The Department of Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Management, SIES College of Management Studies (SIESCOMS), Nerul, Navi Mumbai, organised an annual healthcare management conference recently. The theme of the conference was 'Healthcare: Technology and Business Challenges', in order to create a cooperative environment in which ideas can be shared on increasing need for the various sectors within the healthcare system.

Addressing the conference, chief guest Prashant Nagre, chief executive officer, Fermenta Biotech discussed certain important challenges in healthcare in India and abroad and the constraints that act as an impediment in the access to affordable healthcare.

He emphasised that technologies are often complex and require an unprecedented level of integration. Because of their impact on patient care, the deployment of any new healthcare technology can easily have a ripple effect on a wide range of clinical, support and business operations. Therefore, healthcare leaders must ensure that technology adoption is done strategically and is properly aligned with their organisation’s mission and goals. He also said, “we have to be innovative to employ technology and use technology to make healthcare accessible and affordable.”

Dr. Qayyum Mukaddam, medical director, Merck Serono, pointed out the challenges faced by physicians and how social media networking can be put to use in medicine. He also stressed that there is an opportunity for life sciences companies in the medical industry to step forward and fill the gap between hospitals, physicians, insurers, and manufacturers in order to improve the customer experience.

Rahul Rajwadkar, senior medical advisor, Pfizer India Ltd., delivered talk on Pharmacovigilance- The industry perspective. Suhas Wadwalkar, senior consultant with leading nutraceutical companies presented talk on Emergence of New Generation Evidence Based Nutraceuticals (NGEBNs) in prescription healthcare. Both the speakers highlighted the challenges in the domain of pharmacovigilance and nutraceuticals.

Gauri Karnik, country portfolio manager, Pfizer India Ltd., shared her insights on value of brand building in the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Janaki Vageeswaran, a senior consultant from pharma industry joined as the Honorary Judge for the poster presentation event.

Poster presentation competition was hosted for the students from the areas of science & technology and management. Numerous entries were received from pharmacy and biotechnology colleges in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Two best posters were rewarded with a cash prize and Certificate of Merit.