Team

André Farkouh

THE HEAD OF THE PHARMACY AND HIS PASSION FOR PHARMACEUTICAL AND MEDICAL SCIENCES

André Farkouh, M.D., Ph.D., took over the concession for the “Apotheke zum Schutzengel” in Vienna´s district Währing in July 2015. He is a pharmacist and physician.

He was born in Vienna and his interest in pharmacy started from his father’s side, in the cradle so to speak: his grandfather, father and uncle had graduated in Pharmaceutical Sciences and worked as pharmacology professionals in different positions.

André Farkouh’s father contributed important research and development work to the Austrian pharmaceutical industry and his uncle ran a hospital pharmacy in the USA.

As a teenager he wanted to pursue a career as a physician. His father warned him at the time (the doctor shortage of today was not an issue then): “As a doctor, you will not find a job!”

Hence, after graduating with a Masters Degree in Pharmacy from the University of Vienna, he gained his doctorate in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Diagnostics. At the Vienna General Hospital, the young pharmacist also studied antimicrobial chemotherapy.

His interest in medicine, however, had only been sleeping and was reawakened by various experiences through his pharmaceutical studies. In 2002, he therefore enrolled at the Vienna University (hereafter: Medical University of Vienna) and completed part-time medical studies. After that, he went on to gain practical experience as a physician before finally returning to his original calling as a professional pharmacist.

At first, he practiced in different Viennese pharmacies, which enabled him to gain valuable work and life experience, before deciding in 2015 to take on a new challenge with the acquisition of his own pharmacy.

André Farkouh places high emphasis on the use of so-called evidence-based medicine which is based on patient-oriented decisions being taken on the basis of actual proven efficacy. This is especially important in the care of patients following multiple regimes (polypharmacy) which sees specialisation as a core competence of the pharmacist, thus helping to ensure the safety of the drugs and therapies and to increase the quality of life of patients.

He attaches great importance to the practical training and further education of pharmacists. For many years André Farkouh worked for the Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists teaching aspiring pharmacists and providing them with the basic knowledge required for everyday pharmaceutical work. The course participants were given insights into pharmaceutical disease management, advanced medication analysis and medication management.

There are clinically relevant, gender-specific differences in the efficacy and tolerability associated with many active pharmaceutical ingredients. André Farkouh is also dedicated to this topic and has been lecturing on the course “Gender and Chronopharmacokinetics” at the University of Vienna since 2017. It is very important to him to awaken enthusiasm for the profession of being a pharmacist by imparting knowledge and providing students with lots of useful tips on their way to having professional responsibility.

In his pharmacy “Apotheke zum Schutzengel” he is supported by a great team who prioritise the welfare of patients and customers with high competence and team spirit every day. The high professional level is maintained through ongoing development.

In 2006, he began working as a researcher and lecturer at the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Diagnostics, University of Vienna. André Farkouh is author or co-author of numerous scientific publications. As a reviewer, he assesses the quality of submitted scientific papers for prestigious international journals.

Publications