International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation
IPSFNewsletter
April2011
IssueN°95
Students Today, Pharmacists Tomorrow
IPSFNEWSLETTER IPSF in IPSFers’ eyes
Since establishment in 1949, IPSF now represents more than 350,000 pharmacy students and recent graduates in 84 countries worldwide. IPSF is the leading international advocacy organisation of pharmacy students promoting improved public health through provision of information, education, networking, and a range of publication and professional activities.
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International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation
EDITORIAL
Publication team Issue 95 April 2012 Design and layout Ines Harzallah
Chairperson of Media and Publications 2011-2012
Cover photo Ines Harzallah
Dear IPSFers, This time, IPSF newsletter brings a lot of news from the inside. We talk about the regions and the IPSFers that brought the eneregy to the regional teams. You will discover the girl behind IPSF online network and more. Professional development is a major point of interest for IPSF. You’ll find in this edition articles from the coordinators and LITers. Professional Developement activites are now spread all over the world and you can compete for a PD event in any IPSF event.
Proofread by Yuqian Liu Ranveer Bassey Justin Tenney Sadia Naeem Asma Ismail Dayl Eccles Michelle Garner
I wanted this edition to be seen from IPSFers’ eyes. Hope you will enjoy reading these news. Lots of love.
Contact publications@ipsf.org editor@ipsf.org
Ines Ines Harzallah Chairperson of Media and Publications 2011-2012
CONTENTS 2
IPSF Regional Offices Corner
10
The girl behind the 30000 likers IPSF facebook page
12
What’s more important in the field of healthcare?
CSE
14
LIT
16
PCE
20
24
Memories of the IPSF EMPS 2011
26
A glimpse at EPSA’s latest happenings
NEWSLETTER 1 IPSF News from IPSF
Asia Pacific Region International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation
The international level Exaudi, APRO ICCO
Greetings from Asia Pacific Region! I am Exaudi Ebennezer, a 20 years old student from beautiful country Indonesia. I am currently in my 3rd year of Pharmacy at the University of Indonesia. It’s been 9 months since I was elected and it’s my pleasure to write you what I have been doing as Internal Coordinator and Communication Officer of Asia Pacific Regional Office. Being involved in IPSF gave me a lot. This is my first experience working in international scale, with people from different countries and diverse cultures. My main task are read and reply email, collect report from CPs, make newsletter for APRO, manage and update APRO’s facebook and twitter, make and maintain APRO’s website (apro.ipsf.org). Put simply, my job is working in from of my computer to spread the information and involve interacting with people. Every incoming report and article need to be proofread first, and Chrissy (secretary of APRO) help me to do this. Once the article is ready to go, I put it on newsletter and make it spread. I am pretty active on social media website and love to interact with people , made me become familiar to manage APRO’s facebook and twitter, even spending the whole day read and reply to any post and mention on twitter. It’s take a lot of time to work, but I love what I do and IPSF spirit has already infected me since APPS in Jogjakarta. Besides working on APRO things, I and Ines work together to make the other regional office’s website, make official card name for IPSF, and share idea one each other. I learnt many things over these last few months and it helps me to upgrade my self. Many ways can be used to contribute to IPSF and I hope what I have done, can inspire others to contribute as well. My last word, one of the next biggest event of APRO coming up is Asia Pacific Pharmaceutical Symposium. I highly recommend you to come and enjoy the IPSF spirit, and don’t miss IPSF world congress in Egypt as well. Vive la pharmacie! Exa NEWSLETTER 2 IPSF News from IPSF
International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation
IPSF enriched my professional and personal skills Amina, EMRO Secretary
Eastern Mediterranean Region
Dear IPSFers all over the world, I am thrilled to be writing today as Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) Secretary. I would like to start by introducing myself. My name is Amina Radoui, and I am 22 years old. I study at the CCAPP accredited Pharmacy College in Qatar University, and I am in my third academic year with one more year to go for graduation. I worked as Qatar Pharmacy Undergraduate Society (QPhUS) Internal Vice President for two years (2009-2011), and had my first experience with IPSF during the 2nd Eastern Mediterranean Pharmaceutical Symposium (EMPS) 2011 in Doha, Qatar as I was a member of the reception committee. From my first experience with IPSF, I had a strong feeling that I wanted to be involved with IPSF more as I had grown fond of it, its activities, and most importantly its infecting spirit. As a result, I attended the 57th IPSF World Congress, where I applied for the EMRO secretary position, and was fortunate enough to be elected for it, and given the chance to make the positive difference I aim to achieve. My duties as EMRO secretary for the past few months have enriched my professional and personal skills and given me more insight about what collaborative work is all about. I am a member of an incredible team, which will do its utmost to go beyond than just meeting the expectations, and I hope this EMRO/IPSF year will be as successful as the previous ones. Best Regards, Amina Radoui EMRO Secretary 2011-2012 NEWSLETTER 4 IPSF News from IPSF
FIP Centennial Congress 2012 Students’ Package
3-8 OCTOBER 2012 AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
The chance to meet colleagues from every corner of the globe and steer the future of pharmacy is yours at the 2012 FIP Centennial Congress, the leading international event offering diverse learning opportunities for those active within all areas of pharmacy. In collaboration with the International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF), the European Pharmaceuti cal Students’ Association (EPSA) and the Koninklijke Nederlandse Pharmaceutische Studenten Vereniging (K.N.P.S.V.), FIP will provide pharmacy students the oppor tunity to attend this congress for a unique price which includes not only the participation in FIP Centennial Congress, but also accommodation, meals and social events specially organised for students.
FIP’s Centennial congress will take place in the fascina ting city of Amsterdam, home to unique architecture, world renowned museums and undeniable charismatic charm. Fee: 325 EUR, which includes: Registration in FIP Centennial Congress 5 nights at the Stay Okay Hostel Zeeburg Breakfast and Dinner Attendance of all activities organized by FIP Centennial Student Committee The registrations are limited to 100 students! For more information and registration go to: www.knpsv.nl/fip2012 You can contact us through: students.fip2012@gmail.com Follow us on Facebook!
Pan American Region IPSF, more than I ever expected Dayl, PARO RRO
Throughout my time as a pharmacy student I cannot remember a moment that I was not drawn to the International Pharmaceutical Students› Federation (IPSF). I was motivated to begin at my chapter as the Local Exchange Officer for the Student Exchange Program, and have since served on both a national and regional level.
My experience in Thailand solidified my passion for IPSF more than I ever expected. World Congress was unique. Over 400 student pharmacists represented the views of 51 countries, and even though APhA-ASP has 33,000 members, it is only one view of pharmacy next to the views of over 300,000 IPSF members across the world.
The goals of my education were originally to take my clinical experience overseas to practice directly. After my first year, however, I attended a month-long interdisciplinary seminar in southern India that altered my view. Pharmacy has great potential for development globally, but the best people to change the profession are those who are viewed as trusted professionals locally. This need for trust and access to education provided by counseling was demonstrated throughout the days spent with community health nurses that educated villagers and dispensed medication to remote and underserved areas. There, I realized that any effort we make to impact a community should be a truly sustainable one.
World Congress allowed conversation to take place not only within, but also outside the realm of pharmacy. I was able to experience new cultures and foods at the International Night, bail out of a river raft I was convinced was leading me into a web of spiders, learn how pharmacy practice was drastically different depending on a country›s needs, bounce a blow-up kangaroo around the pool, and share ideas on how to help the public and our patients. I am confident that the relationships I built during those moments fostered partnerships that have the potential to be lifelong. We are future pharmacists working together to improve the profession and public health, no matter how many miles away we live from one another.
With this outlook upon my return to the states, I coorganized a fundraising event that raised over $1200USD for the International Pharmaceutical Federation›s Pharmabridge Project. These funds purchased current texts for the Makarere University in Uganda. The university was touched by our efforts to improve the pharmacy profession in their country over the long-term. A few months later, at the 2011 IPSF World Congress in Thailand, Uganda was officially accepted by the General Assembly as a member of IPSF.
Above all, my time with IPSF has shown me that even though there are many ways we can teach other countries how to improve their health systems, there are always more ways we can learn from the rest of the world. I am grateful to IPSF for the opportunities I have been given, and look forward to the years ahead.
As APhA-ASP›s IPSF National Project Coordinator, I attended the 2011 World Congress as an Official Delegate. NEWSLETTER 7 IPSF News from IPSF
Viva la pharmacie! Dayl Eccles PharmD Candidate 2013, University of Washington School of Pharmacy, APhA-ASP (American Pharmacists Association - Academy of Student Pharmacists, USA)
International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation
AfRO is catching up Habil, AfRO Secretary
African Region
Dear IPSFers, Currently in my final year at the University Of Nairobi, School of Pharmacy, my involvement with IPSF started in march 2011 when my member organization NUPSA started preparations for the African Pharmaceutical Symposium that was held in Nairobi, Kenya. As a member of the organizing committee the success of the event was a great eye-opener to the world of pharmacy as the event brought together pharmacy students and recent graduates from southern, central and eastern Africa, a first for Africa and a fete that was long overdue. As the secretary of AfRO and together with other members of the regional working group three main goals highlight our term in office, to ensure adequate sponsorship and funding for more AfRO activities and IPSF projects in the region, to establish a strong regional office whose spirit will be carried forward to future groups and most importantly spread the IPSF spirit to more African associations and expand IPSF membership in the region. At four years old, AfRO is the ‘youngest’ of the IPSF regional offices and strives at implementing IPSF’s goals and objectives within the African region. The region is currently preparing for the premiere IPSF African Pharmaceutical Symposium set for Algiers, Algeria in July, are you attending? AfRO is fast catching up, the infective IPSF spirit just got transformed to an ‘epidemic!’ And as my local people would say it in Kiswahili “Na bado!”,translated -‘we just getting started!’ Viva la pharmacie. Habil Mudhune IPSF AfRO Secretary General 2011-2012
NEWSLETTER 8 IPSF News from IPSF
International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation
Dear IPSF’ers, I am Eglė Svitojūtė, a fifth year pharmaceutical student and currently I am IPSF Marketing Coordinator 2011-2012. I am from a small but very beautiful country Lithuania, which situated in the Eastern Europe.
I started to work in IPSF from the first year of my studies as the Local Exchange Officer of Student Exchange Programme in Lithuania. I fell in love with the international atmosphere and NEWSLETTER 10 IPSF News from IPSF
The girl behind the 30000 likers IPSF facebook page next year I became Student Exchange Officer and Contact Person of Lithuania. I attended my first IPSF World Congress in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where I got infected with IPSF spirit even more. During the 57th IPSF World Congress in Hat Yai, Thailand, I was appointed as the IPSF Marketing Co-ordinator 2011-2012 and I am proud to serve our beloved Federation, trying to do my best during the year. Wondering what do I do? I think everyone of you is familiar with such online platforms as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Blog, etc. So I am mostly the one who is behind these IPSF online platforms, with a huge help of our great Chairperson of Media and Publications – Ines (as Ines once told me – I am a girl behind more than 30.000 likers of IPSF Facebook Page). It can look an easy job for you, as I thought the same in the begging of my term. You may think “I am online on Facebook all the time, it’s not a job – it’s a pleasure!”. The first thing I had to understand was that if I post or comment something, or answering to some comments, I am doing it for the whole Federation, so it
is a huge responsibility as IPSF is always seeking for perfection! Another thing which is very important, that IPSF is a multicultural organization and you need to reach people all over the world and to make the posts and the Facebook page itself as interesting for all of them as possible. But the greatest pleasure comes to me then I make a post and it gets for example 50 or even more likes in two or three minutes. It’s an amazing feeling! (A huge thanks for all IPSF Facebook page likers!) During this year I implemented a new IPSF online platform – Executive blog. This blog is a place, where you can get to know our Executive Board better and to get closer to them. I hope that during my term I will improve the blog even more and you won’t be able not to think of what will be posted next! I am also trying to tweet as much as my imagination lets me do that, as twitter was completely new thing to me before J. Another thing I am trying to make more popular is IPSF Youtube Channel. I have also created the IPSF World Congress Promotional Video which already has more than 1100 views (go and check it now on our Youtube channel to make this number grow!). At the moment, together with Ben Guebila Marouen, IPSF Medicine Awareness Campaign Coordinator 2011-12, we are working on another IPSF video, so follow our Youtube channel and you will see it uploaded very soon! I also have several ideas for IPSF promotion and the upcoming 58th IPSF World Congress in Hughada, Egypt, but let me keep a secret to make you more curious. I hope you like surprises! In the end, I would like to thank all the people, who are working with me during this year. Thank you for your support and for motivating me to work for IPSF! I wouldn’t be here and couldn’t make it without YOU! Vive la Pharmacie! Vive la Federation! With lots of love, Egle Svitojute IPSF Marketing Co-ordinator 2011-12 NEWSLETTER 11 IPSF News from IPSF
Website Twitter Blog Facebook
International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation
What is more important in the field of healthcare?
medicine or pharmacy? Imagine the process of treatment is like human Pharmacy? Medicine? Both fields are very walking: important but which should be the superior one? “Without left leg (representing pharmacy) the As we all know, medicine is a science about patient could not walk well or at all. Without right health, human pathological conditions and ways leg (representing medicine) the patient could of treatment/prevention. The main goal is to also not walk well or at all. Only while using both protect and ameliorate human health. Medicine legs the patient is capable closely links biology, of smooth walking.” chemistry and physics. Therefore we have Compared to pharmacy, “Without left leg (representing to proceed with the which is a healthcare pharmacy) the patient could not branch ensuring remedy/ understanding and walk well or at all. Without right leg promotion of the main medicament for patient. (representing medicine) the patient That includes research, ideas of effective could also not walk well or at all. Only healthcare cooperation. industry, distribution, while using both legs the patient is Instead of arguing which stocking and dispensing capable of smooth walking.” (dosing and monitoring field is more important, we should focus on by clinical pharmacists). Pharmacy combines biology, chemistry and promoting multidisciplinary cooperation through the education and encouragement of physics. Did you notice any difference? No? Because there should not be any! Even if the collaboration between students of all medical professions, increase effective communication, disciplines are described with other words the and prepare students for careers as professional superior intent stays similar. Both fields are of the same importance! Without qualified doctors healthcare specialists. Unfortunately there are still some healthcare specialists who do not the patient would not probably survive the surgery, but without drugs (antibiotics) invented properly understand the word cooperation. It is too late to re-educate them. The only by pharmaceutical industry and dispensed by pharmacists the patient could not fight solution is to educate the students -the future successfully against the bacterial infection. healthcare professionals and highlight the
NEWSLETTER 12 IPSF News from IPSF
idea of collaboration to prevent the arrogance and ignorance that can occur. We should not forget about the other healthcare professionals: dentists, nurses, etc. The times when the nurse had to stand mute are gone. If the nurse notices that the doctor is doing something wrong, she should not be afraid to say her opinion (in a professional manner of course). These few words can persuade the doctor to reconsider his decision and give reasons for his choice. At best someone´s life could be saved! At “worse” the nurse would feel embarrassed. Improving the cooperation and communication between students in the healthcare field is realized by many projects like Teddy Bear Hospital, IPSF Vampire Cup, etc. But the most important, from my point of view, is the World Healthcare Students´ Symposium (WHSS), which is a regularly held symposium for healthcare students throughout the world. The original idea was raised by the Joint Working Group (JWG), consisting of representatives from European Medical Students´ Association (EMSA), European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (EPSA), International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) and IPSF. The 1st WHSS took place in Malta in 2005 with 230 students from 42 countries worldwide. The most recent 4th WHSS took place in Prague, Czech Republic, in November 2011; the first time hosted by an IPSF member: Czech Pharmaceutical Students´ Association (CPSA). This significant event introduced a “visionary” world where all healthcare professionals understand multidisciplinary cooperation, use an effective mutual communication and highlight the idea of collaboration for the patients´ benefits! The future of all healthcare systems around the world lies in your hands. I believe this imaginary WHSS world can be identical in the real world and everyday life. At best every student will get infected by the spirit of WHSS! Just after he last WHSS, the IPSF Executive Committee appointed the representatives in the new JWG - namely Ms. Caitlin Frese (USA) and
NEWSLETTER 13 IPSF News from IPSF
myself (Czech Republic). Have you not heard about us? No worries about our suitability, because we are supervised by Marien, IPSF Chairperson of External Relations, who is keeping us very very busy all the time! Currently the new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is being investigated by all WHSS partner organisations. It is an important document, where all necessary deadlines, facts and rules about WHSS are written. In order to be successful, all WHSS partner organisations have to agree on the content and sign it. Afterwards the JWG will send a call for the host of the 5th WHSS in 2013. On that note, I would like to encourage all students to investigate the possibility for your association to host this grand event in 2013. Stay in touch with your IPSF Contact Persons (CP’s) – they will be the first one to receive the call for the host. However we are not only looking for a host, because the participants are the most distinguished part of all congresses and symposiums! Are you interested? Then keep some free time for the autumn 2013 to attend the best multiprofessional healthcare event! Viva la healthcare professions! On the behalf of IPSF JWG Representatives, David Čechlovský WHSS JWG Representative, 2011-2013 International Pharmaceutical Students´ Federation (IPSF) e-mail: whss1@ipsf.org
Clinical Skills Event International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation
by Michelle Garner
IPSF World Congress, Hat Yai, Thailand, 2011 In August, I was one of those lucky enough to attend the IPSF World Congress in Hat Yai, Thailand. The ten day congress was an amazing opportunity to meet our colleagues from around the world and forge ties which will hopefully stick with us all long into our professional lives (and to enjoy the amazing weather in what was otherwise a rather dreary winter in Australia). The practice of pharmacy differs greatly around the world from a solely manufacture and supply role in some areas to comprehensive clinical pharmacy services targeting optimisation of pharmacotherapy in others. The IPSF Congress (and the organisation generally) offers a unique opportunity to compare notes on pharmacy in our own countries, and I think that we all came away with a greater understanding of the potential scope of our profession. A key area that pharmacy differs is the way in which clinical skills are applied in practice. Clinical skills, as it relates to pharmacy, refer to the application of drug specific knowledge to the management of a patient with the aim of improving drug therapy. This includes identification of drug interactions, dose issues, formulation issues, contraindications to therapy and therapeutic drug monitoring along with NEWSLETTER 14 IPSF News from IPSF
many other things. Expertise in this area is unique to pharmacists and is key to our role in the health care team. The Clinical Skills Workshop, run by Eric So (IPSF Chairperson of Professional Development), provided an opportunity for many to learn more about the practical application of clinical skills, while for others, it was a chance to brush up on some aspects of clinical practice and learn some new ways to assess and manage drug therapy. This interactive session was a good experience from which I personally learnt quite a bit. It also served as a preparation for the annual Clinical Skills Events. The first of the Clinical Skills Events was an individual event. It was comprised of 7 different cases, completed in a set time limit. Reference material was provided where necessary. These cases covered a range of areas from drug interactions to appropriate choice of drug therapy. Eric and the Professional Development team certainly tested us on a few of them and all participants are to be congratulated for their involvement. The second of the Clinical Skills Events was the team event. Groups of up to 4 represented
6 different countries. There was a fight to the front to register as most of the room wanted to represent their countries. Final teams were from the USA, the Netherlands, Canada, Indonesia and Australia. Each team was given the same case study. The scenario involved a patient admitted to a hospital with shortness of breath with a history of chronic heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The teams had to make an accurate assessment of the patient’s admission diagnosis, in order to evaluate the patient’s current drug therapy, determine therapeutic goals, make recommendations for therapy, defend those recommendations and finally make a note of what parameters need to be monitored during recommended therapy. So the teams separated to prepare our cases, in between education sessions, General Assemblies and socialising. It was made more difficult due to our limited resources. The final drafts were submitted and the work was left to the Clinical Skills team to determine a winner. Ultimately, I’m very proud to say that, Team Australia took the cup and I personally scored the highest in the individual event. Thanks and congratulations to my fellow team members in Diana Sandulache, Scotty Joseph and David Vien as well. The practical translation of inherent clinical skills into practice still varies greatly between countries, depending largely on the healthcare model and the pharmacy model employed. In her keynote address at the Educational Symposium, Professor Jennifer Marriott demonstrated that across the world there is a consistently strong focus on the basic sciences in pharmacy courses while levels of training in applied therapeutics varies. It’s the basic sciences that form the foundation of our identification of pharmacokinetic issues (dose too high/low, too frequent, dose adjustment in renal/hepatic NEWSLETTER 15 IPSF News from IPSF
failure) and pharmacodynamic issues (drug interactions). As such, all pharmacy graduates have the ability to identify these issues, have the ability to make recommendations to rectify the issues and the ethical obligation to do so. We need to start embracing this knowledge because it has been shown time and time again to not only improve patient outcomes, but to also have a positive impact on health expenditure. The application into practice varies greatly between countries, from the correction of dose issues by pharmacists in the community, to monitoring of plasma levels of drugs by hospital pharmacists, to complete reviews of an individual’s drug therapy and even into prescribing. We have only to be creative to find new ways to apply our knowledge and it cannot be understated how much we can learn from the models currently employed in other countries. Worldwide, the pharmacy profession is slowly gaining acceptance into the multidisciplinary healthcare team in our role as medication management expert. Never forget that your knowledge of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of drugs is better than any other member of the healthcare team. All we need is the confidence to apply it.
International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation
Leaders in Training Training news from the world over Tunisian leaders by Hager Ben Mosbah
LIT is a training programme, run by IPSF, to equip students with management, communication and leadership skills to be the leaders of tomorrow. Through workshops, presentations, games and interactive activities, I learned so much and it made such a strong impact on me that when I came back home I wanted to share it with all of my peers . Luckily , the national pharmacy students’ congress in Tunisia was Last August, I attended Leaders In Training soon to be held after my LIT experience. So I (LIT) held just prior to the 57th International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF) grabbed this opportunity to offer LIT workshops World Congress in Hat Yai, Thailand. It was to the attendees. It was such a remarkable and such an enriching experience; it broadened my important event for the Tunisian pharmacy skills as well as my knowledge on both personal student body that gathered over 150 students. and professional levels. It was truly a rewarding In order to make it a success, we launched an informal survey to see which topics will address experience and I want to tell you why. NEWSLETTER 16 IPSF News from IPSF
the students’ interest. Among 8 planned workshops, we had 2 LIT workshops; one about Mind Mapping and the other about Time Management. I managed the Time Management workshop, and the second one was held by a certified trainer from JCI (Jeune Chambre Internationale) about MIND MAPPING. He, along with other professional trainers, have been offering us workshops since the inception of Association Tunisienne des Etudiants en Pharmacie’s (ATEP) professional development committee last year . Being so dependant on them was quite difficult. As a matter of fact , as soon as I heard about the LIT program I applied for it with the purpose of setting up our own LIT programme in our association ATEP. Time Management was a very interesting subject since many students struggle with having a sustainable balance between studies, ATEP’s activities, work and life. I explained the methods used to gain time and how to turn a time profit from effective time management; I also used the tools and techniques of public speaking and session planning to manage my session as well. NEWSLETTER 17 IPSF News from IPSF
All these skills I learned from the time I spent in LIT in Hat Yai. Feedbacks from participants was very positive for both of the workshops. It was the first time for that many of them attended this kind of interactive session. This first experience encouraged me greatly to carry on with training activities. Right now, we are planning on holding a longer training programme that will last 2 days next term. Warm Regards from Tunisia Vive la Pharmacie! Hager Ben Mosbah
International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation
Patient Counselling Event by Marko Tomas
IPSF World Congress, Hat Yai, Thailand, 2011
IPSF World Congress 2011 is now behind us and those who attended have returned home with new friends, experiences, and memories. It was an amazing opportunity to meet fellow students from around the world and get a glimpse into what the profession of pharmacy entails in different countries. Through 10 days of presentations, collaborative events, as well as some herbal compounding, pharmacy students from all over the world gained an appreciation for the huge differences we can make for our patients. Patient counseling is at the core of pharmacy practice, yet it cannot be easily defined. Each pharmacist has his or her own style, and counseling can oftentimes resemble an art more than a science. A great counseling session builds a therapeutic relationship with the patient, and helps them to make positive changes NEWSLETTER 20 IPSF News from IPSF
that impact their health. We have the power to educate, motivate, and improve outcomes but all the knowledge in the world is useless if we cannot properly apply it and explain it to the patient in front of us. The Patient Counseling Event (PCE), ran by Eric So (IPSF Chairperson of Professional Development), provided conference attendees with an opportunity to further their patient counseling, and effective communication skills. Through the use of standardized cases, participants of the event were given preparation time and asked to counsel a patient on their new medications, as well as their condition. The two cases included nausea/vomiting prevention in chemotherapy and atrial fibrillation. These are topics that are frequently seen in daily practice and are two areas in which pharmacists can make
a large difference. The challenge with the PCE is that in addition to the therapeutic preparation required, the participants also had to plan a logical approach to counseling.
Canada came away with a 1st place finish in the advanced category this year, but this is not a new phenomenon. We have been consecutive winners either in the advanced or the beginner categories starting as far back as the 2007 Taiwan congress. I believe that this is in no small part due to our education, which is focused on patient centered care. It emphasizes counseling, and gives students an opportunity to practice efficient communication with weekly labs that mimic real-life cases. The Canadian licensing requirements include not only a
written exam, but also a round of 16 casebased scenarios. Students are required to counsel a standardized patient and work through any problems relating to their drug therapy. These evaluations closely mimic the requirements of the IPSF Patient Counseling Event. Organized events such as the one at the IPSF World Congress benefit students and the profession at large by providing us with an opportunity to learn from each other. Everyone has a different counseling style, and by participating in, or observing an event, it helps in defining yours. I have gained knowledge, as well as confidence, from participating in the PCE this summer and I cannot thank Eric and IPSF enough for that opportunity. Worldwide, pharmacists are more visible in direct patient care. In order to make a difference for our patients, we must continue to practice our counseling skills early on as students and further develop them through our careers. Attending an IPSF World Congress is a great way to do just that. The most important thing that I have learned which I will leave you with in closing: talk with your patients, not at them.
The coordinator corner
Hi IPSFers , My name is Lilia Abderrahim. I’m 24 years old, a freshly graduated pharmacists from Algeria, and I’m currently the IPSF Patient Counseling Event (PCE) Coordinator. By applying to this position, I wanted to promote the concept of patient counseling and encourage the different IPSF pharmacy student associations to introduce patient counseling into their activities, and to conduct patient counseling competitions at local and national levels. I believe that this is one of the best ways to make pharmacy students and young pharmacists realize the importance of the role we have in the provision of medication information and understand the place we should occupy in the healthcare team. NEWSLETTER 21 IPSF News from IPSF
International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation
MEMORIES OF THE IPSF EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN PHARMACEUTICAL SYMPOSIUM 2011 By NTIRENGANYA Rémy Pacifique, The winner of the IPSF international essay competition 2011
The Eastern Mediterranean Pharmaceutical a special and great IPSF event. This has highly inspired and motivated me to be committed to symposium (EMPS 2011) The second regional Students’ Symposium in IPSF events and activities.
the Eastern Mediterranean Region, at Doha, Qatar from the 15th to 21st of July 2011 gathered pharmacy students and fresh graduates from 14 countries. Namely, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Poland, Czech, Slovakia, Denmark and Rwanda attended. EMPS is one of the International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF) events that aims at strengthening communication, and forming strong bonds among pharmacy students in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and the world to form one pharmaceutical family. During the annual event, several workshops and training sessions were held to provide participants with the opportunity to learn and explore their abilities, knowledge, experiences, and skills related to professional development.
EMPS MAIN PROGRAMS Opening Ceremony
This event officially launched EMPS 2011. First, there was the welcoming and opening speeches, then the introduction of Official Delegates of all countries Speakers emphasized the importance of pharmaceutical symposiums in strengthening the pharmacy profession through sharing knowledge, skills and experiences; analysing the past, understanding the present, and planning for the a brighter future of for our profession; and connecting us through social activities. They also focused on our role as healthcare providers who are willing to serve society with all its diverse needs, without any borders. ”Together, we can make a difference” and “Viva la pharmacie” were some of slogans repeated during that exciting morning.
I had been invited to attend EMPS 2011 as the winner of the 2011 IPSF International Essay Competition. It was my first time to attend such Introduction to IPSF NEWSLETTER 22 IPSF News from IPSF
During the presentation, we were introduced to IPSF’s historical background, vision, mission, goals, roles, structure and organisation, activities and events, and allied organizations and partners. The presentation was very interesting as it provided us with good understanding of IPSF activities, future plans and projects, and also motivated us to play a crucial role as IPSFers in implementing the IPSF mission, vision, goals and objectives.
receive constructive feedback while sharing experiences and ideas. It was a real professional development initiative. Leaders In Training (LIT)
The LIT programs were devoted to pharmacy students having interest in becoming future leaders. I was motivated to attend based on by the concept of a seven star pharmacist, which requires a pharmacist to assume various roles and responsibilities in order to practice Clinical Skills Event (CSE) professionally. At the end of the day, the LIT The workshops aimed at discussing a systematic programs provided me with appropriate skills, approach in identifying and solving drug-related tools, knowledge, and attitudes related to problems as one of the main requirements for becoming a leader or trainer rather than a follower pharmaceutical care practice. They were very by ensuring a certain standard of leadership and interactive and; it was a good opportunity for management skills. me and my colleagues to acquire some clinical Educational Symposium skills while sharing experiences through group discussions. I took the opportunity to share The symposium covered various topics, the historical background, current trends, and including: engineering the future of individualized opportunities for pharmacy practice in Rwanda medicine, postgraduate programs in clinical with my colleagues. Briefly, the event was pharmacy, global overview and future direction very interesting, interactive, and an excellent for the middle east, patient education as a method opportunity for me and my colleagues to for optimizing the pharmaceutical services, what NEWSLETTER 23 IPSF News from IPSF
International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation
clinical skills do we need to develop in pharmacy taste various sweets and drinks, and enjoy students to practice pharmaceutical care, and traditional dances from several countries all in one place. I took the opportunity to raise the flags of more. The presentations were worthy of attention Rwanda and the National University of Rwanda because they evoked attendees’ interests for the (NUR), and present various elements of Rwandan pharmaceutical industry. They recommended the culture. The people of the Eastern Mediterranean importance of having hybrid curricular programs Region and other EMPS participants didn’t that cover both clinical practice experiences know about Rwanda, and they were impressed and advanced research skills, and speakers and very glad to see me dressed in our beautiful acquainted us with the current trends for Rwandan culture clothing and describing some professional pharmacy practice that emphasizes of cultural elements. The Rwandan culture was patient-centered rather than product-centered so impressive in their eyes. The wonderful event was closed by enjoying a delicious dinner. services. Scientific Symposium The symposium covered various topics, including: application of pharmaceutical care in practice, opportunities and challenges, patient compliance, and more. Attendees were challenged to look more critically at the status of pharmaceutical care in our their home countries, discuss challenges, and suggest solutions. It was actually interesting and very interactive as because it deeply discussed the innovative pharmaceutical care concept, developed an optimum strategy for the introduction and promotion of pharmaceutical care and ,suggested strategies to overcome obstacles and implement it successfully. Public Health Campaign The event consisted of public awareness of diabetes. It was an opportunity for us to serve the community, showing that we are part of it and that it is our responsibility to take care of it as healthcare providers. It was also aimed at promoting quality of life without borders. International Night, Auction, and Dinner It was an amazing and exciting night. It was a golden opportunity to explore different cultures,
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CONCLUSION EMPS 2011 has marked my life, and it will stay ingrained in my memory forever as having a positive impact on my future profession as a pharmacist. It was my first time to attend such a special and great IPSF event and this has highly inspired and motivated me to be committed to IPSF events and activities. Not only have I have gained knowledge, skills and professional experiences, but I have also made new friends. I am very grateful to the 2010-2011 IPSF Executive Committee, and especially to the immediate past Chairperson of Pharmacy Education, Miss Dimple Modi, for organizing the 2011 IPSF International Essay Competition, which gave me the opportunity to attend EMPS 2011. Keep it up, you have done a good job. In recognition of IPSF’s efforts I am preparing a peer education workshop to be held next year at the National University of Rwanda. The workshop will emphasize sharing the knowledge, skills and experiences that I acquired from EMPS 2011, with AEPHAR (Rwanda Pharmaceutical Students’ Association) members. This will raise awareness of IPSF activities, and the pharmacy profession in general. Viva la pharmacie !
1 February to 15 April 2012 16 April to 15 May 2012 16 May to 31 May 2012
90 US $ 160 US $ 250 US $
International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation
A glimpse at EPSA’s latest happenings! From events to collaborations, EPSA has it all. The past few months have been quite busy and eventful for EPSA. The 8th Autumn Assembly was hosted by the British Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (BPSA) in Birmingham, Great Britain on 24 – 29 October 2011, with the theme “Sexual Health”. The programme included workshops, soft-skills training sessions, the General Assembly) and a satellite symposium on sexual health. After months of planning, January marked the start of the EPSA-Listening Pharma joint project, sMaRt. sMaRt aims to connect EPSA members with the field of Market Research in the Pharmaceutical Industry. The first stage of sMaRt is meant to provide EPSA students with the essentials of pharma market research through a four week online course. The next stage will focus on improving the skills acquired through applied market research activities. The final step would bring pharmacy students in front of healthcare professionals for a face-toface interview on a specific topic. In March, the Annual Reception, EPSA’s event of Excellency, was once again held at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event was co-hosted by 4 Members of the European Parliament from 3 different political parties. This
NEWSLETTER 26 IPSF News from IPSF
year’s topic was “Active and Healthy Ageing – understanding the implications of growing old”. The take-home message was to increase inter-professional collaboration to help meet the needs of the ageing population. Later on during the same month, EPSA was present at the17th Congress of the EAHP in Milan, and at the 24th Annual DIA Euromeeting in Copenhagen. During both events, EPSA had a booth and this shows that EPSA’s collaboration with these 2 associations is increasingly bearing its fruit. The mandate 2011/2012 is now coming to an end and EPSA is getting ready for the 35th Annual Congress, where the association will also celebrate its 35 years! I hope to see a number of IPSFers there! Yours in EPSA, Charlene Galea EPSA Vice-President of Public Relations 2011/2012
International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation P.O BOX 84200 2508 AE Den Haag The Netherlands Tel: +31 70 302 1992 Fax: +31 70 302 1999 Email: ipsf@ipsf.org Website: www.ipsf.org
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