EPSA Newsletter
Bringing pharmacy, knowledge and students together.
Volume 26 | Edition 3 | April 2019 www.epsa-online.org | @EPSA_Online
EPSA Buddy Project
EPSA Events Annual Reception 2019 | Brussels, Belgium
Science Excursions
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Table of Contents
Editor’s words Dear readers,
Here we are at the last edition of the EPSA Newsletter for the mandate 2018/2019. The EPSA Team worked hard this mandate and some of the outcomes can be read in this edition. You will find new articles in this edition, such as the article on the Board of Trustees, where you can read more about the meeting of BoT and the EPSA Executives, their discussions and outcomes. The Educational Department was also very productive and you can read more about the latest PHCs, the Social Services project and about Wings for Life. We are also very enthusiastic about our Annual Reception, which you can read more about in this edition and also you can find the Educational Outcomes on our Website. Last but not least, our new project, the Humanitarian Mobility Project is here! Hope you enjoy the EPSA Newsletter Volume 26, with its 3 editions and I hope to see you all in the next EPSA Congresses!
Yours in EPSA, Mihai Nițoiu Vice President of Public Relations 2018/2019
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Presidential Words
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EPSA House Project
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EPSA Team Coming Home
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EPSA Buddy Project
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AR Follow-up
12
Annual Congress 2019
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Online Public Health Campaigns
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Train the Trainers and Training Week
15
LLeaP
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Wings for Life
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Science Excursions
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Visiting Members Fund
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External Representation
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Career Week
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Career Fair
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Twinnet Testimonials
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Humanitarian Mobility Project
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Alumni Project
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Alumni Advisory Board
29
Board of Trustees
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PR Subcommittee
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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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Presidential words Dear reader, We have made it to the 3rd EPSA Newsletter Edition for the mandate 2018/2019! The work of this Team is not done yet though! This edition will take you through our recent work and accomplishments, but also through the work done by our Member Associations. I am sure everyone will find something interesting for them! If you are interested in EPSA and the activities described by this Newsletter, visit the EPSA website and contact the EPSA Team, we are very happy to see enthusiasm from our members or from potential partners. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my EPSA Team, the Team 2018/2019, for the work they have been doing for the past months. It has not always been easy but through teamwork, we have accomplished a lot. Nevertheless, our work is not done yet, so follow us and soon, our successors, in this next period! To the EPSA members, meaning all European pharmaceutical youth, get engaged in EPSA and similar associations! The experience and knowledge you will gain are irreplaceable. You can get engaged on many levels, from participating in activities, to actively shaping the future of European healthcare through your associations, Sub-committees and EPSA. To the representatives of the EPSA Member Associations, thank you for diligently following our work and representing our members’ opinion to us. Last but not least, to our partners, thank you for working with us and enabling new opportunities for our members! I speak on behalf of the whole Team when I say that we are looking forward to even more fruitful collaborations with all of our existing and potential future sponsors. The EPSA members are the essence of EPSA, so keep engaging with us and pushing this wonderful Association further. I am looking forward to meeting many of you at the 42nd EPSA Annual Congress and hopefully at many other EPSA activities in the future. We are all only at the start of our careers, so let’s explore what the world can offer us and work together. As always, looking forward to meeting you all over Europe!
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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EPSA House Project NEJC KLOPČIČ
EPSA Vice President of External Relations 2018/2019 Dear reader, my name is Nejc Klopčič, I am the EPSA Vice President of External Relations 2018/2019 and an EPSA Intern in Brussels, Belgium. What I do here is to represent EPSA at several events and meet-ups in Brussels, while simultaneously having an internship with a partner of EPSA, European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP). This gives me a wide variety of opportunities to grow both professionally, together with EPSA, and personally. I have to also boast a bit, but I did learn to cook, how about that?! I am an intern within the Policy Team of the EAHP and my work mostly revolves around student activities that EAHP is collaborating on with EPSA. You can check them out, they are really great opportunities for all the members. Furthermore, I am assisting with the main policy work done around the office which gives me, as an EPSA Intern, a completely new perspective on the world of healthcare. I really recommend everyone to join the EPSA Team and become an Intern in Brussels. You will learn so much! Last but not least, I live with the other Interns in the EPSA House, which is amazing! We share the same experiences, fridge, washing machine and laughter! I will always remember my time here with all of you, playing Pokemon GO, walking around the city, enjoying nice days outside, cooking, eating, and even cleaning up the House (who would have ever imagined that?). Love you all!
MARKO OCOKOLJIĆ
EPSA Educational Affairs Coordinator 2018/2019 Hello all! My name is Marko Ocokoljić, I am the current EPSA Educational Affairs Coordinator and an EPSA Intern. As you could presume, I live with these five highly enthusiastic peeps in the EPSA House for soon to be 8 months. If you are wondering who is the fifth member, take a look below! It is our lovely EPSA Dragon! I am working for ECCO - European CanCer Organisation as EU Affairs Policy Intern, which means that I monitor regularly key policy developments and initiatives that are of relevance to cancer at the European level, while also occasionally representing ECCO at policy-relevant meetings and events in Brussels. Living as an EPSA Intern in Brussels is one of the best life experiences I have ever had. With time, you grow close to your housemates and you learn and adapt towards each other, going from being friends to being one small and quite peculiar family indeed. We cook together and for each other, we watch numerous movies (including Disney ones!), we have picnics and do sports, we motivate and mock each other, we are taking care of each other, and celebrate festive days. Sometimes we play video games and board games, and we laugh so so much. We enjoy singing, and we dance, we go out and lose some stuff, but in the end, we end up together with lots of laughter and good memories. Overall, we do lean on each other. So thank you, guys! This would have never been the same without you. I am grateful to every single one of you!
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RÚBEN VIEGAS
EPSA Alumni Coordinator 2018/2019 My life as an EPSA intern created the opportunity and the challenge to be at the AESGP office most of the time and representing EPSA in Brussels for the rest of the time. Being present at some events in Brussels is also a great opportunity to learn more about the policy topics being tackled at the moment, as well as meeting different partners and associations. As EPSA Alumni Coordinator it is also amazing to meet so many EPSA Alumni that have chosen Brussels as their home to develop their professional careers. Being an EPSA Intern does not mean only work! When the interns make some plans you can expect them to be physically active and play some sports, go for a picnic, to the movies or even just for a walk in the city. Brussels is a lively city with many different things happening at the same time, so the best advice I can give you is to make sure you enjoy your time, you sort your priorities and you take home the most you can from this amazing experience. See you around Europe!
CHRIS KLERKS
EPSA Treasurer 2018/2019 Moving to Brussels for EPSA might have been one of the most eye-opening experiences in my student career so far. I have to admit that before I moved to Brussels, I had little knowledge about the meaning of policy work. Working for Medicines for Europe and representing EPSA’s members in Brussels has shown me what it means to work in the policy field and the different approaches to it. It’s a great and refreshing experience to be in this professional environment, cooperating with different stakeholders and working towards the best outcome for pharmaceutical students in Europe. Brussels is a great city to live in, with many services, nice restaurants and great nightlife. The EPSA house is a comfortable place to live in, and with many visitors, you will never feel lonely there. I can recommend everybody to take a look into policy work through EPSA or any association that will represent your future career, as it’s a dynamic and fun field of work. It’s sad my mandate is reaching its end in Brussels, but I hope my spot for next year can be a great experience for a new Intern.
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Team coming home
This Team meeting definitely felt like a summer camp: at the end, you leave with great memories and close friends! - Maeva D’Almeida | EPSA Events Coordinator 2018/2019
It is awesome to see that Team Members became so comfortable in each other’s presence that we could even sing karaoke together. - Ceren Zwijnenburg | EPSA Social Media Coordinator 2018/2019
Each Team Meeting cannot be described with words. The bonding, the connection and the friendships need to be felt to understand what EPSA Team really means. - Mihai Niţoiu | EPSA Vice President of Public Relations 2018/2019
During the 4th Team Meeting, for the first time, I got that rare feeling when you find a group of extraordinary people, completely different in person, but same by heart, who inspire you, and spend a lot of time with them - they spun my world around and I will never be the same! - Sanja Aleksić | EPSA Science Coordinator 2018/2019
We got to know each other better and created new friendship bonds, despite being together almost literally 24/7. Or was it maybe just because of that? - Tilen Kozole | EPSA Policy Affairs Coordinator 2018/2019
Playing boarding games with Team Members while laughing and sharing a positive atmosphere was for me one of the most enjoyable moments during our 4th Team Meeting in Brussels. - Marko Ocokoljić | EPSA Educational Affairs Coordinator 2018/2019
Seeing everyone again boosted my motivation for the rest of the mandate. It’s always great to be with the team. - Diogo Capítulo | EPSA Vice President of Education 2018/2019
Team Meetings always remind me how lucky I am to be surrounded by such inspiring and awesome Teamies. - Paulina Kruk | EPSA Professional Affairs Coordinator 2018/2019
It felt like a grown-up orphanage where we got to meet, work and have fun with all our “brothers and sisters”.
Team Meetings are a great way for the Team to discuss our past activity and set plans for the future. There is nothing better than teamwork!
- Bernardo Marinheiro | EPSA Training Coordinator 2018/2019
- Eva Shannon Schiffrer | EPSA President 2018/2019
4th Team Meeting was a very much needed boost of motivation for the period that is following after it! Sharing the happiness, motivation and engagement bonded us even more and prepared us for what is left for this mandate.
The 4th Team Meeting did not feel like a ‘meeting’ to me. It felt like coming home to my amazing EPSA family, talking about what we did, exchanging some awesome ideas and becoming even more close to each other than before!
- Anja Šribar | EPSA Vice President of Internal Affairs 2018/2019
- Joséphine Reynaert | EPSA Audit Committee Member 2018/2019
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Internal
Buddy project Buddy Project is a great initiative! Its purpose of improving communication between LSs and EPSA Team is fully attained through direct contact and a relaxed environment for discussions. I feel like I can reach out to my Buddies for help whenever needed! -Oana Ciobanu (FASFR Romania)
My buddy was a great help answering questions when I took over my LS mandate with only a little knowledge about EPSA. She made an effort in introducing me to everything.
-Sarah Gad (SOP Denmark)
Buddy Project has proven to be quite a nice connection for the LSs and the EPSA team. My buddies are Paulina and Dorien, with whom I have been in contact with whenever any of us needed anything. We hung out during AA and AR and had so much fun that I forgot to take a photo of us. -Iva Begović (CPSA Croatia)
I can only support the importance of EPSA Buddy Project because of the fact that direct contact with a team member can be very beneficial, especially when you are a new LS. So far, I didn’t have a chance to meet my buddies in person but looking forward to it in Sofia! -Laura Adamkovičová (SPSA Slovakia)
Buddy project is more than a project. Although everything starts with a bunch of EPSA stuff and activities, it always ends with the beautiful friendships and strong collaboration between people from different parts of Europe who share the same visions and beliefs. -Sanja Aleksić (EPSA Science Coordinator)
I didn’t have the opportunity to have a live meeting with my buddy. Although, we keep in touch by a telegram chat. I know I can count on him if I have any issue regarding EPSA. Hope to see you in Sofia, Baran! :) -Inês Marreiros Fernandes (UBIPharma Portugal)
I believe that the EPSA Buddy Project is very beneficial, as it helped me to start my mandate in the right way, by making 2 new friends from Portugal and Latvia. -Nejc Ajlec (ŠSSFD Slovenia)
I think that EPSA Buddy Project is very beneficial for LS’s because you can ask everything and your buddy will reply in a very short time. The best meeting that we had was in Belgrad at the International Night where we had a lot of fun.
-Crişan-Lucian Cîmpeanu (SSFB Romania)
The Buddy Project completely gave me sincerity and friendship I expected. I really like my buddies (Pierre - LS, ANEPF France and Ruben - EPSA Alumni Coordinator) This project should definitely continue in the next mandates so that everyone can feel the spirit of EPSA like we feel today. -Sümercan Ertit (AHUPS)
EPSA Buddy project is a great way for us to feel more involved in EPSA in a more informal and relaxed environment. We discuss our work, make questions about it and even share some personal stuff. My buddies are Marko Ocokoljic (EPSA Educational Affairs Coordinator) and Chawapiwa Masanga (LS of EMUPSS Cyprus). -Marco Agostinho (AEFFUL Portugal)
Buddy Project? The perfect way to meet and be even closer with the EPSA Team and LSs. I have met one of my buddies in Belgrade before I became an LS, namely Maeva. What can I say, we matched immediately and spent a week full of good fun and unforgettable moments during AA. Ano from Armenia is also my buddy and I can't wait to meet her! A very useful project for all of us, because we can count on our buddies all the time!
-Miroslav Jevtić (NAPSer Serbia)
The buddy project is what made my time as an LS much easier, but also so much more fun. I love that my buddies Eliška (CzPSA LS) and Tilen (EPSA Policy Affairs Coordinator) were just a WhatsApp message away to answer any questions I had. It was also heart-warming to see them at each EPSA event I attended. -Sally Sosnicka (BPSA UK)
My buddies are Sally Sosnicka (LS from UK, BPSA) and Tilen Kozole (EPSA Policy Affairs Coordinator). They both helped me a lot, especially at the beginning when I was not that oriented around the LS's duties. We met each other in Serbia during AA and I am going to meet Tilen next week at the Pharmaceutical Ball in Brno. I think that the Buddy Project is very useful.:) -Anna Baťková (CzPSA Czech Republic)
The Buddy Project is a great thing. I think it has many benefits, as you can meet new friends and also someone who can help you out with EPSA related questions. My buddies and I have a chat on Facebook and unfortunately, we have not met live yet. I think it is necessary to encourage future LS's to keep in touch with their buddies because it is very beneficial. -Kaarel Laar (TÜRS Estonia)
At the beginning of the 2018/2019 mandate, my buddies were Katja (LS for ŠSSFD, Slovenia) and Inês (Design Coordinator). Our buddy group name was IKEA. Now we are in the group with Nejc (LS for ŠSSFD). I have met my buddies during LS Day, AA 2018 and AR 2019. We talk about EPSA activities as well as about our personal events and travels. -Elīna Grandāne (LPSA Latvia)
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Advocacy
Annual Reception Follow-up On the 28th of February 2019, EPSA hosted, once more, its Annual Reception at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. This 10th edition of EPSA’s annual policy event approached one of the hottest and current topics in healthcare: digitalisation. With the theme “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” the event had a diverse panel of six speakers to approach some of the main fields and tools where digitalisation is increasingly impacting healthcare, mostly in regards to the pharmaceutical profession, as well as, how to get prepared and acquainted with such developments while studying and along the profession through continuous professional development. Once again, EPSA had the pleasure to be hosted by MEP and pharmacist Lieve Wierinck from ALDE. The panel consisted of Agnès Mathieu-Mendes, Deputy Head of Unit, Unit B4 – Medicinal products, Quality, safety, innovation, Health and Food Safety Directorate-General (European Commission’s projects and plans on digital health); Valentina Ancona, MedTech Europe (Value of Digital Health Technologies); Sofia Couto Rocha, SkinSoul, Lusíadas Saúde, Member of the Portuguese National Council on Information Technologies (Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Internet of things); Andreas Gloess, BD Rowa (Digital solutions on the pharmaceutical sector); Lilian M. Azzopardi, European Association of Faculties of Pharmacy (Education in digitalisation and how to foster lifelong learning); Ema Paulino, Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society (Implementation of continuous professional development in the pharmaceutical). So, very briefly, let me tell you the story of our Annual Reception. At the European level, the health systems are shifting to electronic health records and e-prescriptions which, will definitely change the way health information flows, the interaction with patients and, consequently the pharmacy practice as well together with robotisation and more efficient dispensation processes. What shall be the outcomes? Hopefully, increased contact with patients but mostly increased contact with higher access to information and more informed patients. Now picturing the above mentioned, together with the emerging of new technologies and medical devices being used for the numerous types of diagnosis, in the most varied phases and periods and with new treatment possibilities. This means more possibilities for patients’ diagnosis and treatment, more devices which the healthcare professional must be acquainted with an even higher flow of health information to be treated but also interpreted when necessary. Once more, such overflow of possibilities and information brings us to the “internet of things” and, once more, the need for pharmaceutical professionals to be able to communicate with patients with more information - but not necessarily better - and, last but not least, to Big Data and Artificial Intelligence, which can help us to process health data way faster than what we could have ever imagined but needs to keep integrated with the healthcare professional’s expertise. From the simple ideas of e-prescription, having health records electronically available or having the help of robots to pick medicines for the pharmacists, we have dived into an immense and complex world where digitalisation is everywhere, information overflows from and is available everywhere and we strive to keep the humanity of care and our patients in the centre of the process. How to adapt to this? A little help in the curricula? Well nobody argues against it. Indeed it could be useful if there are more subjects and contact with such fields and aspects. However, as it was stated, it is not possible to pack all the information and gain all the skills required in a 5 or 6-year programme. Practice and experience are necessary and, mostly, the will to continuously keep learning and developing new skills. Lifelong learning and continuous professional development take extreme importance in a career that usually is of decades and in the world of constant change. Digitalisation is here to stay but the way we have it, see it and use it will also change along the years.
Marta Simões EPSA VP of European Affairs 2018/2019
Advocacy
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Education
Annual Congress 2019 The 42nd EPSA Annual Congress will be happening from the 22nd to the 28th of April and the event will revolve around the topic “Non-Communicable Diseases: A Serious Threat of the Modern World”. Find out what will happen in those days!
2-day symposium that will tackle the fundamentals of Non-Communicable Diseases
workshops that will tackle more in detail specific diseases and areas of intervention
workshops that will present some of the EPSA Projects to students
workshops from EPSA Partners and other Student Associations
soft-skills trainings that will aim to contribute to people’s personal development
57th General Assembly where we will debate on the present and future of our association
Opening Night - Dresses for the ladies and suits or your nicest jackets and trousers for the gentlemen. Bulgarian Night - dress with our flag colours – white, green, red. Great and crazy things are about to happen, enriched with surprises from the RC. #sobalkan Harry Potter Night - Bring your wizard wand black robe and round glasses! The 4 HousesGryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff are waiting for you to become their pharmacy wizard students! #somagical
Earthquake Party - It’s time to move, so get your coolest workout/dancing outfit and become a dancer! Grab a marker so we capture this night by writing on out T-shirt different wishes! #soshaky International Night - Brace yourself for International Night! Take your most traditional food/drinks! #soresistant “Suits & Sneakers” Gala Prepare your most classy suit and dress, BUT NO high heels are allowed. The topic of the AC is provoking us to be more active and what can be more comfortable and trendier than a pair of cool sneakers! #soactive
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Education
Online Public Health Campaigns
2019 started with the Purple Week. Our members showed great interest and support for the campaign. People dressed in purple everywhere thanks to our members spreading information about the campaign and, as a result, we raised awareness during the World Cancer Day. EPSA Social Services portfolio is also moving forward with new activities. EPSA Team met in Brussels for the 4th Team Meeting and also for a good cause. Team members donated clothes and toys to the BXL Refugees, The Citizen’s Platform for Refugee Support in Brussels. Moreover, we kicked off a new activity called “Social Services Month” in March. With the support of our members’ in the field of Public Health and Social Services, we will continue to grow! -Özgün Özyiğit EPSA Public Health and Social Services Coordinator 2018/2019
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Education
Train the Trainers and Training Week Train the Trainers (TtT)
Training Week (TW)
Train the Trainers (TtT) is a three-day event where Trainers deliver sessions to each other, discuss important training related topics, share experiences and get to know each other better.
The Training Week (TW) is a one week event which aims to raise awareness on the importance of soft skills everywhere around Europe and at the same time to challenge students, LSs and Trainers to have soft skills Trainings at a local level.
On the 22nd of February, the Train the Trainers event began in Brussels, Belgium, where the EPSA House interns received 10 enthusiastic Trainers. More to that, 3 JADE Trainers also joined them to make the event more diverse and to allow both sides to make contact with a different Training reality.
This happened during the 3rd Week of February and had the 22nd of February as the official EPSA Soft Skills Day.
In the first day, Trainers got to know each other and had the chance to get acquainted with the EPSA House and with the PGEU’s office, where all the sessions were held. The second day was a bit more intense, with 4 Training sessions being held through the day. A lot of knowledge flew around the room, as we saw the Trainers growing with every session. During the evening, dinner was cooked and shared in the EPSA House over some games and interesting conversations. The event lasted until the 24th of February and, in total, 7 sessions were held between EPSA and JADE Trainers about topics such as Strategy, Training Design and Knowledge Transfer. In the end, this event gave our EPSA Trainers extra tools for their future trainings and opened their minds to the different training realities out there.
Many Training sessions were held through the week, but a lot more are needed if we want to create a bigger impact and show everyone that soft skills are here to stay in the pharmaceutical world. Testimonials from students, LSs and Trainers were also collected and shared during the week to give people more information on our soft skills training world and to try and reach more and more people. If you weren’t able to participate this year fear not, you can still have Trainings all year long, just send an email to training@ epsa-online.org and the Training Coordinator will put you in touch with one or more of our over 50 EPSA Trainers.
Bernardo Marinheiro EPSA Training Coordinator 2018/2019
Education
LLeaP: How is it developing? Share your knowledge and earn medals After the launch of LLeaP, I had a busy time with sorting out all submission forms, and I was happy to see that there were many of them. I had to check the content of each submission form thoroughly. The task of evaluation is not an easy one, I can guarantee you. The answers we received are reflecting our users’ understanding of the topics, outcomes they took home, the will to apply the knowledge they gained and, of course, concrete ways with clearly defined steps to perform and reach each goal. All these together are leading towards lifelong learning. Members who submitted forms mostly gained knowledge from our webinars, Chats with Professionals and of course EPSA Events. However, we are still trying to show them that possibilities of submitting knowledge are beyond boundaries and that everything they learn can be rewarded. Only if answered according to the questions with concrete examples and explanations. Luckily, Inês Grazina, our EPSA Design Coordinator is constantly trying to motivate our students to participate in LLeaP by creating wonderful medals for every submitted knowledge, starting from our Chats with Professionals to EPSA Events. Therefore, feel free to take a look at them, because they won’t be enlisted only on your LLeaP profile, but inside your certificate too! However, first medals are delivered and certain LLeaP Members are provided with suggestions for improvements. Remember that help will be given whenever asked for. Therefore, do not hesitate to reach and question. To gain knowledge, we must learn to ask the right questions!
Marko Ocokoljić EPSA Educational Affairs Coordinator 2018/2019
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Education
05.05. 5th of March 2019 12:00 CEST / 11:00 UTC
1. Are you interested in Public Health and Social Services? Do you want to raise money for spinal cord research? 2. Run for those who cannot at the Wings for Life World Run 2019! 3. You do not have to run far, there is no ďŹ nish line - you run as much as you can - 1km, 10km, 20km or any other distance. You can even walk. What matters is doing something for those who cannot and challenging yourself! 4. You can run anywhere, even in your backyard as long as you run on the 5th of May at 11 UTC. 5. How? Download the Wings for Life app and register for the individual run. You can also run at organised runs, of course. 6. Once you register, join the team called: EPSA. That is right, EPSA is taking part in the run, so join the Team to show the world that European pharmaceutical students are working towards making a difference! 7. Take some photos or videos during or after your run and send them to EPSA so you can be part of our social media! That is right, everyone can do it, anywhere. So what are you waiting for? Join us and the rest of the world on the 5th of May and be active for those who cannot!
Education
Science Excursion The Science Excursion is one of the EPSA science projects aimed to bring students closer to the scientific world by giving them the opportunity to visit different pharmaceutical facilities such as pharmacies, industrial complexes, universities, and research facilities, directly collaborate with professionals and build their own experience of working in a different branch of pharmacy. It is organised during major EPSA Events, including the Autumn Assembly, the Annual Reception, the Annual Congress and the Summer University and locally, during regular activities of EPSA Members. In the following text, read about local Science Excursions held by EPSA Members, their experiences and ways in which they take care of the organisation.
Past December, we travelled with over 30 students from Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences to the Biotech Training Facility (BTF) and BaseClear. BTF is a training complex for working GMP and we learned all about European regulations and working in a pharmaceutical factory. The company is specialised in DNA-analysis, and we found out how this can be used for different applications. From analsing the microbiome of the gut to enhancing washing powders. These excursions aren’t only a great opportunity to learn new things, but to also learn about the job market and what you can do after you graduate. -Floor de Jong, K.N.P.S.V., the Netherlands On the 6th of March, while our Twinnet project with Rouen, France was ongoing we have visited The National Institute for Chemical Pharmaceutical Research and Development in Bucharest. They have shown us different departments, such as Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, but also different European projects that are under development there. -Crisan Lucian Cimpeanu, SSFB, Romania In the Student Association of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon, the Department of Innovation and Science is responsible, among other activities, for organising visits to Pharmaceutical Industries and Scientific Research Laboratories, as part of the “Out in the Field” activities. The organisation of these activities involves contacting companies and/or laboratories of interest for the training of students and scheduling a possible meeting to determine what the day and program of the visit will be. The transport of the participants is also assured by the association. As an example, we had the Laboratories of Infarmed and the Laboratories of Clinical Analysis Joaquim Chaves. - André Cardador, Departamento de Inovação e Ciência, AEFFUL, Portugal We do organise science excursions to pharmaceutical companies at least once a year. It is a great way to broaden the students’ knowledge of how companies work while getting to know the situation from the inside and, of course, networking. While visiting companies, we are able to enter the labs and facilities, to have an idea about how everything is functioning and there is time for students to ask questions to the people working there. This way, we believe students find it easier in the future to decide whether industry fits their professional goals or not. -Marina-Savvina Tsatsalidi, GPSF, Greece If you are interested in organising or attending one of the EPSA Science Excursions, do not hesitate, contact the EPSA Science Coordinator via email: science@epsa-online.org .
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A new pharmacy experience Falken Apotheke, Wuppertal, Deutschland Bodo Schmitz-Urban, owner of the Falken Apotheke in the Wuppertal district of Vohwinkel, offers his customers a completely new consulting experience at his pharmacy. Since the pharmacy first opened in 2016, his team has been working not only with an automated storage system, complete with integrated, fully automated stock input, but also with screens that can be used to display non-prescription products and provide discreet consultation.
It was important to me to offer a special experience in our pharmacy. We receive a lot of positive feedback from our customers. The digital display of non-prescription products and the screens for discreet consulting help us in consulting and follow the digitization trend. We are therefore ideally equipped for the future! Bodo Schmitz-Urban, pharmacist
Rowa Technologies ÂŽ
Facts and figures Rowa Vmax® dimensions: L 7.00 × B 1.63 × H 2.90 m capacity: approx. 15,000 packs Integrated fully automated Rowa ProLog® stock input Rowa Vmotion® non-prescription product display: 4 × 55“ screens Rowa Vmotion® discreet consulting: 4 × 22“ screens Location: Ground floor Size of the dispensary: 123 m² Total space: 245 m² Shop fitter: Rheindesign GmbH Planning and completion: 2016
The challenge
The solution
> Create a modern pharmacy with attractive product presentation
> Digital presentation of non-prescription products, selected products are output directly at the sales counter
> Simple and fast service to customers, and efficient processes
> Interaction between the Rowa systems and the pharmacy IT system enables optimum display of products and prices, and provides support in customer consulting
> Comprehensive information on non-prescription products
> Cosmetic products on touchscreens are displayed with background information
> Discreet consulting
> 22“ screens in the sales counter allow privacy to be guaranteed
Personal
Versand
Dusche
WC
WC Büro
Labor
Rowa Vmax
Ausgabe
Rezeptur
Ausgabe
Sichtwahl
Diskretion
Diskretion Freiwahlgondeln
Offizin
Anlieferung
Intensivberatung
Freiwahlgondeln
Digitale Freiwahl
bd.com/rowa © 2018 BD. BD, the BD Logo, Rowa, Rowa Vmax and Rowa Vmotion are property of Becton, Dickinson and Company. nov-2018, 0000MS07727iss1
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External
Visiting Members Fund Hungarian National Congress 22nd-24th February Chris (Treasurer) and Paulina (Professional Affairs Coordinator)
VFSO Belgium Career Day 2nd March Paulina (Professional Affairs Coordinator) NoPSA Norway National Congress 6th-10th February Anja (VP IA) and May (Central IMP Coordinator)
USF Czech Republic Pharmacy Ball 23rd March Zuzana (Publications Coordinator) and Tilen (Policy Affairs Coordinator)
External
21
External Representation Drug Information Association Europe 2019 Bernardo Marinheiro (EPSA Training Coordinator) and Marko Ocokoljic´ (EPSA Educational Affairs Coordinator) were invited by Sara Torgal (EPSA HLM), currently working for DIA, to attend the DIA Europe 2019 event that happened in Vienna, Austria from the 5th to the 7th of February. They also helped with a task consisted of doing a graphic recording of some specific sessions selected by Sara. The event was incredible, as hundreds of people and organisations joined to discuss important pharmaceutical matters, to get to know each other and to find possible future collaborations, mainly in the field of industry. EPSA was very active, through the participation of Bernardo, Marko and Eva (EPSA President), they met several people and spread the EPSA spirit, which grew an interest in them. In regard to the graphic facilitation, whoever would go by and watch them work, would commend them and motivate them to keep doing it as it was interesting to have in an event with such good speakers. All in all, it was an amazing event that DIA organised and a great opportunity for EPSA to have an impact in the pharmaceutical world.
EUFEPS Annual Meeting Marko Ocokoljić (EPSA Educational Affairs Coordinator) and Sanja Aleksić (EPSA Science Coordinator) had the pleasure of attending the Annual Meeting of EUFEPS – European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences this March in Frankfurt, Germany. The aim of the Annual Meeting 2019 was to create a pharmaceutical sciences platform between the university, industry and regulatory scientists in order to give a chance to discuss the main topics of this symposium in a friendly environment while focusing on “Personalized Medicines, Targeted Therapies and Precision Drug Delivery”. Marko as EPSA representative at the EUFEPS’s Council Meeting had the privilege to deliver EPSA presentation and acquaint Member Societies and EUFEPS with activities and projects we are pursuing. Further, he and Sanja discussed on EUFEPS’s further plans, next congresses, and of course future collaboration between EPSA and EUFEPS. Sanja was present there as the last winner of the 10th EPSA Science Day in Baarlo, the Netherlands. An opportunity to level up her knowledge by expanding boundaries of knowledge, learning about the most important research topics, sharing ideas, meeting such dedicated and motivated young scientist and renowned professionals, boosted her energy and motivation. Overall, they came back completely refilled with a lot of ideas for future discoveries. Thanks for having us, EUFEPS!
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External
Career Week CAREER WEEK 25th-31st March 2019 Pharmacist role within Research and NGO The EPSA Career Week (CW) aims at educating students about work possibilities that they may pursue after completing their pharmacy degree. Through a whole week; with an approach focused on the easiest accessible channel of communication - social media - we are sharing various career-focused workshops and publications. This way, we want to familiarize our members with the procedures they will be facing once applying for a job and give them guidance to present themselves in the best way possible. This edition of CW focused on “Pharmacist role within Research and NGO”. Thanks to the engagement of professional organisations that EPSA collaborates closely with, we were able to provide students with practical testimonials of specialists working in these fields on a daily basis. Interviews with Mr Uros Cakar (Scientific Associate, Department of Bromatology, University of Belgrade) and Mr Michał Byliniak (President of The Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union) acquainted us better with daily tasks of pharmacists working within these fields. For those ones, who wanted to prove themselves in a real life situation there was a chance to take part in interview simulation. This opportunity was part of a
competition prepared with the European Industrial Pharmacists Group (EIPG). Additionally, the winner was able to directly discuss his career plans with Dr Piero Iamartino, Vice-President of EIPG. We believe that all these opportunities will help students decide which direction they want to follow in their professional lives. Nevertheless, it is also important to improve soft skills necessary through the procedure of applying for a job. We have discussed it further during two workshops. Firstly - How to master interviewing skills? which was held by pharmacist and HR specialist, Madalina Gulerez. The second workshop revolved around the topic of “Facing and overcoming challenges in the non-profit sector” and was presented by Ms Diana Mereu, CEO of the Romanian Association of the Self-Care Industry (RASCI). During CW, with the engagement of the European Biopharmaceutical Enterprises, (EBE) we have shared informative publication about research work, specifically from the view of biopharmaceutical area. We hope you managed to catch up with all of the activities presented during CW and that the project will help you in increasing your chances in a competitive pharmaceutical job market. In case you feel like it is not enough for you, visit our EPSA Career Page to find further information about more fields! Paulina Kruk EPSA Professional Affairs Coordinator 2018/2019
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External
Career Fair Career Fair, 23 April 2019 Have you finished the pharmacy studies, already completed the internship but you are still unsure about what to do, where to direct your next steps in the future? Or maybe you got some traineeship done and you are seeking for further opportunities like that? Finally, maybe it is just curiosity and you just want to check what the actual opportunities are at the moment and strengthen up your network? If any of these applies to you, Career Fair (CF) is the right place for you to visit! A CF is aimed at students directly looking for job opportunities, providing them with a chance to network with professional entities and gather information about career prospects available in the market. Overloaded university curricula cannot fill in this gap, leaving students without practical knowledge about possible career pathways, therefore thanks to this project we can complement this shortage. Thanks to CF we want to create a platform where we can match highly educated students and recent graduates with their future employers, internship or thesis co-workers. If you are open-minded and determined to learn, who knows maybe visiting CF can turn out to be your career starting point? This year during Annual Congress in Sofia, Bulgaria CF will be loaded with various activities. We will start with companies’ elevator speeches so that students could have a quick overview of all of the exhibitors present. Thanks to some small ice breaker at the beginning we will make sure you will get to know companies representatives and be well prepared for networking. We will make sure to create a friendly environment so your fear of job search will be gone for sure! Who will be actually present you may ask? We have invited EPSA’s corporate partners, professional organisations and institutions with whom EPSA collaborates. Further, there will be EPSA Trainers Booth and EPSA Team Booth set, where you will be able to chit chat with students strongly involved in EPSA projects preparations. On top of that, you will have a chance to receive professional consultation on CVs and evaluation of the LinkedIn profile. Don’t miss such an opportunity and visit EPSA Career Fairs in the future! Paulina Kruk EPSA Professional Affairs Coordinator 2018/2019
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Mobility
Twinnet Experiences We had the pleasure to organise a TWINNET with the K.N.P.S.V. 24 Students of the ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich) visited Leiden. We could profit from a cool educational programme in the anatomical museum there. We completely loved the trip to the Netherlands and the friends we made there, are for sure very special ones. So we were happy to accommodate them in Zurich, where we had a funny workshop on evidencebased phytopharmaceuticals. It was so cool to be able to see again our Dutch friends and make many more unforgettable memories! Aljoscha Goetschi - President BSc Pharmacy Student, ETH Zurich We had an amazing week in Bucharest between 4-10.03.2019 with our 8 fellow students from Rouen, France. The educational program ran smoothly with 2 EPSA’s trainings: Creativity and Critical Thinking, but our main theme was Healthcare Innovation, on this topic we organised a science excursion on local research centre and also prepared some workshops about Drug Design and Innovations found in different Pharmacopoeias. On our free time, we have visited our presidential palace, Cotroceni Palace but we have also discovered one of our beautiful cities, Brașov. A very tiring and exceptional week with lovely students. Crişan-Lucian Cîmpeanu Liaison Secretary for SSFB Romania Our Twinnet project was between Rouen (France) and Bucharest (Romania). We were 8 French students to go to Bucharest and 12 Romanians students went to Rouen. About the educational programme, we had two EPSA trainings in Bucharest: one about creativity and the other about critical thinking with Ioana and Ciprian, and one EPSA training in Rouen about coaching and monitoring with Pierre. This Twinnet project was an amazing experience for all of us, we learned many things about Romanian culture, pharmacy and the trainings were great! Elody Blaisot Twinnet Coordinator, ANEPF France In October, we happily welcomed 25 Swiss students to Leiden, the Netherlands. We had a great weekend! On Friday we got to know each and had pizza. We found out that the Swiss make a great party! On Saturday it was time for our educational program, with a symposium about the curriculum in the Netherlands and the differences between the faculties. We visited the anatomy museum in the hospital. The cultural part of this exchange consisted of sightseeing and visit a real windmill! For dinner, we had Dutch pancakes and we finished the day with a pub crawl. Unfortunately, it was time for the goodbyes on Sunday. We already looked forward to seeing the Swiss students again. In March we finally got to visit the Swiss students in Zurich! After a short flight, we arrived in Switzerland. The Swiss students got us from the airport, and we went straight to company visit Bähler Dropa were we got a tour. After we got settled at our hosts’ place we had a great night out! On Saturday we visited the university (ETH) and got a presentation about the pharmacy curriculum in Switzerland and a presentation from Zeller Söhne about phytopharmaceuticals. We even tried to make our own herbal hangover tea. With a bierlauf, a Swiss night full of fondue and a Swiss party the weekend came to an end. The Swiss students were fantastic and the best hosts ever! Janine Nijhuis EPSA Liaison Secretary K.N.P.S.V. This autumn, between the 21st and the 28th of September, the second half of the Twinnet exchange between OSF Cluj-Napoca (FASFR) and AAEP Besançon (ANEPF) took place in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Ten foreign participants spent a delightful week in our country, enjoying daily trips and traditional meals together with our volunteers. Social programme was nicely mixed with trainings (thanks to Katja Olenik, EPSA Trainer) and scholastic visits meant to enhance the students’ knowledge about Cosmetology. We are looking forward to welcoming you to explore Pharmacy in the Carpathian garden during our next Twinnet! Oana Ciobanu Liaison Secretary and NIMP for FASFR Our Twinnet involved 22 participants from both PSANS and IUPSAint associations. The subject of Educational programme was Homeopathy, but also Softskills workshop “Cultural awareness” .Beside this, we had an opportunity to visit Galen laboratory and have a faculty tour with our professors. This is one of the best experiences, the group really bonded and both, guests and hosts students, made unforgettable memories. Simona Čarapić PSANS LMO, Serbia On 6th of March, we had our first part of Twinnet with France. There were nine participants from each country. Our Twins from Besançon kindly welcomed us to their homes and introduced us to everything we needed to know about France and their culture. The topic of the educational programme was ‘’Sports and health’’. Furthermore, there was also an EPSA training about stress, which we all enjoyed. The overall experience was great; we made some new friends, learned French and had lots of fun. We cannot wait to host the second part of Twinnet in Ljubljana and to see our Twins again. Sara Korošec National Twinnet Coordinator of Slovenia Slovak’s part of twinnet took place from 14th to 19th November in Bratislava. SPSA has hosted 7 participants from Novi Sad, Serbia. The topic was “Antibiotics” in which we had a lecture with Mr Drobná. The participants also had an opportunity to see how it works in one of the biggest distributional company in Slovakia. Their motivation could increase during the training by our EPSA trainer, Miloš Okša. The social programme included sightseeing and walking tour of Bratislava, trying a typical Slovak food and drinks and visitation the town called Bojnice. Students have seen the most romantic castle in Europe, visited a zoo and an observation tower there. We believe Serbian colleagues have enjoyed their stay in Slovakia. From our point of view, we had a great time together and have met the amazing people, who we made friendships for a lifetime with. Nikola Bujnová Twinnet Coordinator of SPSA
Mobility
Humanitarian Mobility Project As healthcare students, we have a powerful ability, knowledge! Knowledge can help us make our society better. In EPSA, we believe that with our knowledge and enthusiasm we can give back to society and contribute to solidarity. Thus being said, we started to work on the Humanitarian Mobility Project. With this project, we would like to encourage our members to step forward on humanitarian fields, become a volunteer and discover new cultures while sharing their knowledge and experience to those in need. After searching and contacting many different partners, finally last summer we have found Happy Caravan for our project. Happy Caravan aims to provide social and educational support to refugee children in Greece. They have different partners and accept volunteers throughout the year. Thanks to their help this year we planned special programmes for our members that includes science topics for children. One of our main aim is to inspire refugee children and even encourage them to become future pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists. The project will take place in the centre of the immigrants Thermopylae Greece in July. During the five days, volunteers will deliver different workshops on science and English. Workshop topics will be created with EPSA Education Department and volunteers will have a chance to select what they would like to teach to children. After completing the project, volunteers will be awarded certificates of attendance but more importantly, they will take with them unique experiences that will change their perspectives. All in all, as EPSA, we believe that healthcare students should take a leading role in the humanitarian field where people especially children need support. Within this project, we would like to raise awareness and point out how little steps can change make the world a better place.
Baran Arslan EPSA Mobility Coordinator 2018/2019
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Alumni
Alumni Project
EPSA had an impact on my personal and professional life. In a personal way, I started thinking of Europe as a whole (social and politically); and professionally I had the privilege of looking at the best ways of performing community pharmacy, and intend to bring those ideas to the local level. Imanol Monteagudo EPSA President 1998/99 EPSA Past President 1999/2000
There cannot be a better motto than “EPSA opens many doors” to describe my experience. I met with EPSA on my 2nd year as a student. It opened the doors to a platform for development, networking and friendship. I got encouraged to re-activate my faculty’s association MUPSA, become an EPSA member and spread the #EPSAlove. I had the privilege to join the EPSA Team 2011-12 as a Parliamentary Council Member where I worked with mega minds of pharmacy and developed invaluable skills. The vision that I gained through my experience in EPSA helped me choose an exciting professional path. I am very happy to be involved as an Alumni and carry out my EPSA passion. Nilhan Uzman
Being part of the EPSA team for three consecutive mandates provided me with many skills and a lot of experience needed for my professional life. Working with many different people with different values is what prepared me most for a desired career in the pharmaceutical industry – more than my university diploma!
I have no doubt in my mind that EPSA changed the course of my life and strongly influenced what I do and who I am today. During my mandate, I realised I had to combine my community pharmacy practice with participating in pharmacy associations and research to feel truly fulfilled.”
Clara Brandt Professional Affairs Coordinator 2015 – 2016 & 2016 – 2017 Audit Committee Member 2017 – 2018 Current position: Team leader Production, Visual Inspection at Ferring Pharmaceuticals
Ema Paulino
The first EPSA event for me was the EPSA Annual Congress in Toulouse, France in 2015. That was also the place where I got "hooked" to EPSA events. I found so many different people, so many new friends, and most importantly: a place where I belong. From that moment on, my world was completely changed. All I have to say to future EPSA students and generations is take every chance to contribute to EPSA. You will see a major change in you and around you!
EPSA congress opened my eyes! 400 students gathered and had one thing in common. They were not afraid! The atmosphere was amazing and pulled me in. Every day I made new friends. I attended more events, organised quattrino and did my master thesis in Lisbon. EPSA opened my eyes to a world where everything is possible.
Martin Kondža EPSA LS and SAFPUM President for Bosnia and Herzegovina Research assistant at the University of Mostar Faculty of Pharmacy / Pharmacovigilance Expert at the Agency for Drugs and Medical Devices of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Robert Söderbaum, Quality Assurance Manager, Baxter International Inc., Lund Sweden EPSA-SNAPS liaison 2008 EPSA congress in Novi Sad, Official Delegate, Serbia 2008 EPSA congress in Krakow, Official Delegate, Poland 2010 EPSA-Trainer training camp, Brno, Czech Republic, 2010
EPSA has been a pivotal part of my student times (and one of the best ones :)). Through EPSA and its activities, I have gained a very broad network of colleagues and friends, while being exposed to international projects and a multi-cultural environment. EPSA has changed the way my future aspirations looked like and helped me in exploring and understanding the different fields within the Pharma industry. Involvement is highly suggested! EPSA LS 2007-2008, EPSA Events officer 2008-2009, GPSF President 2009-2010 Head of Project office, Strategy and Investment Projects – Novartis Biopharma Avgoustinos Kotsonis
27
Alumni
"My experience kicked off as an LS, with my first event being the 10th EPSA AA which paved the way to becoming the chairperson of the 12th AA in Malta. Now I represent a dermatological brand whilst also doing my PhD. Pharmacy is not just about drugs but it's also about good relationships and having fun." Jonathan Vella Liason Secretary for MPSA Malta Autumn Assembly ChP
From my time in EPSA, I’ve learned 3 important things that have been important throughout my life. One was diplomacy and how to carry your opinions and visions through different sectors, taking advantage of what best other people have to offer, and without harming or shaming conflicting voices. The second thing I experienced myself is that the wideband pharmaceutical syllabus in Europe allows for pharmacists to adapt and to become something else. And this is always better rather than expecting something else to act as a pharmacist. The third, and perhaps most important, is that your networks are stronger when based on personal relationships and when you use your emotional intelligence to actually listen and care about people.
I was EPSA VP of Communication in 2008/09, and then VP of External Affairs in 2011/2012. I attended more than 20 EPSA events and organized one AC. I am currently a Global Innovation Manager at Bayer, working with the whole world, based in Bayer Consumer Health headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. Involvement in EPSA was one of the key activities in my life that gave me a base for further development. I often use EPSA experiences in my work, from running projects to working daily with various nationalities, but also behaving at dinners and social events. Bonus: it is beneficial to be able to say “cheers” in many languages, many bosses are impressed at dinner parties by that :-) Bojan Davinic
I joined the EPSA Humanitarian Working Committee in my 4th study year after offers from my course mates which were active members of LPSA. It was a fantastic experience to work together with different soon-to-be pharmacists from all around Europe. It gave me insight into different fields of pharmacy. Daina Bulmeistere Pharmacist and head of pharmacy in Latvia Soon to be a pharmacist in Norway
Luis Rhodes Baião EPSA President and EU Officer 2004/2005 Assistant and Policy Advisor to a Member of the European Parliament
Becoming an active member and getting involved with EPSA was one of the best decisions I took in my life. Not only did I meet amazing people, develop my skills and broaden my horizon, I also found my current job through the advice of a colleague I talked to during Twinnet. Astrid Strmsek Liaison Secretary for Austria 2016/17 QA Manager at Roche, Switzerland
Your career does not start when the university ends! Your career starts as early as you figure out what professional path you want to take and you start building towards your success! Be curious, challenge yourself, dream big and always surround yourself with people you can learn from, such as fellow EPSA volunteers. It definitely worked for me! Diana Mereu
A selfless investment in EPSA with all your heart will be rewarded by a huge injection of personal growth in expected and unexpected areas, a big dose of cultural awareness, professional working experience on a decent level, an extensive network, and, maybe the biggest beauty, friendships for life. These are not only phrases, but this also happened to lives! Daniela Kolberg EPSA Events Coordinator
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Alumni
Alumni Advisory Board The Alumni Advisory Board (AAB) has an advisory role for the EPSA Team. The Board is elected each year and for the mandate 2018/2019 it consisted of: •Catarina Nobre (Treasurer 2014-2016, President 2016-2017, Immediate Past President 2017-2018) •Daniela Kolberg (Events Coordinator 2013-2015) •Guilherme Monteiro Ferreira (Humanitarian WCD 2009-2010, Treasurer 2010-2011, President 2011-2012, Vice President of External Affairs and Immediate Past President 2012-2013) - EPSA Honorary Life Member •Maja Šerčić (Audit Committee Member 2014-2015, Vice President of External Relations 2015-2016, Alumni Coordinator 2016-2017) •Svetlana Kolundžić (Parliamentarian Immediate Past President 2015-2016)
2013-2014,
President
Joining AAB was a result of a wish to still contribute to Association in some way and be part of the development of new generations in EPSA. It is amazing to see how some ideas are being brought up to discussion again, how they managed to evolve and how now is the time for their realization. It is also interesting to follow how EPSA is shaping future leaders and how people grow with every project, report and event. Thanks to EPSA, even though the student days are over, I am still learning, changing and developing myself, and I am grateful for that.
2014-2015,
•Tim Robinson (Parliamentary Council Member 2013-2014, Alumni Coordinator 2014-2015)
My journey in EPSA started as a participant of the EPSA Autumn Assembly in Helsinki 2010. Later on, I was a representative of my national association, Audit Committee member 2014-2015, VP of External Affairs 2015-2016 and lastly Alumni Coordinator 2016-2017. Reflecting on how much the advice of Alumni helped me when I was part of the EPSA Team, I decided to apply to become part of AAB as I wanted to help young generations to advance the association. The ideas and values EPSA represents are very dear to my heart. That drives me to follow up on EPSA’s developments as being part of AAB, give a perspective on things when young leaders need it. I strongly believe the skills and experiences I have gained in EPSA has shaped me as a person and a professional I am today.
AAB - " Yes, of course, you want to “give something back”. When one fully invests in a system like EPSA, he always gets rewarded beautifully on many levels. So yes, on one hand, I decided to be part of this board because I am thankful for what this association did to my life. But on the other hand, I was also eager to learn about how to be a good advisor, about the dynamics in such a group and about what my responsibilities are and what they are not. I think this position helped me to grow professionally and to get a better understanding of how “generations” can work fruitfully together. "
While being a member of the EPSA Team and the EPSA Executive, my philosophy was to “give more to get more” and be able to grow personally and professionally while doing my best to deliver the association objectives and move it forward bringing more opportunities to pharmacy students. This made me more prepared to the professional world and made possible for me to have the knowledge to start a career in the field I’m currently working. Becoming part of the AAB is my way to selflessly “give back” and further support EPSA’s priorities and development already as a professional.
I graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in 2011. My Pharmacy career has been firmly set within Community Pharmacy ever since then. I started as a Locum Pharmacist. I then secured employment with PCT Healthcare Ltd, who I had previously completed my 12-month registration within 2012. The company is one of the largest Independent Multiple Companies in the UK owning around 120 pharmacies. I have worked in various roles as a Relief Pharmacist and Pharmacy Manager. More recently I have been relocated into a new pharmacy providing both hospital and community pharmacy dispensing. I am now listed as a superintendent of this business and enjoying this new role. I believe that EPSA has helped me to develop and push my career boundaries through great educational programmes and congresses. My journey began in 2008, in Manchester at the Summer University held there. I am still involved today and it always brings me great pleasure to do so. I have been an Official Delegate, as well holding the position of Parliamentary Council Member and also Alumni Coordinator and I am also part of the Alumni Advisory Board now. My involvement and working relationship with EPSA has allowed me to build a network of friends with whom I have developed strong professional and social bonds which will last a lifetime.
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Alumni
Board of Trustees On the 1st of March, the EPSA Executive met with the EPSA Board of Trustees in Brussels. Throughout the evening, EPSA and our work were discussed as well as the European pharmaceutical sphere. The Trustees shared many important insights with us and the Executive walked away from the meeting with a lot of new knowledge. The Trustees are respected European professionals and their insight is very important for future EPSA work. We discussed the EPSA structure and the collaboration between the EPSA Team and the Member Associations. We then touched upon possible topics and directions for EPSA educational activities, such as educational programmes of EPSA Events, as well as the organisation of events themselves, since they are the image of an association. EPSA strives to organise professional events, taking care of the educational programme but working together with a Reception Committee from an EPSA Member Association to take EPSA all over Europe! We also discussed the EPSA advocacy work and public relations in the sense of reaching more students and presenting European and healthcare hot-topics to them. The Trustees also stressed to us that as students and recent graduates, it is important for us to have an active role in advocacy related to the European pharmaceutical curricula and the future of the pharmaceutical profession. There are many more outcomes of the meeting, from educational topic ideas to discussions on the current healthcare hot-topics. The Executive recorded them and will use them and later pass them on to the next generations. We would like to thank the Trustees that joined us at this fruitful and enjoyable meeting as well as all of the EPSA Trustees for their continuous support of EPSA and the advice they provide us throughout the mandates. EPSA would not be what it is without you! At the end of the meeting, the EPSA Executive and present Trustees agreed that such meetings were extremely beneficial, not just for EPSA but also for the Trustees as they represent different pharmaceutical fields. Collaboration and understanding between different fields are to be strived for and EPSA offers a great platform for this as students and recent graduates are able to form connections at the beginning of their careers and it is our hope they will continue to foster them for many years to come.
Eva Shannon Schiffrer EPSA President 2018/2019
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Public Relations
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31
Public Relations
PR Subcommittee The Public Relations Subcommittee is a subcommittee in EPSA that consists of two boads: Editorial Board and Design Board. The duty of the boards is to support the work of the PR Department.
Editorial Board •Miracle Udokang •Tihomir Goliykov •Marco Daniel Kandziouba Agostinho
•Ismail Bazzaz •Isabel Silva •Victor Vlas
Miracle Udokang The collegial atmosphere, the commitment from team members in ensuring better readability of articles and texts sent in and also recognising missing parts in texts, friendships created, valuable feedback given, new knowledge gained; all this comes to mind when I recall my time as part of the Editorial Board of EPSA. If you possess a strong command of the English language, including verbal and written fluency; if you are drawn to editing and can’t simply ignore mistakes or poorly constructed sentences seen on articles, publications or blog posts; if you interested in gaining greater familiarity with EPSA’s past, ongoing and future Events and initiatives including projects associations within EPSA have organised then the Editorial Board under the PR Subcommittee is one for you! I gained a lot of new knowledge working as a member of the PR Subcommittee and I am confident you will too!
Tihomir Goliykov
Marco Daniel
Hi, guys! Wow, it’s been a journey. One of the many accomplished tasks and seized opportunities. The PR Subcommittee is the place where you can prove your abilities - either show a high command of English or a creative mind. It is a place to develop both your language and design skills. The 41st AC in Baarlo was my first EPSA event, so I wanted to engage with the Association in any way I could. The PR Subcommittee seemed like a good way to start.
Hello everyone! This was an amazing experience! I decided to apply for the PR Subcommittee because ever since I attended my first EPSA event I wanted to do more for this association and become more involved, and this was a great way to start. So, I advise everyone that has a good knowledge of English or Design skills to apply and join this EPSA family! You won’t regret it.
Design Board
Victor Vlas Hello team! One year ago, when I attended the 41st EPSA annual congress, I discovered a completely new community for me. I was surprised how students from different countries and cultures interact, work, party and generally have a good time together, like a big family. That's why I decided that I want to become a part of EPSA. As I am pretty good in graphic design, I applied for PR subcommittee and I do not regret it! I enjoy the kind of tasks we have to accomplish, the way we co-work, communicate and the ambience in our team. So, keep going on!
Map of Europe 1 GPSF organised a public health campaign about eating disorders. At the event we distributed flyers and informed people about truths and myths around this matter. We also volunteered and ran as a team at the half marathon of Athens, which happened on the 17th of march. Additionally, we had a training for our members about teamwork where our current trainers and last year’s trainers joined forces. GPSF, Greece
2 As the K.N.P.S.V. we hosted a Personal Development Day where we focused on soft skills and other qualities that are not in the regular curriculum. The day consisted of workshops about healthcare innovation, how to be the best version of yourself and how to distinguish yourself from others. The day ended with a networking cocktail where diverse pharmaceutical professional associations attended. On a more professional level, we had an online public health campaign about blood and stem cell donation. I’m proud to say that multiple students went and donated blood and registered themselves as stem cell donors. K.N.P.S.V., the Netherlands
3 ŠSSFD has successfully organized Twinnet with students from Besançon, France. We have participated in various Public Health Campaigns and shared knowledge about mental health, along with safe disposal of medicines. Moreover, as part of the EPSA initiative, we have organized two weeks of soft-skills training for all of our students. ŠSSFD, Slovenia
4 This year BPhSA organized an academy to raise awareness about gastrointestinal diseases. A huge amount of the population every year have a gastrointestinal disorder, most of the time people don’t pay attention and the problem becomes something more serious. Besides that BPhSA have organized a lot of Public Health Campaigns on various topics. BPhSA, Bulgaria
5 This year we decided to raise awareness on soft skills trainings so we took part in Training week. Adam Majcher and David Brychta invited a polish trainer and the trainer from IFMSA and they prepared two trainings. The first training was focused on Public speaking and communication and the second one on Motivation. CzPSA, Czech Republic
6 AHUPS has raised awareness with a great project. Every year, we organize our annual congress, Pharmaceutical Development Days. Until this year, we were demanding a small participation fee. But this year, we wanted the participants to bring 2 books instead of a small amount of fee. We collected all the books we took and sent them to a library found in a village school in Hakkari, Turkey. On this road, many important Pharmaceutical institutions helped us to handle the project. We believe that if we want to look at tomorrow with hope, we must make the information accessible to our age. AHUPS,Turkey
7 MUPSA has organized a project which was a very meaningful humanitarian aid for a primary school located in Southeastern Turkey. The students there were in a serious need of winter clothes and school equipments. With the help of our sponsor Istanbul Pharmaceutical Cooperative (İSKOOP) and generous voluntarism of our members, we managed to meet these needs with an enormous quantity of materials. We still believe there is a lot to do for them but the happiness in the students’ faces is still a concrete satisfaction for us. MUPSA, Turkey
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9 On 22nd of February, APEF held an event for associative leaders, named “Up Pharma”, at the University of Porto. The day started with a presentation of each APEF member, in order to share their activities and internal practices. For the second session, APEF invited a speaker to talk about productivity in teams, then a training on team building was held. After lunch, we organized two discussion sessions, the first one about the future of curricula and the last one about the amendment to the health bases law, that we are facing in our country. APEF, Portugal
10 NAPSer has organized a Motivational weekend at the beginning of March. Members from all Local associations in Serbia were at the same place with the same goal, to meet others and to spend a good time together. During the weekend, participants had an educational programme in the form of EPSA Soft Skills training, organized by Ognjen Ivetic and also various social events. Impressions are indescribable and we are more than motivated to give our best! NAPSer, Serbia
11 CPSA organized Patient Counseling Event (PCE) that took place from the 28th of February until the 2nd of March. 25 students participated in the competition with the topic „Cognitive Doping –Pharmacist role in preventing abuse of drugs“. On the 13th and 14th of March, Career fair was organized at our faculty in Zagreb. A lot of CPSA partners and sponsors represented themselves in front of students. Based on their interests students were able to hear about different areas of our profession and get answers to questions regarding student practices, scholarships and jobs. CPSA, Croatia
This year asep is organizing a big campaign, mainly for the students. Our main topic is public health and will cover for example drug abuse or stress. In order to do that we will go into every university in order to have a direct contact withto the students. Another thing that we want to take care of is to inform the students about the new postgrad formation that was implemented in Switzerland.
HuPSA representated EPSA in the YNGO TN Trainer’s Tour. Two trainings were held by an EPSA trainer and his trainer partner. They were about Leadership and Problem solving. All the participants enjoyed the event and gained a new insight on these topics.
asep, Switzerland
HuPSA, Hungary
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Internal
13 During March 2019, Slovak Pharmaceutical Students‘ Association organised a Week of Pharmaceutical Education. Part of this week was our traditional project – Career Days of Pharmacists, which were held on Tuesday and Wednesday. Part of this event is vocational symposium, where a lot of interesting topics and news are presented. It goes alongside with a Job Fair with many pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies presenting their work to our students,which gave them a real opportunity to talk with their potential future employers and find some interesting internships as well. This event is very popular and beloved by our students. SPSA, Slovakia
14 Between the 18th-24th of February, FASFR together with COPAC (Coalition of Chronically Ill Patients’ Organisations from Romania) ran a Public Health Campaign aimed to correctly inform the population about cardiovascular diseases, treatment and prevention: CardioCheck. The campaign consisted of online and offline activities, the latter being carried out by three of our Member Associations. This year’s campaign proposed a patientcentered approach to the subject and this change of focus peaked with a webinar presented by COPAC’s President and attended by 49 participants. Its theme, ‘The need of integrated treatment for patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases’, was proved to be extraordinarily engaging. Positive feedback certified the success of CardioCheck Campaign and we feel really happy having reached our goal.
International health systems have often inspired the French system. ANEPF has been a real driving force behind the implementation of prescription by pharmacists to fight against medical deserts in our country. ANEPF participated in negotiations with government and parliamentarians by submitting ideas inspired in particular by the Swiss NetCARE and Quebec’s Law 41.
FASFR, Romania
ANEPF, France
15 We achieved a mental health campaign that aimed to inform the students.We prepared brochures about bipolar disorder and distributed brochures to students. Live music and guitar accompanied by a remarkable and enjoyable working environment was created by members of the association who wore white lab coats and asked two different questions such as What cartoons would make you happy? Also what makes you unhappy? Besides that, We prepared a video regarding the campaign and it is also available on CIUPSA’s instagram page. CIUPSA, Cyprus
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17 On the 26th and the 27th of February the Basic Internship Support 2019 was held, with a series of activities that aimed to prepare our 5th year students to their mandatory internship. On the 28th of February, the iMed.Call Program was organized together with researchers from the Research Institute for Medicines, iMed.ULisboa, and had the main purpose of providing our students with the experience of doing research in a laboratory for 3 months. On the 11th of March started the first of three sessions of the Advanced Soft Skills Program (ASSP) delivered by EPSA Trainers. This year’s topic is Skillopedia. AEFFUL, Portugal
18 The BPSA has continued to provide members with opportunities to engage with the profession as well as develop theirselves as individuals. Last Autumn we held conferences on topics such as mental health and Conventional Vs Alternative Therapies, we routinely receive testimonies - one student described one area conference as being “informative and engaging”, they then went on to write a fantastic article about Widening Participation for one of our publications! We are also continuing to work on our Annual Conference which will be happening in Nottingham on the 14th-21st April 2019. BPSA, United Kingdom
19 UBIPharma is currently working on the organization of “Sarau Cultural” which is an activity of our Cultural/Social Department and is one of our biggest events. It is like a talent show where students, teachers and all the Covilhã’s community can participate and show their talents that may go from singing or dancing to comedy and magic skills. Recognition awards are given to some teachers and university workers and also to people that made the organization of UBIPharma’s activities possible. One of the highest moments of this event is the voting for the short movie competition that every year of our course presents. UBIPharma, Portugal
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