Contents
Welcoming Words. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Intern News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Chloé Lebbos (VP of European Affairs) & Gabriel Branco (EPSA Parliamentarian). . . . . .
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Sarah Ramezani (Publications Coordinator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Fatumata Seck (Policy Coordinator). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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External Engagement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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News from Brussels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Motion for a resolution on empowering European youth for their post-pandemic recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Time to change - Europe - Conference on the future of Europe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Consideration of amendments on the report on Mental Health. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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News from our Members. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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ANEPF’s Advocacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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What can we expect for the Future?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Irrational Use of Food Supplements and OTCs in Romania. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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BPhD participated in drafting a Pharmacists´ licensing regulations amendments proposal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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National News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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National Pharmaceutical Convention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Steps towards more efficient humanitarian and mental health support . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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News from EPSA’s Alumni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Diogo Piedade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Welcoming words Dear reader, It is a pleasure to present one more edition of the Policy Newsletter! As always, I hope this edition helps to put you up to speed on some of the latest and more relevant advocacy initiatives developed by EPSA’s Member Associations, their national news and the latest developments in the Brussels bubble. This edition will include the usual sections where you can discover more about the EPSA interns and, once again, dive in a bit on the professional work of one of EPSA’s Alumni still working in the advocacy and policy sphere. My most sincere thanks to all those who contributed for this edition: the EPSA Interns, Advocacy Platform Representatives and Diogo Piedade. Wish you a great reading and remember how much difference you can make by simply keeping yourself informed! Yours in EPSA, Fatumata Seck Policy Affairs Coordinator 2021/2022
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POLICY NEWSLETTER
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WELCOMING WORDS
Intern News Chloé Lebbos & Gabriel Branco (VP of European Affairs & EPSA Parliamentarian)
My name is Chloé Lebbos, I am 23 years old and a 5th year Pharmacy student in Montpellier, France. I am the current EPSA’s Vice President for European Affairs. My name is Gabriel Branco, I am 22 years old and a 5th year Pharmacy student from Lisbon, Portugal. Currently, I hold the position of EPSA Parliamentarian, Together, we are the EPSA interns for the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union (PGEU). We have both been part of the PGEU team for over 6 months. Our tasks and involvement in PGEU’s work is evolving. Chloé has been assigned responsibilities regarding PGEU external communication, which entails advocating and promoting the work of Community Pharmacists on social media, answering Public Consultations by European Institutions and monitoring EU news for the Secretariat. Gabriel is in charge of internal communication. He takes care of working groups’ meeting minutes and answering questions on European best practices from the national unions and chambers of pharmacy, along with conducting surveys and data processing. Our latest work has been during the PGEU Advisory Working Group meeting in Vienna, Austria, where we assisted the Secretariat in hosting the meeting.
EUROPEAN PHARMACEUTICAL STUDENTS’ASSOCIATION
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Sarah Ramezani (Publications Coordinator)
Hello, fellow policy enthusiasts! I’m Sarah Ramezani, EPSA Publications Coordinator and you might recognise me from the EPSA Podcast episodes (if not, pay a quick visit to YouTube while you’re doing some house work, cooking or finishing up your presentation for university and take the chance to learn something new connected to our field!). I’ve recently turned 23 and I’m a last year university student in Bucharest, Romania. I’m also an intern at Vaccines Europe for already 6 months now and I relocated to Brussels about 2 months ago. My main responsibilities are in the fields of Communication, Public Affairs and Market Access. I started by offering my support in public relations related matters, which I already mastered due to my activity in student associations along the years, and took the opportunity to learn as much as possible about policy and advocacy at EU level. What has mostly been keeping me busy lately is constantly being on top of any updates regarding access to vaccination in the countries receiving Ukrainian refugees and helping my team make sure that victims of war don’t also become victims of preventable infectious diseases.
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POLICY NEWSLETTER
Fatumata Seck (Policy Coordinator) Hello everyone, my name is Fatumata Seck. I’m a recently graduated pharmacist and I’m currently doing my internship at the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). It has been more than six months since I started my internship at the Science Policy and Regulatory Affairs team. DIA Leader of Tomorrow 2022 – bringing students and young professionals closer to the innovative pharmaceutical industry Leader of Tomorrow is a community created by DIA, that is tailor-made for students and young professionals in life sciences seeking scientific knowledge and building a meaningful professional network. On the 28th of March 2022, I attended the session organised at the EFPIA office as part of the DIA Leader of Tomorrow project. During the session, participants were able to find out more about the innovative industry, and also about EFPIA’s activities and the daily responsibilities of the staff. After the session, there was a moment for networking between the participants and EFPIA staff members.
EUROPEAN PHARMACEUTICAL STUDENTS’ASSOCIATION
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External Engagement
Three of EPSA’s interns, Fatumata, Sarah and Gabriel participated in DIA Europe 2022 as student volunteers. The event was held in a hybrid setting, from 29th to 31st March in Brussels. DIA Europe is the largest neutral event in the life science industry in Europe – the knowledge hub between science, healthcare, and regulation. The event counted with different session formats and opportunities to learn, connect, and collaborate with all stakeholders across the entire spectrum of the life science landscape. As volunteers, we were able to attend the sessions of the event and also the chance to network with different stakeholders.
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POLICY NEWSLETTER
News from Brussels Motion for a resolution on
empowering European youth for their post-pandemic recovery On the 16th of February of 2022, the European Parliament positively voted on a motion for a resolution on Empowering Youth: post-pandemic employment and social recovery. The resolution included a call for EU rules on internships and describes the impact that unemployment, climate change, housing insecurity and isolation have on young people’s mental health. The Greens/EFA Group has proposed an amendment to go even further and introduce an EU-wide ban on unpaid internships.
Time to change - Europe Conference on the future of Europe The Conference on the Future of Europe is a unique and timely opportunity for European citizens to debate Europe’s challenges and priorities and help draft the desired future for the European Union. This initiative can lead to a sincere and in-depth reform carried out by the European institutions and involving its citizens, in particular the youngest.
Conference on the Future of Europe: first draft proposals in Plenary The Conference on the Future of Europe Plenary session on 8-9 April debated concrete proposals. The Chairs and spokespersons of nine Working Groups tabled consolidated draft proposals, grouped by theme, to the Conference Plenary. The proposals were mainly based on the recommendations of European Citizens’ Panels, as well as national panels, enriched by ideas from the Multilingual Digital Platform, and discussed by all Plenary Members. A number of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) suggested strengthening the European Parliament’s powers as a way to get citizens more involved in EU decision-making. MEPs called for schools to include education for children on European values, democracy and history, and how the EU functions. Moreover, they also called for a stronger health care system guaranteeing a minimum level of health care, and equal access to digitalisation for all citizens regardless of where in the EU they live.
EUROPEAN PHARMACEUTICAL STUDENTS’ASSOCIATION
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Next steps The final Conference Plenary session is scheduled for 2930 April in Strasbourg, where proposals are expected to be approved by the Plenary on a consensual basis. The Conference’s Executive Board will include these proposals in the Conference’s final report, which will be delivered to the Presidents of the EU institutions on 9 May in Strasbourg, at the closing ceremony of the Conference.
Strasbourg Summit on 5-8 May 2022 The Strasbourg Summit will be a space for civil society organisations from all over Europe to present themselves and share their enthusiasm for a better Europe in a series of workshops and activities. You can find the full Summit programme on the dedicated website.
Consideration of amendments on the report on Mental Health For 2 million Europeans, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, extended to mental health, resulting in higher rates of stress, anxiety and depression. The current EU-level legislation and policies in this area do not address the growing crisis of mental health in the workforce. The European Parliament report on Mental Health in the Digital World of Work addresses the longoverdue political recognition of the crisis with citizens’ mental health in the EU. Consideration of amendments on this report took place on 28 March 2022, addressing the need to have a proper level of protection for workers’ both physical and mental wellbeing. This entails updating the current legislation on occupational safety and health legislation to respond to the new realities of the digital age. The rapporteur Maria Walsh proposes an EU Year of Good Mental Health in 2023, to ensure that the EU focuses on the prevalent mental health issues of European citizens.
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POLICY NEWSLETTER
News from our Members ANEPF’s Advocacy ANEPF has achieved 2 main projects these last months: the outcome of the reform of the third cycle in Pharmacy studies and the release of a position paper on the Professional Orientation Project (POP). Pharmacy studies in France are divided in 3 cycles, and ANEPF has been working on a reform of the third and final cycle since 2016. This reform has been recently adopted by the French government, and we are very proud of it. It includes many changes, such as a reevaluation of the last year intern’s salary in community pharmacies. It also increases the specialisation of the Pharmacy studies paths (Industry, Community pharmacy and Hospital/Biologist) with the creation of specialised diplomas. These different paths offer a wide variety of possible occupations after pharmacy studies, so in order to help students find their way, an appropriate professional orientation is mandatory in pharmacy faculties in France. However, there are some particularities depending on the university, as a reminder there are 24 pharmacy faculties in France. ANEPF conducted a survey in order to collect student’s feedback on the orientation process conducted by their faculty. We published 14 propositions in order to issue a homogeneous Professional Orientation Project adapted to today’s students’ needs. This Position Paper will be the subject of the advocacy.
Between April 8th to April 10th, APEF had two of its most important activities – UpPharma and the Educational Discussion Forum. Both of them have a strong political nature, having the main goal of promoting discussion on relevant topics for the future of Pharmacy in Portugal. UpPharma is an activity focused on capacitating the board members of both APEF and its Member Associations (MAs). In this edition, besides the usual focus on the share of good practices between our MAs, we also promoted the discussion on pharmaceutical specialities and professional competencies. We launched the challenge of bringing up a new proposal of competence that could be shared with the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society and the results were beyond the already expected. It was a very fruitful moment that resulted in a lot of great and solid ideas that definitely could improve the Pharmacists’ performance in Healthcare. On the other hand, the Educational Discussion Forum was focused on the Pharmacists’ role in Public Health. It counted on a distinguished panel of lecturers that shared their views and knowledge in different areas with the participants – from geriatrics, health centres administration to even vaccination. After all the conferences, we divided the participants into smaller groups to have them discuss each one of the main topics approached during the event, in order to collect a representative position on our students’ thoughts, for further presentation to relevant stakeholders.
Josué Moutinho, Liaison Secretary
François DIB, VP European Affairs
What can we expect for the Future? EUROPEAN PHARMACEUTICAL STUDENTS’ASSOCIATION
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Irrational Use of Food Supplements and OTCs in Romania In recent years, it has been found that in Romania, the use of food supplements is irrational, without a welldefined purpose and access to essential medicines is difficult. The Romanian Association of Manufacturers of Over-the-Counter Medicines, Food Supplements and Medical Devices (RASCI) found that limited access to health services during the pandemic, as well as the population’s fear of contracting the SARS COV-19 virus, helped increase the release of certain pharmaceuticals, including food supplements and OTCs. In this context, the Federation of Pharmacist Student Associations in Romania organised the National Public Health Campaign in close collaboration with the Department of Pharmaceutical Education: MedAccess. It took place between March 14-27/2022, both online and in the university centres where the 8 FASFR Local Member Associations operate with the financial support of Wörwag Pharma Romania Pharmaceutical Company, Ducfarm and with the help of partners from the RASCI. Through the campaign, objectives were achieved such as: promoting reliable sources of information, discouraging the purchase of food supplements from non-certified economic agents and especially knowing the beneficial effects that patients can expect from a food supplement, but also their limitations, potential side effects and the risk of drug interactions. We also focused on informing specialists and future medical professionals about the shortage of essential medicines. Full position paper here.
BPhD participated in drafting a Pharmacists´ licensing regulations amendments proposal The BPhD is currently actively involved in the conception of amendments to the qualifications needed to gain the licence as a pharmacist in Germany. Two BPhD representatives join meetings with other participants representing pharmacists, hospital pharmacists, teaching scientists and other involved groups. So far, the result of these meetings has been a draft of a position paper proposing 10 instead of 8 semesters of studies, more lessons in the subjects Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, a 6-month scientific practice including thesis and the incorporation of interprofessional exchange. The system of a central state examination instead of a Bachelor/ Master adaptation shall be maintained. It shall be utilised by the Chamber of Pharmacists as a proposal to the Federal Ministry of Health, the final decisionmaking body. The members of BPhD will vote on officially supporting the position paper soon.
Roman Pratzka, BPhD Policy Coordinator
Andrei-Tudor Budan, LS FASFR; Bogdan-Vlad Ailoaei, Education Coordinator FASFR; Laura-Bianca Lovin, Public Health Coordinator FASFR; Diana-Silvia Acojocăriței Public Relations Coordinator FASFR
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POLICY NEWSLETTER
National News National Pharmaceutical Convention
The national convention with health insurance shows/specifies the relationship between the health insurance organisations and the pharmacies. A new agreement has just been signed by the health insurance and the representative pharmacists’ unions on March 9 2022. Here are 3 examples of measures in this new convention: • Unit Dispensing: To fight antibiotic resistance, pharmacists can perform unit dispensing to deliver only the right number of antibiotics. This agreement remunerates the pharmacist when he performs a unit dispensing. • Colorectal cancer screening: The pharmacist can give a colorectal cancer screening kit to people aged 50 to 74. The pharmacist presents the test and its use to the patient, completes the patient identification form and informs the doctor. The payment is done when delivering the test and a second time if the patient completes the test. • Home dispensing: This convention sees the arrival of remuneration for home dispensing of medicines. That is to say that a person authorised to dispense goes and carries out the dispensation as if he was at the pharmacy. However, this remuneration will only be valid when it takes place in a hospital discharge system, called PRADO (‘Return to home’ program).
Théo FAVARD, VP International Affairs ANEPF
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Steps towards more efficient humanitarian and mental health support The Ministry of Health issued a newsletter, according to which all Ukrainian citizens who were forced to leave their place of origin due to the Russian invasion, belong to the uninsured - vulnerable social groups and have the right to free access to the National Health System, entitled to nursing and medical care. It is noted that cases have been recorded with patients suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer, heart diseases, diabetes and children with autism who needed medical help and have already been served. Furthermore, since April 14th provision of psychosocial support to refugees from Ukraine in Ukrainian, Russian and Greek was established through the Psychosocial Support Line 10306, following the initiative of the Deputy Minister of Health. Progress has been made in providing mental health support to greek citizens too. Deputy Minister of Health Zoe Rapti represented Greece at the Ministerial conference on the “Mental health of vulnerable young people” which was held in France in the middle of March. In her intervention, the Deputy Minister stressed that Mental Health is the main concern for Greece. She referred to the actions of Greece regarding the psychosocial support of children and adolescents, with emphasis on actions to prevent and combat stigma. Furthermore, she pointed out as most important the institutionalisation of the Units for Early Intervention in psychosis and the cooperation with the WHO Europe for the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for children and adolescents in Athens. In addition, she referred to the creation of specialised structures and mental health services and the development of a telepsychiatry network, using innovative digital tools. Finally, Greece’s participation in the Joint Action of the European Commission for Mental Health, coordinated by the Committee on Health and Food Safety, with Commissioner Stella Kyriakidis was also mentioned. The Deputy Minister also proposed the creation of Mental Health policies, at the European level, with the contribution of the arts and specifically suggested the use of “cultural prescribing” to promote the wellbeing of the mental health of children and adolescents. This action is already planned to be carried out in Greece in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture. Finally, she pointed out that the common goal is to create a human-centred, high quality health system with holistic and specialised services covering the unique needs of children and adolescents.
Evi Papadopoulou, Liaison Secretary of GPSF, Greece
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POLICY NEWSLETTER
News from EPSA’s Alumni Hello everyone! My name is Diogo Piedade and in 2016/2017, I was the EPSA’s Training Coordinator and one of the permanent officers in Brussels. My EPSA experience was exactly what sparked my interest in health policy and provided me with the opportunity to work at the heart of EU policy making. I recently joined MedTech Europe as a Value and Innovationbased Access Manager, focusing on the value of diagnostic information and digital health with the primary goal of ensuring that patients are able to access medical device innovation to receive better care. In this new role, I will be exploring a less conventional field of pharmacy while applying all of the knowledge of the Market Access policy that I have gained through my previous experience in pharmaceuticals. Before joining MedTech Europe, I spent five years working for Medicines for Europe, a trade association representing off-patent medicine companies and their national associations. I was in charge of their Market Access department, which was responsible for developing Market Access policies for generic and biosimilar medicines. I was in constant contact with the association’s members, managing several expert networks, to respond quickly to challenges arising from various markets, always keeping a European perspective. Throughout these years, I have focused on a variety of issues, including medicine shortages, fair pricing, patient access, medicine procurement, generic and biosimilar uptake policies and others. In practice, I developed positions, coordinated projects and studies, responded to consultations, organised events, and, most importantly, engaged externally with stakeholders on a variety of topics to advance the association’s policy agenda. Depending on the topic, I met with Members of the European Parliament, European Commission officials and National Representatives to discuss the association’s positions and debate ongoing files and legislative proposals. Market Access policies, in my opinion, are particularly interesting and challenging at the European level. This is primarily due to the duality of European and national pharmaceutical competencies. The majority of EU policy-making for pharmaceuticals is directly related to regulation and regulatory requirements for manufacturers; however, these rules have a direct impact on how manufacturers can compete in the European single market. Pricing and reimbursement decisions are nevertheless primarily a matter of national jurisdiction. This means that you must be well-versed in national health systems and policies to articulate both the EU and national levels when it comes to Market policies and be able to leverage your strengths at the appropriate level to be able to reach the desired policy objectives. EU policy making may appear daunting and intimidating, but it has a significant impact on all EU patients (and beyond EU). There are numerous opportunities to participate in policy-making, either through EPSA or, more frequently, in an individual capacity - including non-EU citizens. The challenge is deciding where to begin, so my advice is to find something you are passionate about and just go for it - you may not be an expert yet, but research and discussions will expose you to different viewpoints and related issues that will force you to expand your knowledge and find renewed and stronger arguments to bring your points across. Just have a go at that and you may even find a career path you were not expecting, just like I did.
Diogo Piedade, EPSA Alumnus EUROPEAN PHARMACEUTICAL STUDENTS’ASSOCIATION
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