OPEN CALL Pharmacy Profession Advocacy Essay Competition INTRODUCTION This is the first Pharmacy Profession Advocacy competition organised and its aim is to encourage current pharmacy, pharmaceutical science students and young graduates to engage in thoughts regarding the future of the profession and what they would envision that future to look like. The general theme of the competition is ‘The Future of Pharmacy’. As this theme is quite broad, it has been broken down into 3 subtopics. Participants are to choose and build their essay from one of the 3 subtopics listed below: 1. Innovation in Pharmacy This subtopic should include any current or new exciting services, processes or sectors in pharmacy and the impact of these on the profession and healthcare. 2. Health Technology in Pharmacy This subtopic should include any current or new technologies that can be used in pharmacy (e.g. devices, apps, electronics, etc.) and their effects on pharmacy. 3. Future Role of Pharmacists This topic should include a discussion of the new, exciting roles that pharmacists can play in the near future and the impact these roles may have on pharmacy and the public.
The essay should be a maximum of 500 words. Please save the essay in PDF format with the following title: 'PPAC_Subtopic of your choice_Member Organization(or IM)_Full Name'. (e.g. PPAC_Innovation in Pharmacy_BPSA_Acacia Pik Kay Leong). Please submit the PDF file through the google form submission.
https://goo.gl/forms/dbcIGr196CVKPZeJ3
The winner will be certified with an online award from IPSF. The deadline for the essay is 23:59 GMT 5 February 2018 th
For any questions or further pharmacyadvocacy@ipsf.org
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ESSAY WRITING TIPS Are you stuck for ideas on where to find materials or how to structure your essay? Check out some essay writing tips below to guide you through your essay plan.
The structure of an essay Introduction Use the introduction to give a background into why this topic is important and what the current state of pharmacy is within this topic.
Main Content This should make up the bulk of your essay. Include your well thought out ideas and vision for pharmacy.
Implications This section is optional but could be used separately or in combination with the main content to develop your ideas and discuss the possible benefits or disadvantages of those ideas on pharmacy.
Conclusion Summarise your thoughts on the topic.
Essay Writing Tips: 1. Some useful points to consider when planning the essay. What would you like to see in the future of pharmacy? How else can pharmacy benefit healthcare and the public? What are the good/bad implications of those ideas/innovation/technology, etc.? 2. Resources to help you in some background research on your essay can include your local pharmacy journal or pharmacy news by your university. International journals such as the Pharmaceutical Journal or International Pharmacy Journal may also be of help as well as scientific research databases for published journals on pharmacy innovation and technology. 3. Most importantly, focus on your thoughts about the future of pharmacy and let the creativity and vision for pharmacy flow. The enthusiasm for your future profession will inspire you just by thinking about it!
Frequently Asked Questions 1. What is the deadline for the competition? The deadline for the essay submission is on the 23:59 GMT 5 February 2018 th
2. How long should the essay be? The essay should be no more than 500 words. 3. Can I write/submit more than one topic? No. Participants should choose only one topic and make that topic their main focus of the essay. Only ONE essay per person should be submitted. 4. What if the essay topic overlaps with another topic? There may be some overlap when developing the essay, however, there should be a clear focus throughout the essay on ONE topic. 5. What is the marking criteria? All essays will be marked based on the strength of content, creativity and potential impact on pharmacy. 6. When will I know if my essay has won the competition? All essays will hopefully be marked within 28 days of the final deadline. Please note that this is subject to change in the event of a deadline extension. 7. What should the essay focus on? The essay should focus on original, provoking thoughts regarding the future of the profession and the potential impact of those thoughts on pharmacy and the public. 8. Are there any restrictions on what the topic can cover? The essay can cover anything as long as it is relevant to pharmacy and healthcare. 9. Will all topics be marked equally? All essays will be graded equally, regardless of the topic, as the marking criteria focuses on the content of the essay and how well the essay is thought out. 10. Is there a specific sector of pharmacy the essay is limited to? The essay can cover any sector of pharmacy and does NOT have to be limited to a particular sector.