PORTUGAL 2005 Part 3

(This story continue from Part 1 and Part 2)

**INFARMED AND ANOTHER EVENING AT RIO TEJO**

I slept early on Sunday's night because I had to woke up early the next day. After breakfasted, I, my colleague and other participants left the hotel on the same coach. Nunu was with us again. We went to ISQ Co., Ltd. for the opening meeting of the training. The opening meeting was simple and warm. Prof. Rogerio Gaspar (I can't remember his full name since it is very long...), who was the coordinator of this training, gave us the key points of the training.

After lunch, a very long one, the opening session was finished. We then started our training by visiting the National Authority of Medicines and Health Products of Portugal: INFARMED (Autoridade Nacional do Medicamento e Produtos de Saúde, I.P.).

Under the aegis of the Ministry of Health the National Authority of Medicines and Health Products, IP is the National Regulatory Authority that evaluates, authorises, regulates and controls human medicines as well as health products namely medical devices and cosmetics.

The INFARMED's main goal is to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines and the quality, safety and performance of health products in order to avoid the risks of their use while ensuring adequate standards of public health and consumer's protection.

Amongst INFARMED's top activities the regulation and supervision of medicinal and health products from research up to their use by healthcare professionals and patients is of particular importance.

INFARMED performs at national and European levels its competences and responsibilities of National Competent Authority on medicines and health products and of Reference Laboratory on the Quality Control of Medicines within the scope of the Network of Official Medicines Control Laboratories (OMCL).

Quoted from: INFARMED

We spent the rest of our time at INFARMED; listening, sharing and discussing many points related to regulating of medicinal products. I then can understand the situation of each ASEAN countries when they asked questions of their interest. I do like to do things like this, understanding the situatino from conversation. It's more art than science since it's not easy to know what is correct and what is hided under the question.

It was after the afternoon tea that we had some time to went outside to shoot some pictures. The surrounding area of INFARMED was very nice, also the buildings. After that we continued our session and exchange souveniors with the chief of INFARMED.

We arrived the hotel at half past six and we feel a bit too tired to go far from the hotel. We then decided to continued our walk at RIO TEJO... it was no rain that day but light was going to faded out and dusk was creeping in. The wind was less strong so it was not too cold for me.

And that's the first long day of mine in Portugal. Almost every weekday, we was trained until the late afternoon. So, next part, I'll shift to the weekend between our training but before this part last, I have 3 nice pictures to share with you. The first and the second was the scenary of a restaurant we visited for lunch a few times that week and the last one, the lisbon tram.

THIS STORY CONTINUE ON PART 4