I write this editorial for the first volume in 2021 of the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy to introduce myself as the new Editor-in-Chief and to wish all readers and contributors a very prosperous 2021.

First, a little about me! I am Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Practice at Qatar University and the Manager of Academic Quality Affairs for all health colleges. Until April 2019, I was Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland where I remain a visiting professor. At the end of 2020, I became President of the European Society of Clinical Pharmacy having held the position of Chair of the Research Committee for three years until 2019.

I have been committed to the journal for many years as author, regular reviewer and editorial board member. It is an honour and highlight of my career to take on the role of Editor-in-Chief and to attempt to follow in the footsteps of Foppe van Mil, who had been Editor-in-Chief for 20 years. We all still mourn his passing and I will do my very best to continue his legacy while attempting to advance the journal’s standing in academic and practice circles. I take on this role with a little trepidation but also with a great deal of excitement and hope to bring commitment, energy and drive. I would like to acknowledge the excellent contribution of the associate editors, Filipa Alves da Costa, Vibhu Paudyal, Shusen Sun and especially Yolande Hanssens, who very willingly assumed the role of Interim Editor-in-Chief until my appointment. I am also extremely fortunate to be supported by key individuals at Springer Nature. I look forward to regular communication with our editorial board members who represent more than 20 countries across the globe.

Formerly Pharmacy World & Science until 2010, when renamed as International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, the journal has been published bi-monthly with an impact factor maintained between 1.4 and 1.7. It offers a platform for articles on research in clinical pharmacy, pharmaceutical care and related practice-oriented subjects in the pharmaceutical sciences. Over the next period, the associate editors and I will be reaching out to the editorial board members to review the journal scope and processes for authors and reviewers. If you have any comments or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

This time last year, very few would have predicted the devastating consequences of Coronavirus on individuals, communities and society. It did, however, illuminate to all the role of evidence in informing practice and how practice demands evidence to inform policy. As we enter 2021, I urge you all to continue to innovate and advance clinical pharmacy practice and to research these innovations and advances. We look forward to receiving the resultant high quality submissions of evidence syntheses, primary research, commentaries etc.


With very best wishes,


Derek


Professor Derek Stewart


Editor-in-Chief


International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy.