EPSA Newsletter
Bringing pharmacy, knowledge and students together.
Volume 26 | Edition 2 | February 2019 www.epsa-online.org | @EPSA_Online
What’s new in EPSA?
EPSA Events Autumn Assembly 2018 | Belgrade, Serbia
External Representation
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Internal
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Editor’s words Dear readers, More than half of our mandate has passed in the EPSA Team 2018/2019, a lot has happened, we overcame lots of fears and worked on many projects and for that, here stands with you the second edition of our EPSA Newsletter, to present to you our outcomes and our Members’ and Partners’ projects. What is new in this edition is the introduction of the sections regarding the European Affairs Department and the Public Relations Department. With that, you will be able to learn more about advocacy around Europe, the Mobility Survey, what is Annual Reception and our Social Media Competition. We are happy to present to you this edition of our EPSA Newsletter during the EPSA event of excellence, the Annual Reception, that will happen in the European Parliament on the 28th of February. I hope you will find it interesting and you will lean more about the pharmacy students’ work arround Europe on bringing Pharmacy, Knowledge and Students Together.
Yours in EPSA, Mihai Nițoiu Vice President of Public Relations 2018/2019
Table of Contents Presidential Words
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Team Meeting by 2 observers
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Team Meeting by 2 Team Members
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LS Day
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The Development of VMF
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Autumn Assembly 2018 Report
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Alumni Weekend
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Autumn Assembly 2018 Outcomes
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LLeaP Launch
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PHCs
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TNT
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What’s New in EPSA?
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Students’ Guide and Ambassadors
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IMP
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A Career in Regulatory Affairs
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DIA LoT + EAHP Congress
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External Representation
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Annual Reception
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How does Advocacy Work?
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Mobility Survey
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Social Media Competition
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Monthly Dose
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Map of Europe
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Events and Educational Calendar
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Executive Contacts
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Internal
Presidential words Dear reader, Welcome to the second edition of the EPSA Newsletter for the 2018/2019 mandate! More than half of the mandate has passed and through hard but pleasant work, the EPSA Team has been able to deliver many projects and activities to all EPSA members. Within this publication, you will be able to read about what we organised, who we collaborated with, where EPSA was present and also what our Member Associations have been doing. The articles will present to you the EPSA events, such as the 15th EPSA Autumn Assembly, the Liaison Secretary Day, Team Meetings and the 13th Training New Trainers event, some of EPSA’s activities, such as LLeaP, Students’ Guide and a survey on mobility, as well as take you through EPSA’s presence at both professional and student events all over Europe. EPSA connects over 100.000 European pharmaceutical students and we aim to be able to reach all of them! This can only be possible through the enthusiasm of the hardworking team of 30 students or recent graduates, called the EPSA Team, and the Member Associations. We wish to offer pharmaceutical youth various opportunities in education, mobility, professional development and cultural exchange, as well as promote collaboration among the members and their activities. This publication is released simultaneously with the EPSA Annual Reception 2019, the flagship EPSA event in the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. Additional information about the event is available in the Newsletter but it is my hope to learn that many of you have attended the event, watched the livestream or read the outcomes that will be released after the event. Even though over half of the mandate has passed, there is a lot still to be done. I hope to see many readers at future EPSA projects and activities, and who knows, maybe someday as part of the EPSA Team. The EPSA Team 2018/2019 would like to thank everyone involved in EPSA, from our members to our partners. It is our hope that you enjoy the EPSA activities and the EPSA spirit and while we look back at the EPSA achievements with pride, we also look forward to the many more to come! Make sure you get involved as well! Yours in EPSA, Eva Shannon Schiffrer EPSA President 2018/2019
MSD Vaccines BUILDING ON A HERITAGE OF PREVENTION UNFORTUNATELY, INFECTIOUS DISEASES STILL POSE SIGNIFICANT THREATS IN EUROPE.3
VACCINES SAVE
31,685 39,367
2-3 millions
In 2013, cases of measles and
of lives each year1 in addition to helping to protect against at least infectious diseases worldwide.2
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OUR BROAD VACCINE PORTFOLIO OF PEDIATRIC, ADOLESCENT AND ADULT VACCINES HELP TO PROTECT PEOPLE ACROSS THEIR LIFETIME
cases of rubella were reported.
Our commitment is steadfast as we work to increase access to our vaccines now and in the future.
ROTAVIRUS CHICKENPOX MEASLES MUMPS RUBELLA HEPATITIS A HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS INFECTION SHINGLES PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE
In 2012, of the 11.2 million children born in Europe, nearly
554,150
did not receive the complete threedose series of diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccine by the age of one year.3
VACCINES
are one of the greatest public health success stories of modern time and for more than a century, MSD Vaccines has been at the center of that story.
FOR OVER 100 YEARS, WE HAVE DISCOVERED, DEVELOPED AND DISTRIBUTED INNOVATIVE VACCINES, ADDRESSING UNMET MEDICAL NEEDS IN BOTH DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. A HEALTHIER FUTURE FOR PEOPLE THE WORLD A HEALTHIER FUTURE FOR PEOPLE AROUNDAROUND THE WORLD 1 2 3
World Health Organization. Immunization Coverage. April 2013; Fact Sheet 378. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs378/en last accessed November 2016. WHO, UNICEF, World Bank. State of the World’s Vaccines and Immunization, 3rd ed. Geneva, World Health Organization; 2009. http://who.int/immunization/sowvi/en/ last accessed November 2016 WHO Europe http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/272808/EIW-2015_whyImmunize.pdf?ua=1
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Internal
Team Meeting written by 2 observers
On the 28th October 2018, I attended the last day of the 2nd EPSA Team Meeting. I remember doubting whether it is worth going and if it would not be more fun to do a bit of sightseeing? Especially because I would have no idea what they’re all talking about anyway and I didn’t want to be a burden. I asked around about it and was persuaded to attend. And I am so glad that I did it! Despite it being the third day of the meeting, meaning the team was rather tired, it was a lovely atmosphere and we – the observers, were all greeted with warm smiles and kind words. There was no need to worry about being a burden or not understanding what’s going on – in fact, it was really fascinating to listen to the team’s discussions and the points that were made on various topics. The room was full of ideas and solutions as well as jokes and laughter. At some point it made me want to get involved with EPSA even more! As I am writing this, a couple of months already passed since this meeting occurred and whilst I may not remember specific details and such, I can certainly say that I am really glad to have attended. Work hard, play hard – the meeting was followed by an evening out and despite my terrible bowling skills, I had a super fun night and it was great to be able to catch up with everyone before the busy week of EPSA AA 2018! I truly admire how the EPSA team works, especially their transparency – every time an email is sent to the LSs about an invitation to yet another team meeting, it reminds me that we are also part of this driven and awesome team! - Sally, BPSA UK
The first thing that needs to be said is that the EPSA Team is doing a great job for future pharmacists by bringing them together. I was really impressed with how people can cooperate and create something new together. When I entered the room where the Team Meeting was held, the first thing I saw was a mess on the table, a lot of people in one room and a lot of noise (it was lunchtime, so everyone was hungry). Everyone was so friendly and talkative so I’ve got a chance to get to know some of them. I was very tired after travelling such long distance, so it was hard to get to know and understand more about everything, so I went to the hostel to get some energy for the evening. The next days the TM was held at the faculty. It was full and informative, I’ve made some notes while I was listening to each member of the team. Almost every part of this day was interesting for me and it was really great that I could ask everything that I was interested in or about some misunderstandings. I also get to know other LSs there. I think it is so necessary for new LSs to be a part of the TM, to see how everything works, to get to know each member of EPSA team personally and do not hesitate to ask any question, talk with people, to bring a new fresh view. For me, as a new LS, this meeting was very useful. - Anastasya, USF Czech Republic
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Internal
Team Meeting written by 2 Team Members
On the 26th of October at 8:18 AM, I got on the train to Schiphol. My destination: the second EPSA Team Meeting in Belgrade Serbia. Excited and a bit nervous I started the journey to my very first Team Meeting as EPSA Team Member. I had seen some of my fellow Team Members at the housewarming in Brussels, but the last time I was with most of them was at the Annual Congress and some I never even met before! The journey seemed to last forever, but after 2 hours in the train, 2 hours at Schiphol, 2 hours in the plane, an hour in the bus and a 20-minute walk I finally arrived at the Team Meeting venue. Or at least, I was at the address. The meeting room was in the Serbian Chamber of Pharmacy, which didn’t have any signs outside the building. Luckily, one of the awesome RC members saw me, the lost girl wearing a K.N.P.S.V. sweater, and showed me the way. When I arrived, everyone was just at the break, and I never got a welcome this warm with so many hugs. For the first time, the whole PR Department was together and this was when I met Inês. We had to present our reports and plans the next day, which resulted in the nickname for the PR Subcommittee: “Mihai and his princesses”. While we had full days of the meeting, at night there was also some time for fun. We went out for burgers and cocktails, traditional Serbian food and kebab. After dinner, we even went clubbing one night, which is when we tried Serbian drinks and enjoyed the bars and clubs. I also discovered the supermarkets in Belgrade are open 24/7, so I could buy some snacks for the return trip walking home from the club. I successfully survived the second Team Meeting and made some awesome memories! - Ceren, EPSA Social Media Coordinator 2018/2019
The 2nd Team Meeting took place in the beautiful city of Belgrade in Serbia between the 26th and the 28th of November. There were three days of hard work, getting to know more about each Team Member, to assess the work done and to have the last minute details all checked for the 15th EPSA Autumn Assembly. During these three days, all EPSA projects were deeply debated and plans for the future were set. From the External partners’ updates to the future EPSA events discussions, going through the Educational projects, everything was discussed and notes for improvement were taken. Important discussions took place such as the Humanitarian Mobility Project, future EPSA Handbooks and the Methodology Booklet. We could also take into account the valuable opinions from several Observes such as Alumni, Liaison Secretaries and Reception Committee Members, making our discussions even more fruitful. But Team Meetings are not just working, they also allow us to visit the city, experience the local food and to know each other even further. We had the chance of experiencing a typical Serbian dinner, where we could taste several dishes such as Ćevapčići and enjoy the Serbian drinks. In the last night, together with Liaison Secretaries, we went to a bowling alley where we defied our skills and scored some Strikes and Spares! If you have the availability to join us in a future Team Meeting, don’t hesitate to do so! It is a great way to understand the EPSA Projects and to have a complete overview of the work done throughout the mandate! - Mariana, EPSA Secretary General 2018/2019
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Internal
LS Day The LS Day happened on the 29th October 2018 at the Faculty of Pharmacy in Belgrade, where 17 Liaison Secretaries, Ruben, Bernardo and myself met in the morning of that sunny Monday. The Day was already in full swing with the first activity called ‘’Ideal Association’’ during which LSs were divided into smaller groups and discussed how an association should be organised, engage with members, organise activities, etc. They shared good practices from their own associations, asked for advice and searched for optional improvements. After the break, Bernardo and Ruben shortly presented the Training Project and delivered a training on Critical thinking and giving feedback. They involved other Team Members as some activities during the training based on EPSA departments. For the 3rd part of the Day, the whole EPSA Team joined and the LSs discussed with each Department about their projects and activities and LSs’ involvement. EPSA Team Members learned about how LSs see EPSA’s projects and got quite some ideas for improvements and vice versa LSs learned how projects are structured and what is expected from them for each activity.
At the end of the day, Buddy groups competed in the EPSA POP Quiz and showed their knowledge on EPSA, its history, activities, structure, Team, etc. In the evening we altogether sat down and enjoyed Serbian food and drinks, networked, laughed and had a lot of fun together, before we hit on the Autumn Assembly! At the end, I would like to thank each Liaison Secretary for participating in the LS Day, bringing their knowledge, questions, experience and ideas on the table, being so proactive and creating such a motivating atmosphere! Also thanks to Bernardo for helping me with the programme, Ruben for delivering a training together with Bernardo, Mihai for taking photos, EPSA Team for joining and actively participate and to Ana-Marija from the Helping Team who took care of all the logistics. Thanks to all of you I am confident to say that it was a successful, productive and fun LS Day! Anja Šribar EPSA VP Internal Affairs 2018/2019
Internal
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2018’s Autumn Assembly comprised of a significant amount of novelty as far as I am concerned. Although it was not the first Autumn Assembly I had ever attended and I did not stand as a newcomer at the gates of an EPSA event, these new circumstances (first time OD and LS) made me feel strangely vulnerable. The LS Day was the perfect kickoff for the wildly intense week that followed. Although I had been occupying the LS position for quite some time (approximately 6 months), I did not feel experienced enough when I got there, not even close. But as the day ran its course with all its activities and talks, I started feeling calmer and readier for what was going to happen next. Having the opportunity to catch the vibe of the EPSA team and chat with other LSs who had super helpful advice to give was immensely beneficial. Great facilitators for my better understanding of the role I have in EPSA were not only the designated activities (although these were well aimed and carried out), but also the breaks during which we had time to connect with our colleagues in a relaxed environment. I strongly believe that the evening activity during which we had the chance to discuss several issues with each department was a great way to break barriers and help us feel closer and more connected to the Team Members, while also clarifying misunderstandings and pointing out different issues in a productive manner. The end of the LS Day brought me a satisfying broader view of EPSA and comprehension of all the things LSs can do to help the Association grow evermore, plus the much need tranquility for the days to come. Oana Ciobanu LS FASFR
The thing that I remember most about the LS day was how wonderful it was to finally see the faces that belong to the people I have been emailing and texting with. Some old but mostly new! Knowing the other LSs made the General Assembly so much more fun and efficient. During the first part of the LS day we discussed the ideal association. While discussing this we came up with great ideas that we can all implement in our own association. It shows that we can learn so much from each other and that each association has its own way of doing things while we all have the same goal. The idea I took home is that everything starts with good communication. The soft skill training about feedback and critical thinking was really helpful and I think everyone learned a lot. I personally took home that everyone approaches a statement differently. In the afternoon the whole EPSA team joined us. They paired up in the departments and the LSs spoke to every department separately. I thought I knew a lot about EPSA but I learned even more about all the activities and projects of EPSA. I think both the EPSA team and the LSs came up with great ideas for the remaining of the mandate. It really brought the EPSA team and the LSs closer together. This was really beneficial for the GA and the rest of the congress. By starting the Autumn Assembly with the LS day I was in full EPSA mode and enjoyed the congress to the fullest. If you are elected as LS I fully recommend you to attend the LS day. I enjoyed it so much and I couldn’t have enjoyed it more! Janine Nijhuis LS K.N.P.S.V.
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Internal
The Development of VMF Visiting Members Fund exists for the EPSA Team to get closer to our Members by attending their events that we are invited to. These events are usually their congresses, general assemblies, balls, career days, soft-skills focused events and others. The main purpose of EPSA Team Members accepting Member Associations’ invitations is to bring EPSA closer to its members, present our activities and projects, deliver workshops and trainings and, most important, engage with students, be approachable and responding to their questions and implementing EPSA’s ‘’bringing pharmacy, knowledge and students together’’. In mandate 2018/2019 (September 2018-January 2019) we have already attended 11 events where 14 different EPSA Team Members altogether were present. In February EPSA is going to attend 2 Member’s events and we have currently 3 calls opened. The invitation is usually sent to EPSA President and then a call for the Team is opened. Once Team Members express their availability, the Executives votes on the representatives that are going to attend the event. Being Vice President of Internal Affairs and therefore managing Members, I am opportune to be prioritised to represent EPSA at our Members’ events, but we always strive to send as many EPSA Team Members as possible.
Why do we believe that Visiting our Members is important? With accepting their invitations we show them our will to engage with them, to get to know their Associations better, to meet their members, to bring EPSA’s projects and activities closer to them and make them aware that we are always approachable, not only through email but also in person. It is always impressive how much EPSA can learn from our Members and also vice-versa - how much EPSA can give to them. We are always happy and grateful for every invitation that we get and we always strive to have EPSA represented at our Members’ events. It is a great opportunity that brings us closer and allows us to motivate each other. I would like to thank all the Members who gave us an honour to be invited to attend their meetings, congresses, career days, balls, and other activities and with this, I would like to encourage others not to hesitate in contacting us, it will be our pleasure to meet you! Anja Šribar EPSA VP Internal Affairs 2018/2019
SERBIA During December Marko had a chance to visit NAPSer at their 11th Congress that was held in snowy mountains called Zlatibor in Serbia with the topic “World of microbes: Synergy of microbiological principles and modern strategies in healthcare system”. Generosity and hard work of this highly organised and dedicated people created the crown of joint work of all local associations and NAPSer. Warm and cosy accommodation, huge meals, the entertaining educational programme delivered by professionals and theme parties were just a glimpse of great atmosphere. Thank you NAPSer!
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Internal
TURKEY The last days of September, Zuzana and Chris were fortunate to be invited to Gelecegin E Hali by UPSAint in Turkey. This event is organised every two years by the Turkish associations for entrepreneur pharmacists. The event was held in the Istanbul Congress Center. The venue was huge, and the entire event was breathtaking. There was a huge exhibition floor with innovative pharmaceutical and cosmetic products and a model of the pharmacy of the future where large touchscreens provided patients with information of the products with a very modern vibe to the concept. It was a great event and we recommend everyone to take a look if they happen to be in Istanbul when it’s organised.
SPAIN Bernardo and Ruben attended the 29th National Congress of the Spanish Federation of Pharmacy Students (FEEF) in Barcelona, the past month of November. The event covered many different topics regarding the pharmacists’ profession and the different paths for the future Spanish pharmacists. We had the opportunity to deliver a soft skills session on communication and a presentation about EPSA, both very successful, interactive and captivating. They engaged with many students which showed a lot of interest in the projects presented to them and in the conversations we had with them. Hopefully, we will see many of them again in future EPSA events!
THE NETHERLANDS The first weekend of October was reserved by K.N.P.S.V., the Netherlands, for Anja, Vice President of Internal Affairs, and Nejc, Vice President of External Relations, as they attended their General Assembly in Leiden. We listened to the discussion taking place there and delivered a short presentation on the updates of work EPSA has done in that period. We got the opportunity to meet and network with the new K.N.P.S.V. board and later in the evening with all of the participants over dinner and informal drink. We are extremely thankful to everyone who made us feel welcomed and see you on the upcoming EPSA and K.N.P.S.V. events!
CROATIA During the 2nd weekend in October 2018, Eva and Anja attended the 5th CPSA National Congress in Zagreb, Croatia. In three days they were participating in lectures, where speakers covered all pharmaceutical fields from different perspectives, focusing on the implementation of innovations and knowledge in the healthcare system. On Sunday CPSA also held the General Assembly where we presented EPSA, our projects and activities and opportunities for students and were present atnd their elections. With other two Team Members - Sanja and Tilen, we met a lot of pharmaceutical students and networked with them. We would like to thank CPSA for the invitation to their amazing event!
FRANCE On last November happened General Assembly of ANEPF in Rouen, France where Marko attended on behalf of EPSA. He had a chance to contribute to their wealthy educational programme on Saturday by delivering Training and EPSA presentation, as well on Sunday while attending amazing GA and acquainting himself with such a complex and serious work of association like ANEPF. Their hospitality, delicate food and strong spirit made him feel like one of them! Merci beaucoup ANEPF!
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Events
Autumn Assembly Reports The preparations for the EPSA events always become intensive a couple of weeks before the start of the Congress, my work had started long before, hopefully, the participants and EPSA Team liked the promo material on social networks as well as the posts following them. While working with our professional helper in terms of design, Iva, so many great and positive ideas came up to the surface which resulted in a great promotion. Before the Congress, I had my hands full with providing participants with all the necessary info in terms of the hotel, venues, social events, currency, public transport and the pre-congress tour. When the Assembly started it all seemed like a dream to me, it ended so fast. Registrations went smoothly. In my opinion, participants who went on the pre-congress tour and the alumni weekend had a blast, I have never seen alumni so happy on a congress. Social events were definitely the highlight of the Congress, I admire participants on managing to wake up so early in the morning and to actually stay functional after those parties. Logistics also went okay if we take into account all the challenges that we had and that Belgrade is an enormous city. I would wish everybody who has a chance, to participate, in as many as possible EPSA events, you will surely acquire amazing friendships and learn something new about our profession. Aleksa Jovanovic PR Officer of Autumn Assembly 2018
30th of October – 4th of November 2018
Belgrade, Serbia
Topic: The Story of Clinical Trials
Organization of some EPSA event was our dream for a long time and when we finally decided it is time to make it happen, Nemanja and I immediately started thinking about the possible topic. We had numerous ideas: some were too common, and some were rather childish. Our goal was to bypass topics that are usually addressed in educational projects, and move to the practical ones, which are not fully explained in schools. And that’s how The story of clinical trials began. Organising something as huge as EPSA AA carries a lot of responsibility, but it doesn’t mean we didn’t have fun. For me, it was amazing how well you can collaborate with someone you just met, how close you become while solving problems. and how good it feels when you see a room full of people waiting for the lecture you organised. That is something I surely want to repeat! Jelena Mitrovic Edu Officer of Autumn Assembly 2018
Public health campaign on diabetes 56th EPSA General Assembly 300 participants 9 Reception Committee Members 45 Helping Team Members
Being part of the 15th EPSA AA reception committee was quite an interesting experience. When you have few national congresses previously organised, you may catch yourself thinking or feeling doubtful at one moment if applying for a position in the RC was really a smart decision, will there be joy and enthusiasm like with first congresses? What actually happened was that there were ups and downs, stress and lack of time for some important activities in life, but in the end, numerous beautiful benefits took over. Those were lots of laughs, meeting old and new friends and experiencing new stories making your own richer – definitely worth it! Ivan Milicevic Vice Chairperson of Autumn Assembly 2018
Events
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Alumni
Alumni Weekend The Alumni Weekend of the EPSA AA 2018 consisted of three amazing days in which we experienced the familiar taste of EPSA activities. The weekend was a perfect combination of alumni activities and the standard elements of an EPSA congress. We were able to catch up with EPSA friends while enjoying the city with local food, drinks and music. I had great fun during the weekend thanks to the varying programme, which was perfectly organised! Eva Van Haren
Hosting Alumni in my hometown – a wish came true! Alumni Weekend during the 15th EPSA Autumn Assembly was organised from the 1stto the 4th of November 2018 with the participation of 17 enthusiastic Alumni. Alumni were part of the Educational program in Chat with Professionals shared their input and experiences at the General Assembly and also enjoyed an excellent social program consisting of visits toNikola Tesla Museum, hidden undergrounds of Belgrade, Escape room game and exquisite Alumni dinner in a traditional Serbian restaurant with a lot of meat and a couple of drinks! Seeing old and meeting new friends with a high dose of EPSA Spirit proved to be a winning combination for another memorable EPSA event. Svetlana Kolundzic
I have attended the EPSA Alumni weekend several times now and I have thoroughly enjoyed every one that I attended. It is not only a great opportunity to meet old friends but you also make new ones with Alumni who were involved in EPSA in other mandates. The Alumni coordinator always does an excellent job to ensure that there are lots of cultural experiences as well as sightseeing opportunities involved in every weekend. I particularly enjoy the chat with professionals’ session as it gives me the opportunity to share my experiences with pharmacy students from all over Europe as well as to learn about what job roles my alumni colleagues have in their respective areas. So looking forward to the next Alumni weekend in Sofia in April!! Slán go fóill (Irish for Bye, for now)
Bumpbump is the sound that my heart made when I arrived in Serbia for the Alumni Weekend of the 15th EPSA Autumn Assembly. In four days and with about twenty alumni, we discovered all the secrets of Belgrade. We lost ourselves in the dark fortress and we looked at the pretty little ass of the statue of Pobednik. To have more culture, we went to the Tesla museum without being electrocuted. Then in the last effort, we played being Robin Hood in an escape room. Finally, we all gained weight by eating local meat. Thank you and see you soon for new adventures. Duy Nguyen
Brendan Murray
For me the Alumni Weekend was a great way to reunite with old EPSA friends, meet the next generation of pharmacy students and share my own experiences in student/professional life. I think that both students and alumni can benefit from the exchange at the Congress and I really enjoyed all the activities that were organised for us as a side program – a huge thanks to Rúben and Ivan for the great weekend! Astrid Strmsek
At the end of October 2018, when we had just got the first snow of the season in Helsinki, it was time for me to fly to Belgrade, Serbia, for my 11th EPSA congress. I had saved a part of my summer vacation to join the Alumni Weekend and to visit a country where I had never been to before. The weekend was easygoing, the programme interesting (e.g., escape the room game, sightseeing, Chat with Professionals), the weather nice (- it was over 20 degrees warmer in Belgrade than back home!), and, most of all, it was great to meet old friends and new people.what a weekend! Suvi Sivula
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Education
Autumn Assembly Outcomes
Dear readers, During the 15th EPSA Autumn Assembly, we had different workshops and a symposium that revolved around the topic “The Story of Clinical Trials”. Besides that, we also had trainings that aimed to develop our soft-skills and different activities such as a Public Health Campaign, a Career Fair and other activities related to EPSA projects. To assure that we would be able to store this information to students that couldn’t attend, we elaborated a booklet with the Educational Outcomes of the event. Here are some quotes! Pre-approval access to drugs is a treatment option with unauthorised medicines. Under strict conditions, products in development can be available to patients who have a disease with no existing satisfactory authorised therapies and who cannot enter clinical trials. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) provides recommendations through the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP). A Contract Research Organisation (CRO) is a company that will take care of the clinical trial based on an outsourcing contract. These organisations work in the pharmaceutical, biotechnological and medical devices areas and by taking care of all this process, they reduce the money spent by a pharmaceutical company in their research while having a very detailed overview of the process since these companies are specialised in clinical trials. The workshop was a compilation of clinical case solving and discussions about current inter-collaborative practices between pharmacists and doctors. Instructions were provided on how the latest clinical guidelines and recommendations, and an optimal approach to therapy prescription and monitoring was demonstrated. This workshop enabled the sharing of experiences and issues pharmacists face in different European countries and regions as well as the brainstorming on new ideas around the role of pharmacists amongst healthcare providers and the public. Early implementation of education about the importance of pharmacists’ endeavours, as well as the economic benefits of a pharmacist’s contribution to the healthcare system, were identified as first steps towards the best practice of tomorrow. The falsified medicines directive was introduced to combat this across the whole EU and introduce measures designed to strengthen these supply chains. Nowadays there is a logo that is used in pharmacy websites from EU countries and it guarantees that the website can be trusted. The Council of Europe drafted a convention which constitutes, for the first time, a binding international instrument in the criminal law field on counterfeiting of medical products and similar crimes involving threats to public health (MEDICRIME Convention). The EDICRIMEConvention is open for signature not only for EU countries but also at a global level. Throughout history, there were several cases of problems, like the global heparin disaster or the “Herceptin case” for instance.
Diogo Capítulo EPSA VP of Education 2018/2019
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Education
LLeaP Launch Setting pillars for LLeaP and thinking of every single detail concerning the platform was challenging, but overall an inspiring and motivating encounter. I had a seat thinking about lifelong learning. How do students perceive it? How can we teach and show the advantages of lifelong learning in an interactive way, and besides why should we pursue this pathway? Now we reached the phase where LLeaP is so much more than a tool to submit knowledge for pharmacy students. Our platform is divided into a few segments with several opportunities. The News page is there to interactively update students on recent educational activities that are happening all around Europe, starting from Chat with Professionals and Webinars, through new Public Health Campaigns, Science! Monthly and publications such as position papers and EPSA Monthly Dose. Moreover, the News page is a perfect chance for our Members to promote their educational activities abroad and share some good practices with other pharmacy students. Learn section is enabling students to search upon the upcoming EPSA Events and Educational Calendar, as well as acquaint with most of the possible pharmacy fields where they can work after the graduation. This corner of our platform is giving opportunities to learn much more in detail about these pharmacy fields such as community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, industry, regulatory affairs etc.
If you are really into continuous learning you will without any doubt adore our Library. A corner that is much more than a place to read books and journals. Our book room houses up to date digital library collections of a wide range of pharmacy-related topics and innovations. Here students can explore the educational content EPSA concentrates on, that can vary from science matters to regulatory affairs. Dive into our educational outcomes from the latest EPSA events and activities. In Library, students can explore a collection of written position papers that outline EPSA’s efforts and attitude regarding different healthcare matters and prevailing achievements and activities. The main core of LLeaP is the design of submission forms that through wellanalysed questions trigger students to think further about the knowledge they are gathering and to define the way to apply it and improve themselves. An example submission form will guide students to stir their path and also expand it. Claim section is challenging pharmacy students to share knowledge more actively while collecting a wide variety of shiny medals and boosting competences. But this is just the beginning, LLeaP is to face many upgrades in near future. Starting from the ranking system where each student will, through collecting medals, unlock new ranks and receive additional awards and benefits on the
platform, through the promotion of new educational activities and creation of certificates that will be issued to students. Do not hesitate to join, because you will gain twice more than you share!
Marko Ocokoljić EPSA Educational Affairs Coordinator 2018/2019
Education
Public Health Campaigns World Humanitarian Day On the 19th of August, EPSA celebrated the World Humanitarian Day with a Public Health Campaign. Using some online posts, we could reach students and raise awareness about this how they can involve in Humanitarian Projects.
World Pharmacist Day On the 25th of September, EPSA celebrated the World Pharmacist Day in order to raise awareness on the importance of the pharmacist in improving health.
Mental Health On the week of the 8-14th of October, EPSA held its campaign on Mental Health. During this period we tried to break the stigma on this area and for that, we had the help of our members that took the campaign to their faculties.
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Education
Public Health Campaigns World Antibiotic Awareness Week On the week of the 12-18th November EPSA held the World Antibiotic Awareness Campaign to raise awareness of the responsible use of antibiotics and it was done in collaboration with ECDC.
World Aids Day On the 1st of December, EPSA had a Public Health Campaign about the World AIDS Day where we were able to raise awareness on this disease through our social media posts.
Food Safety and Nutrition On the week of the 7-12th of January, EPSA together with IPSF held a Public Health Campaign about Food Safety and Nutrition raising awareness on the importance of a healthy diet. To achieve this, there were several posts on social media, both EPSA’s and IPSF’s.
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Education
13th EPSA TNT
From the 7th to the 16th of December, Lisbon received eleven motivated and eager to learn, pharmacy students from all around Europe for an event that would change the way they see the world around them – the 13th EPSA TNT. EPSA Team and EPSA Trainers planned and organised a 9-day event dedicated to learning soft skills and everything these students needed to become EPSA Trainers.
The Trainer’s Team consisted of: Bernardo Marinheiro (EPSA) Diogo Capítulo (EPSA) João Camacho (BEST) Marina Codorniu (EGEA)
Right on the 7th of December, this team received all the 11 participants and got the chance and time to get to know each other a bit better, as they would be working hard together from then on. These participants were: Anahid Asayan (Armenia) Ciprian Chirita (Romania) David Brychta (Czech Republic) Ebru Kuruldak (Turkey) Ioana Ivankova (Romania) João Anastácio (Portugal) Maria Beatriz Nobre (Portugal) Mario Bergano (Portugal) Ognjen Ivetić (Serbia) Piotr Skiba (Poland) Tiago Rodrigues (Portugal)
For 5 days, the Trainers shared with the participants huge amounts of information about training preparation, delivery, management, and more, to prepare them for any kind of situation they might find in their future as EPSA Trainers. There were some exhausting days with around 8-9 working hours each, still, the whole group battled through together, learned and improved their skills as future Trainers. By the end of the week, the participants got the chance to plan, prepare and deliver a Training session of their own to Portuguese pharmacy students and the rest of the people participating in the TNT. After long hours of preparation, many discussions, a lot of analysing information and little sleep, every single group of participants had a session prepared for their participants. An exciting yet frightening day was in front of them: the day they delivered their very 1st Training! All of them did their best to have an impact on their participants’ lives and to share the knowledge they had looked for the night before. By putting in practice all they had learned during the week, they managed to go through with their sessions and feel the amazing emotion of accomplishment and pride in making the difference. In the end, it was difficult to say goodbye to the people they have been living with for a week, with so many experiences shared and moments lived, everyone went back home with the will to keep sharing their knowledge, the passion for continuous development and a lot of new friends with whom to walk the EPSA Trainer’s path. Bernardo Marinheiro EPSA Training Coordinator 2018/2019
Tailor-made concept enhances pharmacy experience Pharmacy Championnet, Grenoble, France The Pharmacy Championnet has chosen automation as part of a global reorganization project. A solution that allowed the pharmacy team to focus on welcoming and advising customers, for the satisfaction of all. The sales area has increased from 58 m² to 200 m² spread over 3 floors. The installation of the Rowa Vmax® was perfectly integrated into the new multi-level structure. The pharmacy has also been equipped with an automatic input system, Rowa ProLog®, and the Rowa Vmotion® digital shelves.
It seemed obvious to us to maximize the automation of the pharmacy during our project of reorganization. We have gained flexibility while increasing our availability to advise customers. This set up has allowed the pharmacy to go into the 21st century! Nicolas Trouillon, Owner of the Pharmacie Championnet in Grenoble (France)
Rowa Technologies ®
Facts and figures
Rowa Vmax®: L 7.00 m × W 1.63 m × H 2.90 m Capacity: 18,000 packs 4 outputs spread on 3 levels Rowa Vmotion®: 5 screens 55’’ Rowa ProLog®: External automatic input Sales area before: 58 m² Sales area after: 200 m² Robot location: 4th level Installation: 2016
The challenge
The solution
> Improve the turnover of the pharmacy
> The turnover has been boosted since the reorganization. In 4 months, the pharmacy compensated the losses related to the 6 months of work.
> Enlarge the sales area
> The installation of the robot on stairs allowed maximised space for the sales area. The pharmacy has gained nearly 150 m² of sales area.
> Give time to the team for welcoming and services
> The automation of stock management allows teams to stay with customers for advice.
bd.com/rowa © 2018 BD. All rights reserved. BD, the BD Logo and Rowa are property of Becton, Dickinson and Company. Aug-2018, 0000MS07773iss1
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New in EPSA
What’s New in EPSA?
LLeaP
The Lifelong Learning Platform was officially launched. It is an interactive way to share your experiences as a lifelong learner! Make sure to register for it.
CHECK IT HERE
Methodology Booklet
EPSA asked the members for their opinion on the current teaching methodologies and the outcomes are now available! Check it out and help share it.
CHECK IT HERE
Science Blog
Are you interested in science? We have a new blog for you where you can learn so much more!
CHECK IT HERE
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New in EPSA
13th TNT
The EPSA Trainers Pool has 11 new members! Invite them to your events and develop your soft skills through the Trainings they will deliver.
Mobility Survey Report
We also asked for the members opinion on obstacles in student mobility and the outcomes were published! Check them out and share them.
CHECK IT HERE
Joint Position on the Spread of Antimicrobial Resistance We released a position paper together with EDSA and EMSA, also endorsed by EFPSA. Check it out and share!
CHECK IT HERE
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Mobility
Students’ Guide and Ambassadors Going abroad, exploring new countries and being educated abroad sounds terrific right? However, travelling to another country for a long term period for an educational exchange like the Erasmus + programme might also bring many questions with itself before the journey. For instance, living cost in that country or educational facilities of outgoing faculty might be keeping your mind busy. Luckily, EPSA provides us with Students’ Guide where we can find essential information about European cities.
What is the Students’ Guide? It is your “digital travel buddy” that helps you through your planning journey to another country for your study. It consists of essential information related to cities and education. You can find the information about documents needed for applying for a visa, information about studying in a specific city and living conditions. Moreover, you can find a list of faculties of pharmacy throughout Europe.
How you can benefit from it? Very simple! Go through the EPSA webpage and find out all facilities of Student’s Guide. When you click on the map that brings you more information about the respective city. Like living cost or contact of Erasmus Coordinator or Erasmus partner faculties. It is a useful tool even if you are not going for Erasmus. You can use it when you visit your EPSA friends from another country. We are collecting data from various sources and we regularly check and update it. Regarding this, you can check the information about your university and country. If you have any suggestion or input please do not hesitate to contact me. Secondly, you can become an Ambassador! Ambassador project is the brand new sub-project of Students’ Guide. An ambassador is a person in charge of the incoming pharmaceutical Erasmus students in their city. We are expecting Ambassadors to help Erasmus students especially before their journey and upon their arrival. Informing incoming students about their cities, pharmaceutical curriculum or main attractions of cities are one of the example tasks of being an Ambassador. Currently, we have 25 Ambassadors from different cities however it is not a decent number for such a big association. Therefore I highly encourage you to apply if you consider the position fits with your competencies. To sum up, I highly recommend you to check out the Students’ Guide and its features. Within your contribution, we can create a better tool for the next generations!
Baran Arslan EPSA Mobility Coordinator 2018/2019
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Mobility
IMP Testimonial As of November 2017, I had the opportunity to be part of the Individual Mobility Project of EPSA, for a full year. My assignment was at Mylan as a European Affairs Officer in Brussels (Belgium), supporting the European Policy and Market Access team. Here I had the opportunity to learn more about the public affairs field in the pharmaceutical industry, to understand the functioning of the institutions of the European Union and to closely work with a trade organization called Medicines for Europe. I was supporting Mylan’s activity across all working groups in Medicines for Europe, attending some and collecting feedback from others in order to help create the company’s position and report it internally and externally. Another part of my function was to work on specific projects that were important for the company and the patients it served, calling on inefficiencies and roadblocks to better health in policies across the EU. Public affair is an area that’s hard to understand unless you’re in it, that’s also why it’s called the “EU bubble”. Across Europe, we hear a lot about the EU, but very few understand what it is exactly and how it works. The IMP was a great opportunity to have a facilitated start in this EU health policy field, as it also helps the company by having ready a selection of motivated and highly skilled Pharmacy young professionals. Although I have slightly changed fields over to Marketing at the moment, I do feel that I might cross paths one day again with this area. Brussels itself is also a very nice city for an international experience, as the expat community is very large, there’s always a lot of events where you can meet likeminded people and you can get by everywhere even if you only speak English. In conclusion, I definitely recommend an international work experience, it will not only expand your horizons, but it can also be a great career fast track!
Paulo Mendes
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External
A Career in Regulatory Affairs Have you considered working in regulatory affairs? Benedict Lam, Acting Managing Editor of Regulatory Rapporteur, the official journal of TOPRA, explains. Think your pharmacy degree only allows you a career in front-line pharmacy or the pharmaceutical industry? Think again. There are more options than just community or hospital pharmacy, working in pharma. Your qualification also allows you to enter healthcare regulatory affairs easily. What are regulatory affairs? Regulatory affairs came about from the desire of governments to protect public health by controlling the safety and efficacy of products in areas including pharmaceuticals, veterinary medicines, medical devices, pesticides, agrochemicals, cosmetics and complementary medicines. Companies responsible for the discovery, testing, manufacture and marketing of these products also want to ensure that they supply products that are safe and make a worthwhile contribution to public health and welfare. As a result, regulatory affairs professionals emerged to handle these matters for companies. Regulatory professionals are responsible for: 1. Keeping track of legislation in all the regions in which a company wishes to distribute its products; 2. Advising on legal and scientific restraints and requirements; 3. Collecting, collating and evaluating scientific data; 4. Presenting registration documents to regulatory agencies and carrying out any subsequent negotiations necessary to obtain or maintain marketing authorization for the products concerned; 5. Giving strategic and technical advice at the highest level in their companies, making an important contribution both commercially and scientifically to the success of a development programme and the company as a whole; 6. Helping the company avoid problems caused by badly kept records, inappropriate scientificthinking or poor presentation of data. Additionally, the regulatory affairs department will often take part in the development of product marketing concepts and is commonly required to approve packaging and advertising
before it is used commercially. Regulatory affairs professionals can also work for drug regulatory agencies such as the European Medicines Agency or the US Food and Drug Administration. Some work at a contract research organisation (CRO) – a company that provides support to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries in the form of research services outsourced on a contract basis. Regulatory affairs professionals could also work as consultants and run their own business. Pharmacists and those with pharmaceutical qualifications are attractive to employers from because of their knowledge of medicines, pharmacology, clinical data, attention to detail and scientific knowledge. Supporting regulatory professionals TOPRA – The Organisation for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs – is a global professional body established over 40 years ago and has been representing those who work in regulatory affairs in all sectors. It provides support, training, accreditation and resources to help regulatory professionals, whatever stage of their career. TOPRA and EPSA have been building closer ties for many years. For example, EPSA attended our Annual Symposium in Stockholm, Sweden, last year in October. Additionally, we recently published a letter from EPSA’s Vice President of External Relations in our professional journal Regulatory Rapporteur. TOPRA offers a student membership for those who want to pursue a career in regulatory affairs. The Membership allows students to attend training courses at discounted rates. For example, the Basics course provides an overview of what regulatory affairs involves, and is perfect for students who want to get a head start or learn more about the profession. Student members also have full access to our peer-reviewed journal online. Additionally, TOPRA runs an annual careers fair, where students can meet potential future employers and attend presentations to learn more about the sector. For more information about TOPRA membership and regulatory affairs, visit: https://www.topra.org/TOPRA/TOPRA_ Member/why_join_topra.aspx Benedict Lam Acting Manager Editor of Regulatory Rapporteur
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External
DIA Leader of Tomorrow and EAHP Congress
DIA Leader of Tomorrow at DIA Europe 2019
What and where? DIA Europe 2019 is taking place in Vienna between the 5th and 7th of February 2019. It is the largest event in healthcare and drug development in Europe. A part of the programme, under the Leader of Tomorrow initiative, is dedicated to students and emerging professionals. All students are also able to attend the pre-congress activities on the 4th of February 2019 in Vienna and are able to attend the conference itself at special rates. How is EPSA involved? EPSA President, Eva Shannon Schiffrer, is a member of the Leader of Tomorrow programme committee and EPSA is an official partner of the Leader of Tomorrow initiative for DIA Europe 2019.
24th Congress of the EAHP What and Where? The 24th Congress of the EAHP is taking place in Barcelona between the 27th and 29th of March under the topic “Personalised Hospital Pharmacy: Meeting the needs of every patient”. Special Student Rates and Activities A fee for students of 150€ includes a special session organised for students, lunches and coffee breaks plus the access to the whole Congress programme and exhibitions. Dr Antonella Tonna, lecturer of Clinical Pharmacy from the Robert Gordon University in Scotland, and Dr Torsten Hoppe-Tichy, a professor and a Chief Hospital Pharmacist from the Heidelberg University, are going to present on the challenges of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). More specifically we are going to hear How Hospital Pharmacists can implement antimicrobial stewardship to ensure rational use of antimicrobials. Are you hearing of antimicrobial stewardship for the first time? Join the session and you will hear everything about it in an interactive workshop where your opinions and ideas will be heard. On Wednesday evening, 27. 3. you are invited to attend the EAHP Meet and greet Evening where you will have the chance to network with other students and young professionals. We will take you to the restaurant ULTRAMARINOS, located in the iconic Ramblas of Barcelona where traditional food and drinks. If you wish to explore Barcelona in a relaxed way and support kids with cancer you can join the FUN RUN on Friday morning. EPSA President and Vice President of External Relations are going to participate as well!
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External
External Representation
JADE Generations Club 2018 Right after the Autumn Assembly in Belgrade EPSA Interns in Brussels went back to their role of representing EPSA, this time to Generations Club, organised by JADE, our student partner representing Junior Entrepreneurs across Europe. The 12th edition of the event brought together senior and junior generation in a discussion on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The discussion was divided into two parts, first, we tried to solve the problem of how to effectively communicate the values of SDGs to young people and organisations, such as NGOs and SME. The second part focused on measuring the work towards SDGs. Group work had led us to think about the impact of the project with which aim to work towards SDGs and if it really has characteristics to achieve them.
EPHA Trailblazers 2025 European Public Health Alliance organised a forum discussion on access and affordability of medicines. On the full-day event, many access to medicine-related topics were presented and later discussed on. First, we heard views on the access to medicine in Europe from health insurance entities and the generic pharmaceutical industry. Later we covered the field of medicines policy in Europe. The ÂťWhere are we heading?ÂŤ questions had been thoroughly discussed by innovative pharmaceutical industry representative and different medical agencies. What kind of research projects are being funded and where are the aforementioned funds coming from. Responsible R and D was emphasised as an important aspect of it as well.
ECDC - European Antibiotic Awareness Day 2018 18th of November was marked as European Antibiotic Awareness Day and EPSA had a great honour to attend ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) event and distinctly contribute to a fruitful discussion regarding the future of antibiotics, along with EMSA and EDSA. During the 2018 European Antibiotic Awareness Day, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis called for stronger cooperation across human health, animal health and the environment sectors. Furthermore, the European Commission released the results of the new Eurobarometer study on the public knowledge on antibiotics and overall trends in their use. Highlights of the Special Eurobarometer on antimicrobial resistance focused on how Europeans are using the antibiotics, what Europeans know about antibiotics and further what do they think about antibiotics in agriculture. A further conclusion was EU Investment in the development of new tools and solutions to tackle antimicrobial resistance resulting in better research, development, innovation, knowledge of detection, effective infection control and surveillance, new therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics
External
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Federation of European Academies of Medicine The Federation of European Academies of Medicine was held on the 19th of November accompanied by the Forum Workshop on Vaccination. The meeting took place in the Palace of Academies in Brussels. The moderator was Gary Finnegan who collaborated with EPSA previously through Vaccines Europe. The initial message of this workshop referred to vaccination as the 21st-century rebellion, marking the recent status of vaccination hesitancy. Although hesitancy can be seen as normal, refusal of vaccines cannot be so. Throughout the day a lot of topics were covered. The cross border vaccination and EU cards and registries were one of them. There was also discussion on vaccines quality, schedules, their importance and how to target information to specific groups. Another important aspect was that social sciences need to collaborate for the message to reach the public and reduce hesitancy. Overall it was a very nice discussion among different stakeholders and groups of people. The main message was clear: There is a need to increase vaccination coverage, convey the correct messages and make sure this public health tool that is vaccination is used to its full extent in order to protect everyone.
s o
h e e e s. e s
Self-Care for Life The Self Care Initiative Europe held the event “Self-Care for Life� in the European Parliament, on the 6th of November. The welcoming part was done by Jacqueline Bowman-Busato, the representative of Self-Care Europe. Julie Ward, a Member of the European Parliament introduced self-care as an important wide concept in health, related to adult education and lifelong learning. The event had other speakers that approached investment in self-care, the personal views on self-care and the social determinants linked to it. The challenges pointed out were the lack of health literacy, lack of data and system thinking and the huge transformation needed in the health systems. The different stakeholders pointed out their views. Industry and insurers mentioned that they were supportive of self-care development. Another Member of the European Parliament, Biljana Borzan mentioned the lack of digital skills of some place in Europe as a barrier to implement more selfcare centred solutions. From the health professionals’ side, more collaboration is needed and data protection and patient centricity need to be a target to better implement all these solutions.
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Advocacy
Annual Reception The Annual Reception is EPSA’s yearly event of excellence. Every year, in late February or beginning of March, EPSA joins student representatives and stakeholders at the European Parliament to discuss a hot topic on the healthcare or youth field. This year, happening on the 28th February 2019, the EPSA Annual Reception’s topic will be “Digitalisation in Healthcare and its challenges for the pharmaceutical profession” focusing on “continuous professional development as a tool to foster e-health learning for patient-centered care”. With such a topic, we aim to gather everyone to discuss one of the most debated matters of last months: digitalization in healthcare. Around digitalization there so many questions still to be answered that EPSA believes to be the right time to debate them. - How to implement digital tools in healthcare as part of the daily practice? How to safely implement them? - Which digital tools are we talking about? Artificial Intelligence? Blockchain? - Robotization in the pharmaceutical sector? Which kind of robotization? In compounding or in pharmacies? - Electronic Healthcare Records? Where are we? How to implement them cross-border?
And, for all these questions, as a pharmaceutical student association, we ask, how to prepare for this? The healthcare sector is involving faster than ever and constantly changing, providing new solutions for patients and new career opportunities for health professionals. However, none of such solutions come without their risks and none of such opportunities come without their challenges. The need for a more patient-centered approach in health care has been recognized as essential over the past years but digitalization brings its difficulties and challenges on how to keep high humanization levels in care and how to fully use this tools for the best patient experience. These are some of the main challenges ahead of the health workforce for the next couple of decades. Not only for the young health workforce that needs to get acquainted with such tools from very soon in their education, but also for the different generations since digital tools came to stay and, most probably, in five years new ones will be on the market and old ones will not be as we know them now. This is when continuous professional development takes the lead. How to implement it, it’s also what we aim to discuss. In case you can’t attend, the EPSA Annual Reception will also be on Live Stream on EPSA’s Youtube Channel and, the main outcomes will be available soon!
Marta Simões EPSA VP of European Affairs 2018/2019
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Advocacy
How does Advocacy work?
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Advocacy
Mobility Survey Mobility is one of the key aspects in this increasingly connected world, yet we still face quite some issues with it. One of the fields with many obstacles is also higher education – including pharmaceutical studies. That is why EPSA carried out a survey in the autumn of 2018 with the title Obstacles in Student Mobility that focused on hardships European pharmaceutical students face when they want to complete part of their studies abroad. The aim of this survey was to investigate the access to student mobility for pharmaceutical students, identify the obstacles connected with this kind of mobility and explore the future possibilities to improve it. The students’ responses were immense: we gathered 970 responses from 32 different European countries represented by EPSA. Its findings were used for a Survey Report on Obstacles in Student Mobility, including conclusions supported by a graphical
representation of data. Some of the findings were that more than 86% of the respondents did not attend the Erasmus+ exchange and that almost 75% of students evaluated their knowledge of Erasmus+ possibilities on the lower part of the scale and thus insufficient. Also, the biggest obstacles that the respondents face are regarding different curricula between universities and less than full recognition of successfully done studies at home university, as well as financial support for the exchange. The survey will be used to advocate for the improvement of mobility for pharmaceutical students and as the basis for the Position Paper on the matter. I would like to hereby thank everyone who participated in the survey and shared it among their peers as that has shown what a great reach EPSA has and that this matter is important to hundreds of pharmaceutical students across Europe.
Tilen Kozole EPSA Policy Affairs Coordinator 2018/2019
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Public Relations
Social Media Competition
During Autumn Assembly that was held in Serbia, I won the Social Media Competition. I really like taking photos and when I saw the Competition I decided to take a part in it. I tried to capture some interesting moments and share them with everyone throughout social media. One of the things that I tried to pay attention was capturing a photo while there are so many students all together from different nations & cultures. Taking this frame is so funny and enjoyable cause I could see that all the pharmaceutical students from all over Europe being brought together. I was also happy that I could Promote EPSA throughout my social media because I really wanted those other people to see what we have been experiencing and get to know EPSA more. Taking photos for this competition during this event made me realize that what EPSA’s slogan is all about “Bringing Pharmacy, Knowledge and Students Together” and it gave me the confidence that in future when I look back I will remember all the minutes that I experienced not just by my photos but also with my heart.
Hugs from Istanbul, Zahra Javid Anbardan
ISSUE 56 JANUARY 2019
WWW.EPSA-ONLINE.ORG EVENTS
Dear reader, welcome to the January edition of EPSA Monthly Dose! I hope you will enjoy reading about the latest EPSA news and activities as much as I enjoyed creating it!
16|02 - 7|05: VIARES CRA Academy modular 21|02 - 22|02: Annual Conference on EU Law in the Pharmaceutical Sector 2019
Yours in EPSA, Zuzana Jirotková Publications Coordinator 2018/2019
6|03 - 8|03: EUFEPS Annual Meeting 2019
The topic of this year’s Annual Reception is “Digitalisation in healthcare and its challenges for the pharmaceutical profession” focusing on “Continuous Professional development as a tool to foster e-health learning for patient centred care”.
27|03 - 29|03: 24th EAHP Congress Once again, EPSA joint its forces with IPSF and carried out a public health campaign, this time intended to raise awareness about food safety and nutrition! Food safety is a public health priority – consuming unsafe food containing bacteria, parasites, viruses or chemicals leads to malnutrition and many diseases, which can vary from diarrhea to cancer and can even lead to death in some cases. Stay healthy! #foodsafety #EPSAIPSFcampaign
Register now!
Registrations for AC 2019
The registrations for next Annual Congress in Bulgaria are open! Second registration period ends on the 31st of March! So good, SO FIAble!
EPSA is proud to launch LLeaP! LLeaP is EPSA’s Lifelong Learning Platform, a platform that promotes and challenges your mindset as a lifelong learner. Here you will have an idea of some skills to develop to become a great pharmacist, but there are more! Do you want to develop yourself and take a LLeaP of faith? Interested in presenting your science work? Registrations for the 11th EPSA Science Day will open on 1st of February!
European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) is organising its 24th Congress, this edition will happen in Barcelona between 27th and 29th March 2019. Apply as an EPSA Member, enthusiastic about hospital pharmacy, and you are eligible for a student fee of 150EUR, including the conference fee and a special session during the Congress aimed to students and young professionals! For more information check the Congress website and follow the EAHP Students' Page on Facebook! If you have any feedback about this MoDo, ideas for next topics or if your local organisation did something awesome and want to write about it, please send an email to: publications@epsa-online.org
Map of Europe 1 To begin with, GPSF organised a BLS (Basic Life Support) seminar for our members at the Hellenic Society of Cardiology, where the participants became certified to use the techniques taught, always in accordance to the guidelines and regulations of the Εuropean Resuscitation Council. Additionally, as World AIDS Day was approaching, we organised in cooperation with HelMSIC (Hellenic Medical Students’ International Committee), an interactive workshop about Sexually Transmitted Diseases, delivered by a professor and undergraduate students of medicine. The aim of the workshop was to inform the participants about safety and prevention of STDs. Moreover, we organised two public health campaigns with the topics of mental health and dyslexia where we distributed flyers informing students about myths and facts surrounding those issues. As part of the dyslexia campaign we also participated in the ZYX challenge in which we created a video depicting members of our team trying to say the alphabet backwards. GPSF, Greece
2 In the last few months, the K.N.P.S.V. organised two main events. The first one was the Twinnet with asep Switzerland, which was amazing. The students went sightseeing in Leiden and visited a Dutch windmill. The educational programme consisted of an anatomical museum visit, a symposium and in the evening there was a social programme. The Dutch students are already looking forward to the weekend in March when they will be flying to Zurich for a weekend with the Swiss students. On the 10th of November, the K.N.P.S.V. organised a national patient counselling event. During this day, Dutch students competed against each other in the championship. During 3 rounds the students showed their knowledge in patient counselling by having a conversation with a professional actor. The winner won a fully reimbursed trip to the 65th IPSF World Congress in Kigali, Rwanda and will represent the Netherlands during the Patient counselling event at the World Congress. K.N.P.S.V., the Netherlands
4 WHO estimates 1 in 10 medical products in low- and middle-income countries is substandard or falsified. Each year, counterfeit drugs worth over 73 billion Euros are sold. Fake medicines trade is a global issue. To tackle this problem, FASFR designed “Fight the Fakes” online campaign. Between the 17th and the 23rd of December, several informative texts have been posted on social media, with a final reach of over 15 thousand views (cumulated). Facts such as how to recognize counterfeit medical products, what risks one is exposed to when using fake drugs and which institutions monitor this situation have been shared with students in an attempt to raise awareness about this worrying matter. The highlight of this campaign was the webinar delivered by Sofia Slok, Business Development Director at medAspis GmbH. Our speaker shared useful information on what a counterfeit drug really is and analyzed data regarding fake medicine commerce in Europe as well as in Romania. FASFR Romania
5 USF has organised: Plastic ocean - The screening of the film in cooperation with the Greenpeace Czech Republic was accessible not only to our students but to all those who are interested in the environment. Antibiotic day - an awareness campaign to raise public awareness of the risks of frequent use of antibiotics, was held not only in the mall Olympia, but also this year at the faculty pharmacy. Mobility days - this year we also presented the possibility for students interested in going abroad for exchange programmes, such as SEP (students exchange program), Erasmus, Twinnet. There was a presentation about EPSA, its structure, departments, their work, researches, about AA, AR, AC, Summer University, etc. Day BENU - this day was full of lectures and workshops organised by BENU. Students gained a lot of information about the possibilities of further application, but they also tried out how to communicate correctly with the patient. USF, Czech Republic
3 On the 20th of October, we hosted our 4th Symposium: Drugs for advanced treatment, where we tried to focus ourselves on the issues that are quite overlooked within our curriculum. Through the event, composed of eight lectures and a panel discussion, we tackled topics such as gene therapy, stem cell treatment and tissue engineering. Symposium was attended by professionals from Slovenia and abroad, together with 260 Slovene pharmacy students. Later on, throughout the December we have joined forces and prepare our traditional Christmas Bazaar and Movie night, with many interactive workshops of manufacturing handmade products (Christmas cards, lip balsams, bath bombs, cookies etc.). Afterwards, the money we have collected during the project went to the family in need. Among the vast amount of learning opportunities, we did not lose focus on Public Health Campaigns. In December, we carried out two PHCs, regarding the safe use of Nootropics and Antibiotics. ŠSSFD Slovenia
6 As AHUPS, Turkey, we began a YouTube series called “1 Topic, 1 Video.” Within the scope of this concept, we are specifying health problems, and we are interviewing with our professionals about these issues, such as Diabetes Mellitus, AIDS and many other diseases. Our aim is to raise awareness in the society on issues like proper drug use, what these diseases really mean etc. Another activity we organised was fieldwork. Our idea was to inform people about the usage of plants and right-known but incorrect information about these issues. Within this plan, we went to one of the biggest shopping centres of Ankara, “AnkaMall” and opened a booth in it. We answered the questions that people asked and handed out the brochures that we printed for them. With this activity, our goal was to inform people about plants and about how they can be used effectively, for their health. These days, we have great preparation for our big annual congress, “Pharmaceutical Development Days 2019.”
7 MUPSA has organised the event called “Pink Ball on the Field” which was a basketball match between our faculty’s and dentistry faculty’s basketball teams on 28th of November. The match aimed to raise awareness of breast cancer. Brochures and other informative materials were given to the audience of around 100 people. In the end, the winner was friendship and public health. MUPSA, Turkey
8 APEF is one of the founding members of FNES, the National Forum of Health Students, that is based on the concept of the One Health Initiative, a global strategy for professional inter-collaborations and teams’ multidisciplinarity. In its structure, are also being part National Students’ Associations of Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Nursing, Nutrition, Dental Medicine and Psychology. FNES, founded in 2017, works in commissions: Technology, Health and Politics, producing motions in the context of the national associative movement and promoting the value of professional intercommunication for the evolution of health systems. At this moment, FNES is working on Antimicrobial Resistance and Revision of the Basic Health Law. The aims of this Forum are having a great impact on society regarding the topics discussed, as well as current problems of the health system, the promotion of health literacy in society and the struggle for better conditions in health at a national level. APEF, Portugal
9 The main thing that we did this semester was our local symposium for Pharmaceutical students in Istanbul. We held this event for the first time in our Association and we have decided to do it every two years. We invited a lot of professionals and tried to inform people on various subjects such as Industrial pharmacy, The history of pharmaceutical science, Sport and pharmacy, Doping, the new education system, etc.This event was a great opportunity for students to ask the questions they have had in their minds from professionals. We also talked about EPSA and raised students’ interest in the projects and events that EPSA holds. IUPSAint, Turkey
10 CPSA and Croatian Chamber of Pharmacists organised a three-day national campaign happening around World Diabetes Day on 14th of November. Students and pharmacists all over the country joined together to raise awareness and educate about diabetes. Measuring glucose levels and doing surveys among patients could help us in advocating to bring this service into all pharmacies in Croatia free of charge for all patients with regular health insurance. The third edition of Marketing Skills Event was organised from 29th of November to 1st of December. This year’s edition focused on GlycanAge, the biological age test that offers an accurate view of an individual’s health. In the first two days, participants have learned about the product itself, had interesting marketing sessions and have gotten insights into presentation creation and presenting skills. On the third day, participants managed to deliver great simulations of sales representative presentations and develop detailed yearly business plans.
AHUPS,Turkey CPSA, Czech Republic
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Internal
11 On 17th of November 2018, PPSA Poland conducted a Public Health Campaign „Consult with a Pharmacist”. This is our national project which aims to raise social awareness in the care and prevention of civilization diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. The event takes place twice a year (the fall edition - devoted to diabetes, the spring one – to hypertension) and covers topics related to diabetes, hypertension and the principles of healthy eating. During the event, organised in shopping malls simultaneously by all of our local associations, we offered: Glycemic control, blood pressure measurement, consultation with a pharmacist, dietitian, cosmetologist, body composition analysis, measurement of fat content. On 23-25.11.2018 PPSA held a nationwide conference connected with Christmas Eve of the association. Apart from lectures and workshops, there was also organised a competition for the best student scientific poster. Members were not only deepening their knowledge but also celebrating together on Christmas during the festive Gala Night. PPSA, Poland
12 SSFB Romania organised the Self-Medication campaign between 10-16th of December to help raise awareness all across the world! In our magical December, the Public Health Department and the Education Department joined forces and started the campaign with two Informative Stands at two different faculties. Our target audience was 1000 students! Furthermore, and with the help of EPSA’s Adobe connect platform, SSFB hosted a webinar entitled Antimicrobial Resistance. The webinar was presented by the President of the British Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy(BSAC), Prof. Philip Howard. However, this campaign was looking furthermore for a big final audience, so we targeted a Mom’s Association to help increase the awareness of self-medication among mothers and children! SSFB Romania
13 The ’’Second Weekend of Public Health Volunteers’’ : The project was held in the period from November 09 to November 11 in Niš, Serbia. The main goal of this project was to connect Public Health volunteers of all Local offices, exchange experiences, learn something new, socialize and entertain. Training on the topic “Treatment and prevention of respiratory infections: the role of pharmacists” was held as an introduction to the future Public Health actions. We hope that we have fulfilled the expectations of all volunteers! Congress: December is traditionally the highlight of the mandate for NAPSer, marked by the greatest event of the year - NAPSer Congress! NAPSer Team worked diligently for months to provide diverse lectures, practical workshops and unforgettable theme parties for around 300 participants. The topic dealt with the microbial world, bringing a collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Also, EPSA Educational Affairs Coordinator, Marko Ocokoljić, delivered a highly-visited EPSA presentation, which will certainly raise interest in EPSA among our students! NAPSer, Serbia
14 We took part in the lecture about Green Chemistry and at the Department of Pharmacognosy, we were empowered with a cup of mulled wine, and then we were taught about the spices and herbs used to make it. We explored the old town of Zagreb and enjoyed Christmas market and ice skating.
15 In recent months, ANEPF has organised many events such as a General Assembly and a Board of Management. Several associations have become members of ANEPF, including IPEPS, the first association focused on international in ANEPF. I also had the pleasure to attend the International French Speaking Pharmacy Chambers Conference which gathered many Frenchspeaking countries to review the state of health and pharmacy in their countries. On the public health side, ANEPF organised a national symposium about the health professionals’ vulnerability. ANEPF also contributed to the creation of a roadmap for the Health and Solidarity Ministry regarding the “Development of the quality process in community pharmacies”. ANEPF is also a driving force behind some proposals to the Higher Education Ministry about the reform of entry into health studies. ANEPF work on the humanitarian front is also being carried out with the creation of a humanitarian mission with dental students. Finally, ANEPF published its Guides for pharmacy students and
For the celebration of the PHC- Mental Health, in collaboration with EPSA and IPSF, AEFFUL organised a clarification session about this same topic, which focused on informal conversations on mental health-related issues. Another one of our activities was “Hospital dos Pequeninos”, that in collaboration with AEFML and also with several other Student Associations of health-related courses, mainly focused on reducing anxiety on young children with Health Care Professionals. We also had a Public Health and a voluntary-related activity called Transformar em Saúde: HIV/SIDA , that had both a theoretical side to it, where participants were given some knowledge about the topic, and a more practical side to it, where they went to an Association for HIV positive Children, helping with the remodelling of their infrastructure, and entertained the children. While this activity was in effect, we also celebrated the PHC- Dia Mundial da Luta Contra a SIDA.
young graduates
AEFFUL, Portugal
ANEPF, France
16 The main thing that we did during this period was the kick-off meeting in December where the executive board talked about the main events we want to take part in 2019. We have set several goals for this year: One of them is to make a big health campaign but the topic will be chosen during our next meeting in February. In addition, a team in Basel began to take care of our annual NPSW (National Pharmacy Student’s Weekend), which is going well. Another big thing happening in Switzerland is the introduction of a new regulation for the newly graduated pharmacist, which is still not totally understood by everyone. Our goal here is to explain what is happening to the actual students. Something else we want to create is a good relationship between pharmacists and the other medical fields, in order to do that we will organise some interdisciplinary workshop. Switzerland
CzPSA, Czech Republic
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18 During the last months, our Public Health Department has organised many activities in order to increase our students’ awareness of some topics. To celebrate Diabetes Day we did a screening in collaboration with a local Association (Mutualista). In collaboration with the “Liga Portuguesa” we held a lecture on Food and Cancer. We also celebrated Pink Week involving students, teachers and university workers during four days of awareness campaigns in four faculties of our university. We had an amazing hiking day called “Small Steps, Great Gestures” and also a Symposium on Breast Cancer in collaboration with AAUBI (our university students’ association) and the “Liga Portuguesa”. We had a great Christmas dinner where our students donated food that we delivered to a local charity organization (“Casa do Menino Jesus”). UBIPharma, Portugal
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Digitalisation in Healthcare and its challenges for the pharmaceutical profession Continuous professional development as a tool to foster e-health learning for patient-centred care
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