Lieutenant General Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Health (SCH), inaugurated the "Artificial Intelligence and Pharmaceutical Economics: Towards Sustainable Healthcare System" (AIPE) conference at the Gulf Hotel's Convention Centre.
Dr. Jaleela bint Al Sayed Jawad Hassan, Minister of Health, was present.
In his opening address, the SCH Chairman highlighted the importance of the conference's discussions on developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and its role in advancing pharmaceutical economics, improving supply chain efficiency and inventory management, and supporting innovation to build more sustainable, resilient and efficient healthcare systems.
Lt. Gen. Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah emphasised that AI could play a significant role in ensuring the continuous availability of medicines and treatments, improving supply chain efficiency and strengthening inventory management. He noted that timely access to medicines is essential to healthcare quality and public safety.
The SCH Chairman explained that intelligent systems can analyse large volumes of data, including medicine consumption rates, seasonal disease patterns, patient information, available stocks, supply schedules and changes in demand. This enables more accurate forecasting of future requirements rather than relying solely on traditional estimates.
Lt. Gen. Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah noted that AI can support the entire supply chain by helping determine appropriate quantities, optimise ordering and delivery schedules, and track products from suppliers to warehouses, healthcare facilities and patients.
The SCH Chairman also highlighted the importance of using these technologies to improve inventory management by determining optimal stock levels, setting priorities and issuing alerts when essential medicines are running low or approaching expiry, contributing to more efficient expenditure.
Lt. Gen. Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah emphasised AI's role in strengthening supply chain resilience and responsiveness to changing conditions, noting that these technologies serve as decision-support tools rather than replacements for human expertise.
The SCH Chairman underscored that their successful implementation requires qualified personnel capable of using them effectively, supported by accurate and reliable data and robust digital infrastructure.
Dr. Aysha Mubarak Bu Onuq, Chairperson of the Conference Organising Committee, said that Bahrain's hosting of the conference reflects a vision to develop a more sustainable, efficient and resilient healthcare system capable of addressing future challenges.
She noted that rapid advances in AI are driving significant transformations across various sectors, including healthcare and pharmaceutical economics.
Dr. Bu Onuq highlighted the importance of harnessing these developments to advance pharmaceutical economics, improve healthcare system efficiency and accelerate innovation while keeping patients' interests at the forefront.
She emphasised that AI presents a strategic opportunity to enhance healthcare efficiency and sustainability by identifying supply chain challenges, improving production, storage and distribution processes, and accelerating pharmaceutical research, development and innovation.