The scientific programme of the Forbidden City International Pharmacist Conference 2026 featured both Chinese and international speakers from Russia, Brazil, the UK, Vietnam, Germany, Zimbabwe, Spain, Italy, Mongolia, the USA, the Philippines, and other countries. This year, the number of participants exceeded 1,000.

Sechenov University delegation included staff from the Department of Organization of Drug Supply and Pharmacoeconomics at the Institute of Professional Education: Head of Department, Professor Roza Yagudina and Associate Professor Vyacheslav Serpik.

The conference programme covered a wide range of topics, including pharmaceutical workforce training, pharmacovigilance, reimbursement and market access, health technology assessment, rational use of medicines, and personalised medicine — all viewed through the lens of artificial intelligence tools.

In her section presentation, Professor Roza Yagudina spoke about AI capabilities used in pharmacoeconomic evaluation and market access. She delivered her report as a dialogue with her virtual avatar. “I focused on international trends and Russian experience. In particular, I told colleagues how AI tools are used in Russia for preparing and evaluating drug dossiers. With these methods, Russian specialists decide whether or not to include medicines in restrictive lists,” said Yagudina. Her second presentation addressed the specifics of Russian pharmacovigilance practice.

Another Sechenov University expert, Vyacheslav Serpik, explained how the Russian system of paying for medical and drug care through diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) has evolved. DRGs are a healthcare tool that groups clinically similar cases requiring approximately equal financial costs. “I drew colleagues’ particular attention to how Russian specialists identify drug therapy regimens within individual DRGs. This measure allows us to use medicines more rationally,” noted Serpik.

The packed programme of the Forbidden City International Pharmacist Conference 2026 was complemented by the “Pharmacist’s Oath” — a theatrical show about how the pharmacist profession developed in China.