The Volunteers Behind the FPM Annual Symposium Programme

The FPM Annual Symposium 2025 Working Group is a dedicated group of volunteers who have come together to help design and shape the programme for our flagship event.

Thanks to this group’s enthusiasm and creativity, the programme has a sheer breadth of topics, is thoroughly engaging, and is thoughtfully designed to spark meaningful discussion.

Find out what being part of the Symposium means to them, what excites them most, and why this flagship event holds such importance.

What excites me most about this year’s Symposium is…

that we have deliberately chosen to address the multiple and unpredictable changes we are experiencing, be they technological, geopolitical, or driven by misinformation. These continue to challenge the health agenda, and I look forward to discussing how we can not only respond but lead through them to continue to innovate.

The FPM Annual Symposium is important because…

we will hear from a wide range of highly informed speakers at the top of their field with the experience to articulate the changes, while challenging the audience to take action to influence and effect change in a very different and rapidly changing environment to create opportunities.

Being part of this event means…

being an active participant in the future of our specialty and accepting the challenge to influence these changes. We hope it will act as a call to action for delegates to understand what we all can do differently to bring positive change. Change will not come through reactive or passive responses.

What excites me most about this year’s Symposium is…

the chance to bring together scientists, clinicians, regulators, and communicators to explore how we talk about medicines in real time. Our session on Communicating on the Front Line will tackle the challenges of public trust, misinformation, and complex science-issues that matter more than ever for patient confidence and effective healthcare.

The FPM Annual Symposium is important because…

it provides a unique forum where pharmaceutical medicine professionals can exchange ideas across industry, academia, the NHS, and government. By sharing evidence, debate, and practical experience, the Symposium helps shape policy, improve communication, and strengthen the UK’s role as a global leader in the discovery, development, and responsible use of medicines.

Being part of this event means…

joining a diverse community of colleagues who share a commitment to improving patient care and advancing pharmaceutical medicine. It offers the opportunity to reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, exchange fresh perspectives, and be inspired by the collective expertise and energy that drive progress in our field.

What excites me most about this year’s Symposium is…

the variety of sessions and the speaker line-up. There’s something for everyone!

The FPM Annual Symposium is important because…

I think it’s the main and premier educational event in the calendar for pharmaceutical physicians. It’s an opportunity to learn, network and really understand where the industry has been, what it’s doing, and where it’s heading. If you’re not here, then you’re missing out.

Being part of this event means…

the world to me because it’s a way to ensure that the patient voice is embedded throughout, constantly reminding us of how pharmaceutical medicine is ultimately for the benefit of those affected by health conditions.

What excites me most about this year’s Symposium is…

the New Technologies session, but I would say that as I am chairing it! The session is shaping up to be a very interesting one as we will hear about three new technologies and how they are being developed safely to improve clinical outcomes. Then we will hear how device regulation applies to digital therapeutics and AI.

The FPM Annual Symposium is important because…

we will be considering how to ensure that the development of digital therapeutics and AI learns from the regulation that aims to ensure that pharmaceuticals and devices are developed safely. It is a fast-changing and complex area that has a lot of hype, so it is essential for us to get it right.

Being part of this event means…

hearing what’s new in pharmaceuticals and new technologies. Networking with leaders, new joiners and people like me. Enjoying the day as it is an exciting time to be at the FPM, a very important organisation that supports doctors and other health professionals to develop technologies that transform patient lives for the better.

What excites me most about this year’s Symposium is…

leveraging the opportunity it offers to hear from speakers with a tremendous breadth and depth of knowledge and experience from across the pharmaceutical arena. The event promises to provide a mix of sessions to explore an exceptional range of topics, all of which could have a profound impact on the practice of pharmaceutical medicine globally.

The FPM Annual Symposium is important because…

it provides a high point in the year, a focus for the pharmaceutical community, particularly physicians, FPM members and fellows to congregate, educate, learn, challenge, celebrate and share the practice of pharmaceutical medicine.

Being part of this event means…

we are able to provide a platform to highlight areas where we can harness our collective pharmaceutical medicine expertise and catalyse actions with stakeholders to do more for under-represented groups in research and development. These collaborations could potentially contribute to improving the health of many users of medicines and medical devices worldwide.