMU College of Pharmacy as faculty, and representing the Emirates Clinical Pharmacy Society (ECPS), where he serves as Chairperson of the Scientific Committee. He joined fellow ECPS board members at the event, including Dr. Ghattas Abu Dawoud, ECPS Cultural Committee Chairperson and a panelist in the same session, and Dr. Khlood Catroon, ECPS General Secretary, who spoke on a separate panel addressing biosimilars and sustainable healthcare. 

The summit underscored the expanding voice of clinical pharmacy in shaping healthcare policy and patient care across the region.