Vishala Gokool-Sewram is a pharmacist and healthcare executive with more than 30 years of experience, with deep expertise in the hospital healthcare environment. Her particular areas of interest are hospital pharmaceutical care, clinical pharmacy and healthcare affordability — and, importantly, the intersection between them.

As Pharmacy Director and General Manager for Billing Operations at Netcare, she provides strategic leadership across key areas of the healthcare value chain, working at the intersection of pharmacy practice, clinical care, healthcare funding, operational performance and financial sustainability.

Over more than three decades in healthcare, Vishala has experienced first-hand the evolution of hospital pharmacy and the increasing complexity of healthcare delivery. She is passionate about advancing the role of pharmacy beyond the traditional medicines supply function and strengthening its contribution to clinical outcomes, medication safety, patient care, affordability and the sustainability of healthcare.

Vishala also has a particular interest in the digital transformation of healthcare and the patient journey. She is interested in how connected systems, data, automation and emerging technologies can enable better pharmaceutical care, strengthen clinical decision-making and create a more seamless experience for patients across their healthcare journey.

At the heart of her approach is a belief that clinical quality and affordability should not be competing objectives. Through better use of pharmaceutical expertise, data and technology, healthcare systems have an opportunity to improve patient outcomes while using resources more intelligently and sustainably.

Looking towards the future of pharmacy, Vishala believes pharmacists should not simply respond to technological change, but should actively help shape it — ensuring that digitisation strengthens pharmaceutical care and ultimately delivers safer, more connected, affordable and patient-centred healthcare