Newsletter V18E2(1) - EPSA

Promoting the role of
Pharmacists as providers of
healthcare in the community
Across Europe, Governments and the general public are expecting pharmacists to play a more active role in the
provision of healthcare in the community. More than ever before, pharmacists have a primary care role and
are the first port of call for consumers with a minor health problem.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare is working with pharmacists across Europe to
support their role as primary care experts through its “Ask Your Pharmacist First” initiative.
Ask your Pharmacist First is a unique partnership between GSK and pharmacists currently operating in more than 20
countries in Europe. Its objectives are to:
Help promote pharmacists as experts
Encourage people to visit pharmacies more frequently
Provide training for pharmacists and assistants so they can offer the best professional advice to their customers
This support programme incorporates consumer advertising and extensive pharmacy training materials. The most recent
example of GSKs “Ask Your Pharmacist First” initiative in action can be seen in the area of obesity.
®
®
In January 2009, GSK received a non-prescription licence for alli (orlistat 60mg). alli is the first non-prescription weight
loss aid to receive a licence from the European Commission.
®
What is alli ?
alli® is a weight loss aid for adults who are overweight with a
BMI of 28kg/m2 or more and should be used with a reduced
calorie, lower-fat diet.
alli® can help people lose 50% more weight compared to
®
dieting alone. So for every two kilograms lost by dieting, alli
could help lose one kg more.
Pharmacists are ideally placed to help provide
customers with information and support whilst
they are undertaking a weight-loss programme.
Pharmacy support and training through
“Ask Your Pharmacist First”
GSK offers comprehensive training to ensure that
pharmacists and pharmacy assistants are fully informed
about alli® and the support programme.
To date, more than 200,000 pharmacy staff in over 60,000
pharmacies across Europe have been trained. The training
includes workshops, distance learning and comprehensive
detail aids.
This is a great example of how GSK is working
closely with European pharmacists to help
people to live a healthier and longer life.
References
1
WHO. The challenge of obesity in the WHO European region. Fact sheet Euro/13/05. 2005. Available from: www.euro.who.int/document/mediacentre/fs1305e.pdf
2
Orlistat 60 mg in conjunction with diet provides significant reduction in visceral adipose tissue.
st
Poster presented at: 1 International Congress on Abdominal Obesity, 2009, Hong Kong.
3
Greenway F, Smith SR, Murray K et al. Orlistat 60 mg demonstrates a significant reduction in visceral adipose tissue at 24 weeks compared with placebo.
st
Poster presented at: 1 International Congress on Abdominal Obesity, 2009, Hong Kong.
2
Table of contents and Editor’s words
Presidential words
4
1st of December: World AIDS Day
20
7th EPSA Autumn Assembly
6
Emerging trends for Pharmaceutical Social Media
21
4th EPSA Executive Meeting
8
Meet the EPSA Trainers
22
19th GA of EuroPharm Forum
9
Training in USF
24
IFISO Autumn Meeting
10
10 years of EPSA’s Permanent Office
25
ANEPF Congress
11
Interview with Luís Machado
26
Pharmacy Students Against Obesity
12
Interview with Dr. Roberto Frontini
27
Individual Mobility Project in Poland
14
Interview with Mr. Ton Hoek
28
My First Experience as an EPSA Member
16
IPSF Corner
30
Meet AISFA, the newest EPSA Member!
17
EPSA Executive Contacts
31
Research & Development: The true discovery!
19
Dear EPSA Friends,
It is my pleasure to present you the second edition of
the 18th Volume of EPSA Newsletter.
Many changes took place within EPSA since the last
Autumn Assembly in Helsinki, where you had the
chance to read the first edition of this publication:
EPSA has now a new associate member, a blog was
created, new IMP placements were promoted, a new
training event is being organized, the alumni project
was re-launched, we are now in 2011!... This edition
of EPSA Newsletter aims to give you an overall of what
is happening in EPSA and within the Pharmaceutical
World!
Besides this, in this issue of the EPSA Newsletter
you will be able to read interesting interviews with Mr.
Ton Hoek, FIP CEO and General
Secretary, Dr. Roberto Frontini, EAHP
President and also an interview with
Luís Machado, EMSA Permanent
Officer.
I hope you will find this Newsletter at
your home or faculty, but if you don’t
you know that you can always find it
online! www.epsa-online.org!
Mariana Fróis
EPSA Vice President of Public Relations
3
Presidential Words
Dear EPSA friends,
With great pleasure I introduce you to the second issue
of the Newsletter of the EPSA team of 2010/2011. I
would like to again congratulate our Vice President of
Public Relations, Mariana Fróis, for another diverse
and well-composed EPSA Newsletter!
The past autumn and winter has contained several
interesting events, and you can read articles about the
EPSA Autumn Assembly, the latest IFISO Meeting and
the EuroPharm Forum Conference. I had the pleasure
to welcome a large part of the EPSA team and a representative from EMSA to my part of Europe (Oslo,
Norway) for the 4th EPSA Executive Meeting held
right before Christmas. The team has continued to
be present at professional events, which benefits our
members in terms of strengthened collaborations and
event reports that can give our members an insight
in what the different events are like (accessible from
our webpage). We have also been present at some of
YOUR events, for example the ANEPF Congress and
the NAPSer Annual Congress. It is truly fantastic to be
present at a member’s event, and see what is going on
in the organisations up close.
The next EPSA event is the Annual Reception, which will
again be held in the European Parliament in Brussels in
February. The topic is “The Pharmacist of tomorrow developing new roles to meet professional challenges”,
which we believe is an important topic. Ongoing
discussions about the requirements of pharmacists in
relation to their mobility will become important for our
future as pharmacists, since the changing role of the
pharmacist is also changing the point of view of what
should be their minimum requirements. We want to
explore this topic by inviting different stakeholders to a
session containing presentations on the topic, followed
by a roundtable discussion.
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This year EPSA is proud to celebrate 10 year of the EPSA
Permanent Office. It was first established in Leiden, The
Netherlands, associated with SIR (Stevenshof Institute
for Pharmacy Practice Research). In 2004 it moved
to Brussels, Belgium, and the EPSA headquarters
has been situated in the offices of PGEU (the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union) since then.
There is no doubt that being based in Brussels with a
representative from the EPSA Executive provides our
association with many benefits, mainly ensuring that
EPSA is constantly updated on what is going on in the
world of Pharmacy in Europe and enabling EPSA to
maintain a closer contact with its partners.
AEFFUL and EPSA are currently preparing for the
biggest event of the year. The 34th Annual Congress is
going to be held in Lisbon, Portugal, in April, gathering
450 EPSA members eager to learn more about the
topic “Pharmacovigilance – keeping our eyes open and
our medicines safe”, to meet other pharmacy students
from all over Europe and to experience the amazing
EPSA Spirit!
As we are now in the last half of the mandate I feel very
proud of my team and what we have accomplished
so far. If you would like to know more about this, use
our webpage for what it is worth! There you can find
information on the development of the EPSA projects,
as well as the activities of the other member associations
in EPSA and what the EPSA team members are up to.
Anette Aaland Krokaas
EPSA President 2010/2011
5
7th EPSA Autumn Assembly
“Inspiring, impressive, motivating, fun and unforgettable!”
Five days before departure, we wanted to withdraw
our registration. We still went to an information
evening of the Dutch Pharmaceutical Students
Association (K.N.P.S.V.), where EPSA-representative Chiara van Rodijnen gave an enthusiastic
speech, supported by beautiful images of past
EPSA-experiences. Not sure whether it were the
cheerful photo’s or her comment about how fruitful
this experience was for your number of Facebookfriends, but something did it: my roomie and I
decided to go for it! And I’m so happy we did.
Opening Ceremony
The first night was the opening ceremony. Très chic,
held in the beautiful City Hall. We were welcomed
by an elegant, posh lady, followed by another one.
I felt important, walking around with a glass of wine
in the hand, seeing many new and very international
faces. There were speeches and singing of a group
of Finnish pharmacy students. After the ceremony
followed the first party. Interesting, because it was
before 10 PM and people were going wild already.
“That’s the EPSA-spirit, you’ll see”, my Norwegian
hotelroomie said. I liked it: we partied hard and took a
cab around midnight already to recover from the day.
Workshops, lectures and conference
The next morning we left early to have breakfast on
time and attend the conference. First was a French
lady who worked at the European Commission,
Directorate-General Enterprise and Industry. I was
very much attracted by her carreer. She had finished
Pharmacy and done a Masters in European Relations,
a topic which has always fascinated me. I never
knew you could end up like that with Pharmacy!
Prejudices
Monday we left, looking back now, as unworldly little
girls. Without a clue of what to expect, we looked our
eyes out in the cold and somewhat strange Finnish
capital, Helsinki. At the hotel we got rid of our relaxed
travel outfits and rushed into fancy dresses that we
usually couldn’t wear anywhere else. I thought of the
SATC-quote: “All dressed up, but nowhere to go”,
which I’ve thought more than once in Groningen.
Well, we surely had somewhere to go to now!
6
The next speaker was a professor, researcher
and entrepreneur from Nottingham. Enthusing
about his findings and his experiences as a
professor, pharmacist, researcher and father.
Never before has something or someone made the
research field look so appealing to me as he did.
The atmosphere of the evening is indescribable, but
I can definitely say that it must have been one of the
nicest, most fun and filled with giggles evenings of my
life.
Post-EPSA depression
After him came the Portuguese eyecandy who had
started a company in response to the crisis that
pharmacists increasingly found in Portugal. His
conclusion therefore was the quote: “In every crisis
lies a seed of opportunity.” Amén amigo, Amén!
There were many other speakers, interactive lectures
and workshops in which you could participate. All very
instructive, interesting and often eye-opening.
International evening
In all European languages I learned to say “Cheers!”.
Unfortunately nothing was written down, so I lost it
all again. The international night, held in a room with
rows of tables transformed into a bazaar-like haven of
European stalls, was amazing. Each country garnished
their own table with the national colors and flags,
decorations and typical characteristic snacks and
drinks. Dressed in our -surprise surprise!- very orange
costumes, we visited the other countries, tasted
whatever looked appetizing, heard explanations about
the typical delicacies from the land, trying to learn
foreign words to toast and doing shots. One try-out
I won’t ever forget: a Swiss chocolate-beverage, that
had a spontaneous endorphin-releasing effect on me!
Hmmm…
Back in the Netherlands Chiara’s Facebook comment
proved truthful: friend invites and tag-notifications
poured in. Status-updates claiming to suffer from
after-EPSA depressions, with all co-EPSA-goers “liking”
the status update, because only they could understand
the seriousness of the post-EPSA depression.
You must experience it, to understand what is meant by
the EPSA-spirit. In addition to interesting lectures, you
make lifelong contacts that you may later find helpful.
You gain new insights, impressions and experiences.
You make international friends, your future European
colleagues, who do the same study and often share
the same humor.
It was beautiful, instructive, inspiring, impressive,
memorable and motivating. I’m looking forward to the
congress in Lisbon, April 2011. Will you be there too?
Shanaz Barzandji
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, The Netherlands
7
4th EPSA Executive Meeting
Oslo, Norway, 17th - 20th December 2010
When I say December, you say… Christmas?
Santa Claus? Rudolf the reindeer? Or is it maybe…
4th EPSA Executive Meeting? If this answer is in
your top 3, then … Congratulations! You are an
EPSAholic!
For us, EPSAholics, the month of December is not only
about singing carols and unwrapping gifts, mistletoe
and writing letters to Santa. And if we do write a letter
to Santa, we ask for grants, new EduBoard projects,
more IMP placements, an EPSA Database, maybe
dare a little more and ask for an EPSA House.
For us, EPSAholics, the month of December is also
about travelling to foreign lands and getting together
with one purpose: Executive Meeting. Some time has
passed since the Autumn Assembly and the work
done in the meanwhile has to evaluated.
Traditionally, the 4th EPSA Executive Meeting is
organized in the president’s homeland. Therefore, this
year, the EPSA Team had to get on the plane, face
the snowstorms and blizzards and fly up-north to
Oslo, Norway for the Executive Meeting scheduled on
the 18th -19th of December. Arms wide open, EPSA
president, Anette Aaland Krokaas gave her team a
warm welcome!
8
During this Executive Meeting, the team has discussed
the work which had been done since the Autumn
Assembly in Helsinki, the reports were analysed and
commented upon and feedback was given. Even
though they weren’t in Oslo, Jurij Obreza (VP Mobility)
and João Duarte (VP Education) could both be actively
involved in discussing key points in the agenda because
they joined the meeting through video conference. One
of the important points in the agenda was filling the
position of Partnership Coordinator, thus candidates
for this position were interviewed online and a decision
would be taken by the Executive shortly. In addition,
the team also focused on setting some final priorities
for the last 4 months of the mandate.
Furthermore, the EPSA Team welcomed a special guest,
Suleyman Yildiz, EMSA Medical Education Director.
EPSA seeks to establish a good relationship with
EMSA, as well as with other student NGOs, because
sharing information and knowledge helps us grow and
improve. Suleyman presented EMSA, EMSA’s current
projects and there were discussions about projects
which could be developed by EMSA in collaboration
with EPSA. And us, EPSAholics, presented EPSA to
Suleyman: we made sure he experienced the EPSA
spirit to the fullest. So he became familiar with the
EPSA hit „Muevelo”, he participated in the traditional
Secret Santa gift exchange, he joined the EPSA field
trip to the Oslo National Galery of Art and witnessed
the EPSA choir perform „Can you feel the love tonight”
and „Favas com Chouriço” with piano accompaniament provided by the very talented Marianne Arnemo.
As conclusion, special thanks are addressed to the
Norwegian RC: Marianne Arnemo, Rose-Marie Stange
Bekkevold and Kari Christiane, leaded by Anette, the
chairperson. They made our Oslo experience extremely
enjoyable, most likely memorable and... terribly cold!
Raluca Negricea
EPSA Parliamentary Council Member
19th GA of EuroPharm Forum
Making work fun!
The EuroPharm Forum is a joint network of national
pharmaceutical associations and the World Health
Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe
which was founded in January 1992. The mission
of the EuroPharm Forum is to improve health in
Europe according to priorities set by the WHO.
On September 30th 2010, EPSA was invited as an
observer association to the 19th EuroPharm Forum
General Assembly that was held in WHO/Europe
headquarter in Copenhagen, Denmark. The agenda of
General Assembly was very similar to the one we are
used to see on EPSA’s GAs: Annual reports, financial
results of the previous year, membership payment,
future forums directions, proposals for the budget in
2011, announcing place for the next annual meeting,
etc. The topic of the main discussion held during this
meeting was exchanging ideas for implementation of
pharmacy practice and led to the declaration on the
Role of Pharmacists in Individual Patient Care.
What caught my attention the most, while attending this
GA, was its incredible and efficient working atmosphere.
It was very interesting to observe how the members
were behaving both very professional and easy-going.
During the breaks, between the agenda’s points, there
were funny conversations and include jokes from time
to time, to move aside the serious talk and discussion.
Does this kind of “mental break” remind you of EPSA’s
energizers during GA? Yes, indeed. In some points I
really felt like I am sitting on one of the EPSA’s General
Assemblies.
For me, as representative of a students’ organization,
for being invited as an observer I was very honoured
and delighted. Not only because I took part in
“closed” discussions that were taking place between
professional associations, but also because EPSA
was invited to address the Assembly. In my speech,
on EPSA’s behalf, I gave a brief overview of EPSA’s
work and projects that our association has achieved
successfully. From the students’ point of view I
stressed the importance of having open discussions
with professional organizations and the need of
having close collaboration between students and
professionals.
Attending EuroPharm Forum got me think that EPSA
has really become a respectable and well known
students’ organization. Our goals and achievements
are crossing limits that are respected by professional
organizations that want to include us more in their
work. Good collaboration and understanding between
students and experts should be kept in daily basis and
we are looking forward to have them more!
Dina Cvijetić
EPSA Education and Professional Affairs Coordinator
9
IFISO Autumn Meeting
Istanbul, Turkey, 7th – 11th October 2010
The Informal Forum of International Student
Organizations (IFISO) is a non-political and non-profit
forum for various student-run organizations.
Currently it consists of 27 student organizations,
covering more than two million students all
together. Annual IFISO meetings are normally
held twice a year, hosted by local committees of
member organizations.
Technical University. The discussions were about the
cooperations between different NGOs, fundraising of
NGOs, organization of IFISO meetings, IFISO logo
and website. We also had presentations of Study
Portals and Zero Generation. Other important topic
of the meeting was LSS (Leadership Summer School)
which is a high quality training event created by IFISO
member associations. We discussed about how we
can have this event better organized and how we can
involve more IFISO members by upgrading the quality
of the sessions. During this day we have also appointed
AEGEE as the next host of IFISO Spring Meeting 2011.
On Sunday we had an evaluation meeting in which
we considered this event to be successful and fruitful.
Then, despite the cold and rainy weather, which
is not very usual in October for Istanbul though,
we managed to take an enjoyable sightseeing.
As a result, attending the meeting was a good
experience for us since we had the chance to meet
different people from different NGOs, to get to know
their structure, projects, joint projects and cooperations.
Autumn IFISO meeting was held in Istanbul, Turkey
organized by local group ESTIEM from 7th to
11th October 2010. Me and Başak Özcan (EPSA
Grant Coordinator) attended the meeting as representatives of EPSA. This was the first time that
we attended an IFISO meeting, also an amazing
one with many souvenirs and great experiences.
There were 12 NGOs present at the meeting: AEGEE,
BEST, ESTIEM, EPSA, EFPSA, ESN, IFSA, IVSA,
EESTEC, IAAS, IFMSA, IPSF. The meeting started
Thursday evening, in a small and authentic bar in a
beautiful quarter of Istanbul, near bosphorus. The
atmosphere of this welcome evening was quite lovely
– this was definitely a good start for participants to get
to know each other better. Friday and Sunday were
working days when we discussed and brainstormed
with other NGO representatives in a very ancient
palace which is now serving as a campus of Yıldız
10
We would like to thank EPSA executive who
delegated and encouraged us to attend the meeting.
Also thanks to local ESTIEM group for hosting this event
and making us so comfortable during the weekend.
Gözde Sönmez
EPSA Parliamentary Council Member
ANEPF Congress
Bordeaux, France, 15th - 17th October 2010
Dear friends,
I’ve been involved in EPSA since 2005 and been fan
of the French delegation ever since. I never attended
one of their events – such as Le Crit, General Assembly
or Congress -, although I was invited a few times.
When I thought I would end the international chapter,
I managed to buy the faluche at the IPSF auction. My
baptism was during le Crit, which was unforgettable
and le crit reminded me carnaval, like I celebrate in
my hometown. If le Crit was great, I would bet their
congress will be great too.
Saturday morning the helpers woke us up at 7 am to
be on time for breakfast and lecture at the university
which was about 30 min by bus. Here I attended the
IPSF promotional talk from Jan and attended the joint
workshop of Inka and Helen about leadership. However,
the students struggled to stay awake; they were
interested in the workshop. After this, the international
students joined the VIP’s at the wine tasting. Then it
was time for the gala.
The gala dinner was great and the party was excellent.
It reminded me at the EPSA congress in Reims few
years ago. Different than an EPSA congress is that
their GA is on the last day after the gala. Unfortunately
I missed the GA due to 10 hours train travel back to
Utrecht.
I want to take the opportunity to congratulate the new
ANEPF executive. It was a great pleasure to attend
the congress and hopefully I’ll attend another ANEPF
event.
Yours,
Due to classes I arrived – with hour delay due to strike
– on the 2nd day of the congress just in time for the
reception. Here I was reunited with several French
I’ve met during EPSA/IPSF congresses and Le Crit.
The international delegation was huge: Jan Röder
(IPSF president), Inkatuuli Heikkinen (EPSA Training
Officer), Helen Rose (previous IPSF LIT coordinator),
Mojca (SSSFD member) and Néill Harney, Andrew
Duncan and Abbas Kanani (BPSA members). After the
reception it was time for dinner and to party. There I met
old friends and made new friends. Normally a congress
rookie gets appointed a godfather/mother, but I arrived
later, so Marien Rouchon (ANEPF LS/CP) was doubt to
be my godfather. This person has to take care of you
and introduce you to new people other than your own
city. Brilliant idea, in my opinion!
Thanh Huynh
K.N.P.S.V., The Netherlands
11
Pharmacy Students Against Obesity
Zagreb, Croatia, 17th – 24th November 2010
How was the idea of organizing this Quatrino born?
Well, the idea of organizing a Twinnet Programme
was in our minds for some time and when we
were presented the Youth in Action grant we
decided not to miss that chance. This was the first
big project of CPSA’s new Executive Board. With
the full collaboration of the ex-Executive Board,
we proposed a programme for our exchange
and got the grant. Using all means possible,
LS group and personal contacts, we found our
partners for this event: Lithuania, Malta and Turkey.
November 17
After months of preparation, the first day of our project
arrived. Through the whole day our guests were arriving
to Zagreb. After dinner, we all had a small meeting,
where we discussed our plans for next few days
and used the opportunity to get to know people that
were going to spend the next amazing six days with.
November 18 and 19
These 2 days were dedicated to workshops about
food supplements, consequences of different diets,
body activity and impacts from different diets. All
of these workshops were held by members from
different countries. We discussed about food habits
12
in our countries and came to the conclusion that the
food we eat doesn’t match our physical activities.
We also had short presentations about each country,
where we presented natural beauties, customs and
food. The evenings were a chance for our guests to
enjoy Zagreb’s nightlife, shopping and ice-skating.
November 20
Saturday was reserved for our trip to a Croatian
National Park, the Plitvice Lakes. We spent all day
sightseeing, enjoying beautiful waterfalls, lakes and
nature in its purest form. At the end of our walking
tour we had a small workshop on the amount of
calories burned during our tour and made some
posters about the nutritional information in different
food. We came back to Zagreb in the afternoon and
used the rest of the day to sightsee Zagreb and hang
out with our new friends in a private atmosphere.
November 21
Sunday morning we went to a local school gym where
we played basketball, volleyball, badminton, etc. The
goal of this part of our programme was to show that
physical activities can be very fun, which our guests later
confirmed. Since we spent whole Saturday walking and
Sunday morning in different sport activities we decided
to spend a Sunday evening in a more relaxed tone.
We prepared ourselves for the obligations yet to come.
We distributed a questionnaire about eating habits
and we made a brochure that was given to Zagreb’s
citizens. The main purpose of the questionnaire was
to see how eating habits change during student life.
The brochure contained all the knowledge that we
gathered in the prior days about obesity, unhealthy
food, genuine lack of physical activities and we also
offered solutions to these problems.
November 22
On Monday we went to Zagreb’s Student Center and
asked students questions from the questionnaire, gave
them our brochures, measured their body mass index
and fat percentage and explained them the importance
of a healthy and balanced diet. The Croatian National
Television crew also came there and made a feature for
their programme about our Quatrino. We spent the rest
of the day making a video for the kids in kindergarten
about the importance of a healthy diet and analyzing
the student’s responses to our questionnaire. In the
evening we organized a search for planet’s models
that make an artistic installation called “Zagreb’s solar
system” spread in different parts of Zagreb and after
that our guests from Malta made us a fantastic dinner.
we spent part of the night tasting everything. We spent
the other part partying at a night club and using the last
moments to enjoy ourselves with our new friends.
November 24
The last day of our project, the 24th of November,
came quickly, we said goodbye to our new friends and
thanked them for this great experience. We hope to
see them again!
As the organizers of Twinnet Program, we feel
very happy for the success of this event and would
recommend to every association to undertake a
mobility project: it surely is a unique way to meet fellow
students, learn and have fun. We are eagerly waiting
for our partners to call us to their countries so we can
continue this amazing project!
Jelena Banjac
LS for CPSA (Croatian Pharmacy and Medical
biochemistry Students’ Association) 2010/2011
November 23
On the last day we finished the video for children and
gave a presentation to high school students on how
their eating habits will probably change when admitted
in university. We also gave them some advice about
how to prevent that. In the evening we organized an
International Night. Every country brought food and
drinks that are characteristic for their homeland and
13
Individual Mobility Project in Poland
Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Medicine
The first time I ever saw an announcement of IMP
I was checking my e-mail. I had no idea of what
it was, but it caught my attention and I went to
the EPSA’s website for more information. Then I
thought: “Going to Krakow for 3 months to do an
internship in Hospital Pharmacy with the chance
to visit a new country and know new people?” Of
course I applied but I was not really expecting to
be selected among all the students.
So, as you see, filling in the application form and
prepare some documents it’s not that hard and can be
extremely rewarding.
After that I just had to pack what I would need for a
three months adventure including, of course, warm
clothes. I knew I would find low temperatures but not
so low. It was great that white scenery all over the city
but -20ºC is… as Portuguese, it is a little bit extreme
for me!
I was placed in a student’s residence twenty minutes far
from the center of Krakow by tram. The accommodation
was paid by the project but all the other expenses were
supported by me. However, for those who have now the
chance, it’s a great opportunity to get some experience
in certain areas while knowing new places and cultures
and meeting new people. I deeply recommend!
João Orfão
IMP Trainee
IMP Website will soon be lauched!
The IMP Board is currently working on IMP new website!
On this online platform you will be able to find all the necessary
information about Individual Mobility Project, to meet the
National and Local Coordinators, to find out the partners
and, of course, to get yourself updated with the new IMP
placements gathered by the IMP Board. Besides this, tne new
website will also allow our students to apply for IMP online!
Interested? Stay tuned!
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My first experience as an EPSA member
A challenge worth trying!
Being a student it doesn’t mean just taking a new challenge for me. I was really impressed by
part of courses, it means more and now the high standards of working, by the fact that each
“more” means for me being an EPSA member. person was dedicated to contribute with something
new and last but not least I was delighted by the warm
reception the board offered me. During the congress I
participated at the educational conferences, General
Assemblies and training sessions but I can’t forget to
mention the great atmosphere of the parties. For me
it was the perfect match of achieving valuable pieces
of information, developing my skills, exchanging
cultural views, socializing and making new friends.
I always was the kind of person who wanted to
experience new things. After I started my studies I
was looking for something extra, something that could
develop me as a future pharmacist. One day, my
mother phoned me and told me to search quickly on
the Internet. She said she found something that suits
me best and that’s how the story began. I found EPSA!
I stood in front of the laptop for hours reading about
EPSA’s program, my heart was beating just because
of the fact that I knew this was what I was looking
for. I decided to apply as an Individual Member
taking into account the advantages of being one.
First of all I receive all the newsletters directly at
home. I also receive the minutes of the EPSA General
Assemblies. All in all, being an IM gives you the
freedom to stay in touch with EPSA’s team and events.
And so I became an individual member of EPSA and
I had the great chance to take part of the Autumn
Assembly in Helsinki and there aren’t enough words to
describe my feeling of being there. I had the pleasure
to face the real EPSA spirit and every day there was
16
This is just the beginning so I look forward experiencing
new challenges in EPSA!
Laura Scurtu
EPSA Individual Member
Meet AISFA, the newest EPSA Member!
Associazione Italiana Studenti di Farmacia
This Autumn in Helsinki had the pleasure to
participate in the 7th EPSA Autumn Assembly
organised by FiPSA, Finland. During this event
took place the 40th EPSA General Assembly
and on Thurday, 28th October 2010, the GA
accepted AISFA, Italy, as EPSA Associate
Member! A new and important step was given
both for EPSA and for Italian pharmacy students.
Ivi Toska, AISFA Liaison Secretary, explains you what
is AISFA, what are their projects and how are they
experiencing these first months as EPSA members.
Our team is small, but efficient. Our students are our
priority. Therefore you will be asking yourselves: What
does AISFA to achieve this and of what exactly consists
AISFA’s Executive work?
We work on the organization of lectures, seminars
and workshops, scientific conferences, projects with
different associations and companies, self-financing
projects such as AISFA – Adrenalin T-shirts, various
gadgets; We arrange visits to pharmaceutical industries
and we provide stages and practical trainings for senior
students or young graduates. We also try to help our
students with their exams by having a “database” with
notes of different subjects, accessible to our members,
with the aim of helping them study these subjects
Our members can also use a special lecture room.
Another thing we are proud of is our newspaper,
our publication, called MERCURIO: Four issues
per year and over 5000 copies per issue!
IAISFA is the Italian Pharmacy Student’s Association.
It was founded in May 2009 by some pharmacy
students from Genoa’s School of Pharmacy. At this
moment, AISFA represents three Italian Schools
of Pharmacy: Faculty of Pharmacy in Genoa,
Catania and Salerno. Together AISFA represents
more than 1200 Italian pharmacy students.
If I had to use only one sentence to describe AISFA’s
activities I would say that “we try our best to stay
near to the students, by their side, to help them
as much as possible in facing their university life
and provide them opportunities for professional
growth that will be useful in their future carrier”.
I would like to mention the fact we have a lot of future
aims and programmes so, hopefully, our contribution
in the pharmaceutical students’ life will be worthier and
worthier in the future. Now that we are finally a member
of EPSA some of these future aims can finally be fulfilled!
This is one of the most important achievements for us.
17
The Annual Congress in Reims 2009 was the event
in which we got the wonderful chance to meet EPSA,
where we become aware of what this association
represents, how does it works, how are things organized
and where we could experience an amazing EPSA
event, that I would defined as an unique experience!
Fortunately we could handle it successfully. It was like
an obstacle we overcame that’s why it gave us more
self-confidence and it increased further our willing to be
part of EPSA. This ambition was crowned in Helsinki
during the 7th EPSA AA 2010.
We are so glad that finally we joined this family, now
we can bring the Italian spirit, acquaintance and
contribution. We are grateful to all of you for making
this possible. Hoping it will be a long collaboration
between us I’d like to inform you that we are open to
every offer you might have, just feel free to contact us
anytime.
Ivi Toska
AISFA – Responsabile Relazioni Internazionali
EPSA Liaison Secretary
Italian National IMP Coordinator
Quite immediately we realized that we had found
a brand new goal, which was becoming part of this
European pharmaceutical youth reality, becoming part
of the EPSA family and that’s why back in Genoa in our
minds spontaneously came an idea, which seemed
apparently ‘crazy’: Hosting the 6th EPSA Autumn
Assembly 2009.
I purposely used the word crazy, not only because we
had no experience in EPSA events but also because it
was a race against time. We all remember it as a very
busy period, nail biting but awesome at the same time.
There was a lot of hard work to be done, but there was
also willing, desire and enthusiasm in the air. It was like
a challenge we dared to deal with.
18
Research & Development: The true discovery
A month ago a publication at Nature Reviews Drug
Discovery discussed about a number of new drugs
approved by the FDA and pointed out that few
drugs are actually new in structure and therapeutic
use, whereas most of the approved ones where
substitutes or analogues of known substances.
Based on that, this article speaks about the
importance of discovering new compounds for
different diseases.
A common truth is the need for new anti-bacterial
drugs. Resistance problems and the use of these
drugs, sometimes for no reason, created a need for
new agents that will be effective and able to deal
with the problem of the resistance mechanisms the
bacteria develop. Although guidelines (EMEA, FDA,
Governments) have tried to deal with the issue,
however, no actual solution has been given.
Another important field where the demand for new
drugs is high relates to orphan drugs and the diseases,
those drugs mean to deal with. The word “orphan”
refers to low prevalence (1 out of 2000 people)
diseases and is connected both to rare diseases
and diseases that are not very frequent in developed
countries.In addition, because of the low demand and
the high R&D costs, pharmaceutical companies avoid
to design and develop these drugs. While, guidelines
have been created, together with financial support; in
order companies to have the incentives to work in that
field, however only few biotechnology companies are
actually suppliers for these drugs.
On contrary to what is stated above, a lot of work is being
done for new anti-cancer agents. The development of
new drugs in the past 15 years was blasting. A great
number of new compounds approved from FDA are
related to the treatment of cancer. The high cost for
selling these drugs combined with the increasing
demand due to the complexity and differentiation of
the disease, leads the innovation procedure. Except
biotechnology companies that are the major suppliers
and designers of new compounds, the “market” for
cancer treatment has also attracted pharmaceutical
companies, such Bayer-Onyx (together they created
Sorafenib, an inhibitor of angiogenesis). Moreover,
the discovery for new compounds for self-immune
diseases is driven in the same way with the anti-cancer
drug need.
Finally, the need for new drugs can be really positive
for the companies. What has led to the evolution of
drug discovery was the R&D. The first molecules
synthesized into laboratories gave companies large
profits and the use of patents secured those profits
for more than 15 years. However, the creation of
companies that produce generic drugs created a form
of low selling-cost competition and reduced the power
of companies especially for common diseases, such
cardiovascular, diabetes etc. However, what generic
companies cannot do is to “imitate” R&D methods for
new drug discovery.
Giorgios Vasilopoulos
EPSA Science Coordinator
19
1st of December: World AIDS Day
30 years fighting AIDS
Every year, the 1st of December is dedicated to
raise awareness to one of the worst diseases
mankind could face – AIDS (Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome). AIDS has killed more than
25 million since it was discovered in 1981 and an
estimated 33.2 million people worldwide live with
HIV as of 2007.
One powerful way to prevent the spreading of HIV is
talking about it, making other people aware of how
it affects life’s quality. Campaigning proves to be an
excellent tool for education and awareness and in
numerous cases very effective. Such an example
was the campaign held by the Malta Pharmaceutical
Students’ Association (MPSA).
With the debut on the 1st of December, MPSA’s
campaign organizers gave life to the red ribbon (the
symbol for AIDS). Spreading informative material in the
leading pharmacies was just the beginning as they also
promoted the event using posters, bookmarks, leaflets
and the internet.
How can you fight against AIDS?
Basically the tips of not getting infected with HIV
are well-know. Despite that, the number of HIV-positive
patients does not decrease significantly as we would
expect. So mentioning them again won’t do any harm:
AIDS is cause by a virus called HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). Although being HIV-positive does
not mean one has AIDS, the patient may develop this
disease in time.
The virus is easily transmitted throughout blood,
vaginal fluid, semen and breast milk. There were cases
of transmission also though oral sex and deep kissing
(especially in cases of open sores or bleeding gums).
The virus will multiply in the host for a few weeks, period
in which the transmission in possible. The symptoms
of HIV infection are the same as in case of a flu: fever,
headache, sore muscles and joints, stomach ache,
swollen lymph glands.
There is no cure for AIDS or at least until now it hasn’t
been discovered. These are however drugs to slow
down the evolution of the virus and the damages it
does to the immune system.
20
• Use condoms during sexual activity.
• Do not share drug injection equipment.
• If you are an HIV-infected woman, don’t breast feed
your baby!
• Protect cuts, open sores, and your eyes and mouth
from contact with blood.
On the 3rd of December MPSA collaborated with one
of the local PR groups to organize a non-profitable
party entitled “Play Safe”. The money raised from this
party, amounting to over €550, was donated to a local
non-profit association, which is actively involved in
helping people deal with AIDS.
These are the kind of examples we are looking for when
speaking about awareness. This is the way that we,
pharmacy students, can contribute to eradicate AIDS!
Cristina Parau
EPSA Public Health and Social Services Coordinator
Emerging Trends for Pharmaceutical
Social Media
The increasing number of web users worldwide
(1.8 billion), development and popularity of web
based community sites (Twitter, Facebook), tools
and information centres (branded & unbranded
sponsored communities) are changing approach
towards Pharma & healthcare marketing and
information sharing.
In Pharma industry social media has emerged as an
effective tool for marketing, consumer engagement,
monitoring and analyzing user generated content,
building and changing brand perception. Whatever the
type of site, though, all the players in the healthcare arena
— patients, providers, and not-for-profit organizations –
are reacting to this game-changing means of information
exchange.
Patients’ Autonomy and Responsibility
For the public at large, social networking sites are not only
other sources of health information, but they’re aiding a
larger movement in healthcare – one that puts the patient
in the driver’s seat. Increased personal responsibility
for health, touted by many as a necessity for health
reform, will inevitably lead to more individual discretion
regarding where to go for health information and whose
advice to take. It’s important to distinguish between
popular, generalist, social networks like Facebook and
MySpace, though, and online health communities such
as PatientsLikeMe and DailyStrength. The latter healthfocused social networks have an important distinguishing
characteristic — complete anonymity.
Social networking expands the Internet’s utility to
patients — from simply searching and reading posted
content to participating in open dialogues about a
health topic. And rather than discouraging patients from
searching and learning about their conditions via social
networking sites, pharmacists and physicians should
proactively encourage self-education while emphasizing
the importance of caution, skepticism, and the necessity
of verifying information with appropriate providers.
Communication and Information Dissemination
To healthcare providers, social networking offers
opportunities to improve communication and
marketing. Social networks could potentially improve
communication by establishing permanent channels
(network connections) among multiple healthcare
professionals (like physicians or pharmacists) and
between these and patients. On one hand, social
networking (on a secure site) provides healthcare agents
means of communicating with patients on a continuous
basis that is less time-consuming – and perhaps more
cost effective — than other methods.
In summary, regardless of the popularity of Twitter, or
Facebook, online social networking and social media
are destined to become fundamentals in communication
paradigms of healthcare stakeholders and second nature
to healthcare consumers. These tools make possible
what was only recently impractical in healthcare — transregional clinician collaboration on challenging cases,
patients participating in support groups without having
to leave the privacy of their homes, and mobilization of
millions through free web-based broadcasting systems,
to name just a few.
Dina Cvijetić
EPSA Education and Professional Affairs Coordinator
21
Let me introduce you... EPSA trainers!
EPSA Training Project
EPSA Training project has been on everyone’s lips after last year when the first Training Officer ever
Louise Winnecke Jensen started developing it for real. The amount of trainings are growing fast and
since May, EPSA trainers have been involved in almost 20 trainings/training events in addition to EPSA
congresses and there is a lot more to come!
So take a good look and prepare yourself – you will hear from us...
Aja Petrikova (Czech Rep.) – Aja has a successful career in EPSA and as an
alumni eased her mourning phase by joining EPSA trainer team. Even before becoming
a trainer, she made a research and presented a poster about students’ attitudes
towards trainings in patient counselling. Her speciality is “effective communication”.
Anna Posafalvi (based in the Netherlands) – Anna has been active in EPSA
as a LS for HuPSA during her undergraduate studies and now, as a PhD student, she
completes the trainer team bringing the scientific knowledge. Anna will start her trainer
career in K.N.P.S.V. training event in March with the topic “cultural awareness”.
Bart Jaslowski (based in UK) – Training project caught Bart’s attention in EPSA
AC 2010. He became active in IMP and trainer teams and is the current Partnership
Coordinator of EPSA. Bart has an efficient approach on challenges and his favourite
training topic is naturally – “networking”.
Dan Pecek (Czech Rep.) – Dan is one of the new actives in EPSA. Next to
Training project, he is working also for IMP. He delivered trainings for the new board in
USF and also wrote the Training corner article about procrastination, which is among
his favourite topics.
Eeva Ryynänen (Finland) – Eeva became a trainer accidentally after attending
LSS 2010. She was invited to help in IPSF Leaders in Training that was the start for her
career. Later on she decided to do her thesis about lifelong learning for pharmacists!
Based on her experience as FiPSA president, Eeva likes to deliver trainings on group
dynamics.
Inkatuuli Heikkinen (based in Denmark) – In AA 2009, IPSF organised LIT
before the congress. Among the participants were the current president and treasurer
of IPSF and EPSA Training Coordinator 2010-2011, Inka. She has been active in
implying training tools within EPSA work and is currently developing the new system
of online trainings. Inka fancies facilitating handover and vision building.
22
Jurij Obreza (Slovenia) – Jurij belongs to the first generation of EPSA trainers. He
is the current VP of Mobility. Due to his engagement in IMP, Jurij is focusing on topics
that ease the work of both himself and IMP coordinators. You can find him giving IMP
trainings or sharing knowledge about networking.
Katja Srpan (Slovenia) – If there is a training in Slovenia, it is almost certain that
Katja is involved. She has been co-trainer in BEST trainings, conducting sessions for
ELSA and initiated a national trainer network. Katja got involved in EPSA after being in
charge of WHSS 2009 and she is also an LS and IMP coordinator. Her favourite topic
is “emotional intelligence”.
Kelly Seng (France) – Being a trainer was very important to Kelly that she gave it
all to be able to attend LIT 2010. It was worth it as now she belongs to EPSA trainer
team and gives new ideas on training topics related to her position as Publication
Officer. Kelly is naturally curious and interested in topics like “cultural awareness”.
Louise W. Jensen (Denmark) – Trained by the Zero Generation, Louise has
accepted important tasks both in EPSA and the international trainer community. As
first EPSA Training Officer he has outlined a firm base for Training Project. For this, she
was appointed HLM in the EPSA AC 2010. Louise is focused on TNT in EPSA and as
one can imagine, “motivation” is an important topic for her.
Nuria Peiro (Spain) – Nuria has been active in EPSA as a VP of Mobility and now a
member of EPSA alumni. After entering working life, she will complete the trainer team
with her experience on what skills are valuable in professional field. After gone through
a year in the EPSA Exec, she is keen on delivering the topic motivation.
Olga Radomska (Poland) – After becoming a trainer, Olga decided to dedicate
herself to EPSA and she is the current LS for YP Poland, the host for TNT 3. Olga has
been giving trainings about pharmaceutical marketing in professional framework and
she is willing to give her knowledge to EPSA students’ use, too. Olga is also interested
in patient counselling and at the moment designing the career-related topics for EPSA.
Riccardo Hesse (Italy) – Riky brings to the trainer team his Italian charm by being
naturally enthusiastic about everything. He has been active in the international trainer
community. Riky has become an EPSA alumni after a year in the executive but he
does his best to stay close to EPSA after entering working life. Taking into account his
nationality, can you guess his favourite topic? Exactly, body language.
Robert Söderbaum (Sweden) – Robert has been active in the Nordic
collaboration but after the Quatrino with Portugal, Turkey and Bulgaria, he found EPSA
again and this time with bigger enthusiasm. Robert will start his career this spring for
real and as we could see in GA in AC 2010 with the energisers, presentation skills is
his strength!
Inkatuuli Heikkinen
EPSA Training Coordinator
23
Mission “Team Spirit”
Training in USF - Union of Students Pharmacy
Location: Brno, Czech Republic
Mission Durantion: 20/11/10 6 pm – 21/11/10 8 pm (15 hours)
Agents: trainer A.P., trainer D.P.
Victims: 11 objects
Description of victims: newly elected USF Team
Mission aim: victims are new to the environment therefore team skill set has to be taught; presentation
skill level to be reviewed, communication in the team to be enhanced. But mainly – have fun and enjoy!
Step 1
Getting to know each other, victims’
weekend aims shared.
Special task – turn everyone into
bloody piranha, join people with
a rope through their trousers, eat,
drink, enjoy!
Step 2
Wake up at 8 am!! Training starts
sharp at 8:30 am.. ehm.. 9:00!
Are you nervous when talking to
people? Learn to look confident!
Fight your social anxiety! Master
your communication skills! And
face the feedback after a mini-presentation.
Step 3
As a starter, build the highest paper
tower!
What is your role in the team? Do
you know what the other team
members’ responsibilities are?
Propose the best responsibilities in
running the organisation. Meeting
the expectations of the others – do
you know what others expect from
you? Is it clear now?
Learn
how
to
effectively
communicate within the team!
24
Step 4
Fall into fellows’ arms, backwards.
Learn how to effectively plan – design
your ideal event! Step-by-step!
Make a catchy name, discover the
true aim, set the objectives, define
the methods and methodology,
implement it and then evaluate it,
simply NAOMMIE it;).
Step 5
Feedback to trainers. Use the
sandwich, not the real one though,
the method;). What did you like,
what would improve and again,
what did you like.
What do the victims say?
“Wow,
it
was
wonderful!
Demanding but wonderful.”
“I wish it would take more time!
“We definitely have to repeat this!
So useful! Such a great time!”
“We love Charlie, the Unicorn!
Mission accomplished!
Report recorded by:
Aja Petrikova, Dan Pecek, Hanka Landova
EPSA Trainers
10 years of EPSA’s Permanent Office
One decade of EPSA in the heart of Europe
On the 12th of December 2000 EPSA made a
huge step by officially opening its Permanent
Office. Ema Isabel Paulino, EPSA Secretary
General 1999/2000 was the first EPSA official
moving out permanently from home and have
a 24/7 life dedicated to EPSA. Back then, the
EPSA Headquarters were established in Leiden,
The Netherlands, at the Stevenshof Institute for
Pharmacy Practice Research (SIR).
Once asked whether the EU Officer position or any
position in EPSA Executive opens you the door, I have
replied that it was not the case. It is all about you and
opportunities, right timing, etc. I have learnt a lot
during months spent working for EPSA and assisting
the PGEU Secretariat. And it takes ‘a good soil and
good seed to grow a good plant’. Therefore, I strongly
encourage those who are interested and willing to
do something more than only read pharmaceutical
books during their study period... to create their own
opportunities and follow their dreams.
I am glad that I had mine and I will never forget it! I
would like to congratulate EPSA for celebrating 10th
Anniversary of the Permanent Office and I am very
proud to make part of this success. EPSA Spirit will
always be in my heart.‘’
Jurate Svarcaite
EPSA HLM and Permanent Officer 2007/2008
The EPSA Executive of 2004/2005 brought EPSA to
the capital of Europe, Brussels, and since then EPSA
Permanent Office is at the Rue du Luxembourg, nº
19-21, at the office of the Pharmaceutical Group of
European Union (PGEU).
The importance of having a person within EPSA
Executive permanently working for EPSA is huge: EPSA
has achieved important collaborations that otherwise
would be very difficult to get. Of course that also for the
students that dedicated some months living for EPSA
in a foreign country EPSA gave a significative input in
their lives:
“I am not exaggerating when I say that these 7 months
as the EPSA EU Officer have changed my life. I am
certain that where I am now is because of this unique
opportunity I had and the circumstances at that time.
Today, 10 years after, EPSA wants to give a special
thanks to all EPSA Permanent Officers: Ema Paulino,
Lucija Mihic, Jorrit Petter Neuman, Anne Come Fuste,
Luís Baião, Vaiva Deltuvaite, Jurate Svarcaite, Tomaso
Piaggio, Fokion Sinis and Sanziana Marcu-Lapadat,
current EPSA Permanent Officer.
25
Interview with Luís Machado
EMSA Permanent Officer
The European Medical Students Association
(EMSA) is the organization that represents medical
students from all over geographical Europe. Luís
Machado is EMSA Permanent Officer in Brussels
and he has answered some questions on behalf of
the European future physicians:
1.Do you believe that having a Permanent Officer
in Brussels has contributed to the development of
EMSA?
EMSA has a Permanent Officer at the CPME (Standing
Committee of European Doctors) since 2003. The
existence of this position has highly contributed for the
development of our organization for several reasons.
First and foremost, CPME is our institutional partner and
we have been developing an amazing working synergy, a
win-win situation for both organizations. As far as EMSA
is concerned, the opportunity of being permanently
represented in Brussels is perfect to establish new
contacts with relevant stakeholders, students’ or
professional organizations. This way, EMSA has been
able to increase the number of interesting partnerships
- such as EPSA now! Furthermore, the internship is an
excellent opportunity for students interested in Public
Health or Health Policies in general, to develop extra skills
and get a professional overview on relevant European
subjects. To conclude, Brussels is the capital of Europe,
the heart and brain of the European Union. Working
from here on a permanent basis gives me the chance
26
to follow the “hot” topics and their developments in a
professional way, in a way I could never do if I wasn’t
living in Brussels!
2. The collaboration between EPSA and EMSA has
increased in the past years. How do you see the
future of this collaboration?
The past years have been important for the cooperation
between our organisations. However, we must always
be ambitious. Personally I do believe there is much
room for extending it! The cooperation between EMSA
and EPSA should be officially stated, as we have a lot in
common in what concerns structure and projects, and
we can learn from each other best practices and benefit
from the previous established partnerships and external
contacts. This is what Sanziana and me are doing at the
moment with the help and support of our boards! The
next step will be to call other healthcare related students’
organizations to join this common path. Together, we
can achieve much more than alone, we can have a
stronger voice within Europe and towards European
stakeholders and we can empower our projects and the
work we have been doing separately for several years:
all in the name of the best interests for our students!
3. How do you see the relationship between
Physicians and Pharmacists and how do you think
we can improve this cooperation?
We believe that putting our differences aside and working
on our common objectives will certainly raise the impact
of our actions. And it is well known that Physicians and
Pharmacists can have much influence in the decision
making process, especially if they work together. I would
say our primary role is to set up the example and start
off a fruitful, long lasting and productive cooperation,
respecting our differences and taking advantage of the
best tools we both have to offer!
Interviewed by:
Sanziana Marcu-Lapadat
EPSA Vice President of External Affairs 2010/2011
Interview with Dr. Roberto Frontini
European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP)
The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists
(EAHP) is a working community of national
associations of hospital pharmacists. EAHP
represents the interest of over 21,000 hospital
pharmacists in 31 countries all over Europe. Dr.
Roberto Frontini is EAHP President and EPSA had
a quick interview with him:
Dr. Roberto Frontini: Unfortunately the SSA did not
have big participation yet und we were able only few
times to award students. This is regrettable as I am
sure, that there is a lot of interesting research done by
advanced students which is worth to be presented on
the international stage and EAHP would like to foster
research by young people.
EPSA: What is your message to European
pharmacy students that seek a future as hospital
pharmacists?
EPSA: In March 2011 the European Association of
Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) will organise its 16th
Annual Congress. Why would you recommend
our students to attend this event?
Dr. Roberto Frontini: The congress is an exciting
opportunity to meet stakeholders and colleagues not
only from Europe but worldwide. EAHP support the
presence of students at the congress with very low
registration fees.
Dr. Roberto Frontini: Hospital pharmacy is an
exciting field for pharmacists. In hospitals you can use
your skills in challenging small scale and individualized
production of medicines as well as in clinical pharmacy.
You will have direct contact to patients, physicians
and nurses and your advice will be well appreciated.
But to be a good hospital pharmacist you need a
thorough education as the expectations are high. You
should consider specializing in Hospital Pharmacy and
continue to develop your competencies.
Interviewed by:
Sanziana Marcu-Lapadat
EPSA Vice President of External Affairs 2010/2011
EPSA: The Student Science Award (SSA) is a joint
project between EAHP and EPSA, created in 2003,
that aims to give our students the opportunity to
present their posters in a professional event. What
is your overall opinion of 7 years of EAHP-EPSA
SSA?
27
Interview with Mr. Ton Hoek
FIP General Secretary & CEO
Founded in 1912, the International Pharmaceutical
Federation (FIP) is the global federation of national
associations of pharmacists and pharmaceutical
scientists and is in official relations with the World
Health Organization (WHO). Through its 124
Member Organisations FIP represents and serves
more than two million practitioners and scientists
around the world. EPSA went to The Hague and
iinterviewed FIP General Secretary and CEO, Mr.
Ton Hoek:
EPSA could even consider organising a competition
to recognize the best campaign on a specific topic
organised by a national association. Let the creativity
of youth express itself!
Moreover, FIP has for many years lead a comprehensive
project on advancing pharmacy education, which
should be based on national needs. Such an approach
implies the analysis of current but also future needs
of the society towards the pharmaceutical profession.
There is therefore a need to integrate prospective
analysis in the current curriculum of pharmacy and
EPSA could be instrumental to achieve this objective.
2. A recent study has proved that pharmacist’s
intervention in community pharmacy is very
important to ensure patients’ compliance with
the recommendations of their medication
prescriber. Do you think that young pharmacists
and pharmacy students are aware their important
role in society?
1. The students that EPSA represents today are
tomorrow’s pharmacists with an important word
to say in world’s Public Health. How do you
believe that EPSA can influence its students to be
more aware of the challenges that our profession
is facing?
EPSA can play a significant role in increasing awareness
within pharmacy students of the coming challenges
for the profession through several means, such as
your congress, through online activities (webinars,
campaigns, virtual roundtables, discussion forums...)
and through your own member organisations.
National associations can be a powerful relay to reach
the many European pharmaceutical students and can
ensure a proper translation of this knowledge in the
national context.
28
This question is crucial in creating a vision for our
profession.
There is truly a growing expectation from society with
regards to pharmacists; the survey organised this
year by FIP (An International Survey On Pharmacists’
Views On Their Changing Roles1) shows that 93%
of pharmacists feel that there are more expectations
from society towards their services and for almost 9
in 10 pharmacists agree that their services to patients
improve patients outcomes and increase the visibility
of pharmacists’ expertise.
However, to be able to fulfil such expectations,
pharmacists should be aware of their roles have the
competencies required to provide services... and be
willing to be patient-centred.
An International Survey On Pharmacists’ Views On Their Changing Roles.
FIP and Pfizer, 2010. Available at: http://www.fip.org/files/fip/news/FIP%20
Pfizer%20pharmacists%20survey%20presentation%20PRESS%20
PACKET%2001%2009%2010.pdf. Latest access on 29 November 2010.
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There is also an important role that professional
organisations have to play: making sure that
pharmacists contributions are based on quality and
properly recognised by society. Such recognition also
implies a fair compensation, which is not always offered
by healthcare systems.
This increased expectation from society is also
translated through the implementation of pharmaceutical care or medication review for instance, enabled
through appropriate legislation.
Work in any pharmacy field should be based on
competencies and education plays a crucial role
in acquiring these competencies, together with
internships.
3. It is a fact that for recent pharmacy graduates
it is easier to get their first job in a community
pharmacy than in other areas such as pharmaceutical industry or hospital pharmacy. What
would you suggest to those aspiring to work in
these areas?
Depending on the national requirements and
expectations of the future employers, pharmacists may
need to enter specialisation.
Experienced pharmacists (e.g. who work in industry or
in hospital) can also be a valuable source of information
and advice as they can provide feedback on their
activities and the required skills.
FIP offers opportunities to connect with professionals
through its sections or through its congress. For
instance, at the FIP congress in Hyderabad (3-8 August
2011, www.fip.org/hyderabad2011), several sessions
are organised on career building, one dedicated to
industry, another to education and academic career.
Moreover, social events (e.g. sections dinners) are
unique opportunities to connect with experienced
pharmacists.
4. FIP always privileged the presence of students
and young graduates in their congresses and
projects by having lower fees or membership
discounts. How do you believe that students and
young graduates can contribute to FIP’s mission
of developing pharmacy profession?
FIP considers that it is of prime importance to involve
students and young graduates in our organisation.
Within FIP, a special group is dedicated to young
pharmacists (called YPG for Young Pharmacists’
Group). YPG representatives are often invited to join
sections’ and boards’ meetings within FIP.
Their involvement expands our vision while developing
leadership skills and preparing future leaders of the
profession, through an early involvement within national
and international organisations.
Moreover, at our annual congress, YPG and the
International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation
organise specific sessions to facilitate this experiencesharing.
5. What is your message to pharmacy students
and young pharmacy graduates aspiring to
become professionals of excellence?
Two centuries ago, with the development of street gas
lighting, the need for “Lamp lighters” was obvious.
However, expectations of society changed with the
technology and when the street lights became electric
this profession extinguished.
This is a short story to remind us that the relevance
of a profession is always a crucial point to ensure its
sustainability. The relevance of pharmacy profession is
patient and our practice should therefore be patientcentred, and be based on competencies (not only
knowledge but also know how and attitude).
The way to excellence is a never-ending road under
Continuous Professional Development, which should
be oriented towards serving patients’ best interests.
With increased expectations from society and
complexity of pharmacotherapy, there is also an
increased need for a collaborative practice with other
healthcare professions (e.g. medical doctors, nurses)
by moving from a silo-based approach into a better
integrated care.
As a conclusion, I would encourage all of you to be
pro-active and curious, and also keep in mind our
raison d’être: caring for patients!
Interviewed by:
Mariana Fróis
EPSA Vice President of Public Relations 2010/2011
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IPSF Corner
International Pharmaceutical Student’s Association
Dear EPSA friends,
It is with great honour that I write to you as the
International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation
(IPSF) President!
Let me take the opportunity here to speak about IPSF.
We are the leading international advocacy organization
of pharmacy students and represent pharmacy
students at international policy-making institutions
especially in the health care field such as the World
Health Organisation (WHO) and also in the academic
field such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and OECD.
IPSF provides information, education and networking
opportunity as well as professional development to our
student members to gain useful skills for their future
profession.
To learn more about IPSF and its activities, please visit
the IPSF website (www.ipsf.org).
Many of IPSF strongest and most active members
are from Europe, which are also equally represented
by EPSA. It is important that both organizations are
working together to bring about more benefits for our
members in Europe. A joint taskforce has been created
among IPSF and EPSA members from Europe in a bid
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to increase and improve our collaboration. Through this
taskforce, we hope to be able to better represent our
student members and work towards the same goal,
which is advocating the needs of pharmacy students.
Last but not least, the largest and most important IPSF
event is the IPSF World Congress, which will be held
from 3rd to 13th August 2011 in Hat Yai, Thailand. If you
want to meet students from all over the world, develop
your professional skills or just to learn more about IPSF,
you are very welcome to come and join us!
For more information, please visit our congress website
at www.ipsf2011.org.
I am looking forward to meet all of you in Thailand!
Yours,
Jan Röder
President 2010-2011
International Pharmaceutical Students´ Federation
EPSA Executive Contacts
EPSA President
Anette Aaland Krokaas
[email protected]
EPSA VP of Public Relations
Mariana Fróis
[email protected]
EPSA VP of Education
João Duarte
[email protected]
EPSA VP of Mobility
Jurij Obreza
[email protected]
EPSA Secretary General
Katja-Emilia Lillsunde
[email protected]
EPSA VP of External Affairs
Sanziana Marcu-Lapadat
[email protected]
EPSA Treasurer
Guilherme Monteiro Ferreira
[email protected]
EPSA Office
Rue du Luxembourg 19-21,
1000 Bruxelles,
BELGIUM
[email protected]
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year, at your home!
How to do it?
Go to www.epsa-online.org/students/merchandise/, fill in the application form
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org). You should also send the proof of payment to EPSA Treasurer (treasurer@
epsa-online.org)
Keep yourself updated!
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