EPSA Newsletter Volume 27 Edition 2 by EPSA

EPSA

Newsletter

Bringing pharmacy knowledge and students together!

Volume 27 I Edition 2 I March 2020 www.epsa-online.org I @EPSA_Online

16th EPSA Autumn Assembly

Vaccination in the era of misinformation-

from complexity to value

EPSA Annual Reception 2020

Are You Handling

Hazardous Drugs? Exposure to antineoplastic drug contamination can occur at all stages from compounding to reconstitution through inhalation, skin contact, unintentional handto-mouth ingestion or needle stick and sharps injury. Routine handling of hazardous drugs in pharmacy has been shown to lead to higher risks of chromosomal aberrations1. The acute effects of exposure to hazardous drugs can include skin rashes and nausea, while chronic effects extend to infertility, miscarriages, birth defects, leukemia and other cancers2. Numerous studies show that classic syringe and needle techniques almost universally result in contamination, including droplets, leakage from vial stoppers and aerosol generation3. For pharmacists working with hazardous drugs, this contamination can be a significant health risk. 1. 2. 3.

Mutat Res. 1994 Sep 1;309(2):193-9 NIOSH Publication Number 2004-165 JOPP, 2007; 13 (Supplement): 1-81pp

@ www.simplivia.com

info@simplivia.com

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Table of Contents

Internal Affairs 2nd EPSA Team Meeting ........................................................................................................ 6 Liaison Secretary Day ............................................................................................................. 7 16th EPSA Autumn Assembly ................................................................................................ 8 Meet me Fair............................................................................................................................ 10 Alumni Weekend ..................................................................................................................... 11 Vaccination in the era of misinformation - from complexity to value........................................... 12 Visiting Members .................................................................................................................... 14

Education EPSA Public Health Campaigns and Social Services.............................................................. 16 Educational Chronicles ......................................................................................................... 18 EPSA Science Day................................................................................................................. 20 Trainers on Tour...................................................................................................................... 22 RxEPSA................................................................................................................................. 24 EPSA Symposium Powered by Young Professionals............................................................... 25

External Relations EPSA Advocacy Initiatives .................................................................................................. 26 EPSA Annual Reception ..................................................................................................... 28 EPSA IFISO Meeting........................................................................................................... 29 EPSA Individual Mobility Project........................................................................................... 31 EPSA Twinnet Project......................................................................................................... 32 Continued Professional Development with EPSA ............................................................... 34 External Representations..................................................................................................... 36

#WeAreEPSA ..................................................................................................................... 38 Map of Europe.................................................................................................................... 40 Executive Contacts............................................................................................................. 42

Internal Affairs

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association

Editor’s words Dear readers, It is my great pleasure to present to you the second edition of the EPSA Newsletter for the 2019/2020 mandate. Find a comfortable place, take your time, and sail through the untold stories of EPSA written in this publication. In past months, together in EPSA, we had done remarkable work while bringing knowledge, pharmacy, and students together. Driven by thoughts about all the achievements we reached and great experiences we had, I decided to sum up all the projects, initiatives, and opportunities EPSA provides to pharmaceutical students across Europe and showcase them in this newsletter’s edition. You might say an impossible task, but one that we choose to take on nonetheless. Within these pages, you will find articles about the EPSA policy initiatives, students’ exchanges, educational projects, and external activities while discovering more about this year’s EPSA Annual Reception, 16th EPSA Autumn Assembly and newly established projects in EPSA: RxEPSA, EPSA Symposium powered by young professionals and Educational Chronicles. If you are up to my recommendations, then for sure, you won’t skip reading articles about continuous professional development with EPSA and tremendous work the EPSA Members have been doing in the Map of Europe. In the end, I would like to thank all contributors to this edition of the Newsletter: EPSA Team, Liaison Secretaries, EPSA Trainers, external writers, and my dear Public Relations Department and Editorial Board for their arduous efforts. I wish you all a fruitful reading! Until the next edition, Sanja Aleksić Vice President of Public Relations 2019/2020

www.epsa-online.org | @EPSA_Online

Internal Affairs

Presidential words Dear readers, I would like to warmly welcome you to our 2nd edition of the EPSA Newsletter for the mandate 2019/2020. This edition will be disseminated during our EPSA Annual Reception, an excellent EPSA Event which I hope you managed to attend. In the last few months, EPSA had its 16th Autumn Assembly in PoreÄ&#x2021;, Croatia, an event that gathered over 350 participants: students, professionals and many more. I am happy to say that the outcomes of it were great, which you can read more about on our website. Since then, we also held lots of projects and activities from the EPSA portfolio. We are happy to engage more and more with our members through education, mobility and advocacy, which you can read about more in the following pages. The EPSA Team has been working hard, especially the European Department, to prepare the Annual Reception and the hard work will pay off soon! I hope that the discussions will lead to a leap forward, not only for EPSA, but for the whole pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. This is by inspiring the next generation of pharmaceutical professionals into doing great things, while also inspiring the actual stakeholders in making decisions to help our profession and the system. Half of the mandate has passed already and EPSA has already achieved a lot , on this I can only say how proud I am for the Team that is working hard, for the Members that are being involved and for our partners that are contributing. Based on this and much more, I invite you to read our 2nd edition of the EPSA Newsletter for the mandate 2019/2020.

Yours in EPSA, Mihai NiČ&#x203A;oiu President 2019-2020

Internal Affairs

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association

2nd EPSA Team 2019/2020 Meeting The EPSA Team gets together at least 6 times a year to have what we call Team Meetings. Here, we discuss our projects and portfolios as well as their future and share feedback. The 2nd EPSA Team Meeting happened right before the 16th EPSA Autumn Assembly, it took place in Zagreb over the weekend. The Team Meeting always starts with greeting and meeting the people behind all the emails we receive while working. It is great to see the Team, because it boosts your motivation and pushes you to do more for our students. The 2nd EPSA Team Meeting was hosted by CPSA Croatia who arranged a hostel, rooms, helped with the food and pointed out some fun activities the EPSA Team could do, such as bowling and game night at the hostel. Some LSs who were already in Zagreb joined us during the Team Meeting and during these activities. In the end, we managed to discuss important matters, evaluate our progress, meet the Team we work with throughout the year and some of our member’s representatives which was exciting and productive as usual. All we had to do Tuesday morning was catch a bus for the 16th EPSA Autumn Assembly in Poreč Croatia, but that’s another story.

Bernardo Marinheiro

Vice President of Internal Affairs 2019/2020

I believe one of the most inconvenient aspects of being part of a remote team is that you don’t really get to see those people a lot. Of course, one might argue that technology nowadays brought us to the point where we have plenty of alternatives to overcome this issue of distance, however, I believe face to face communication still remains the most productive and fruitful forms of human interaction. Therefore, Live Team Meetings for a remote team are super important assets and should never be underestimated. Regarding the 2nd EPSA Team Meeting, we took advantage of this opportunity to shed more light on our projects and work and, ultimately, we brainstormed together on certain directions which we should follow in order to achieve our desired outcomes. However, being a team with such a numerous amount of members, it is expected the Team Meetings to be very intense and last super long. And that was indeed the case. Sometimes it is hard to follow everything and be proactive in the discussions, due to exhaustion and focus fluctuation, but I took it as a challenge and tried to always push my capabilities further. Moreover, since the 2nd Team Meeting is followed by the Autumn Assembly, I had the chance to participate in the LS day and meet our EPSA LSs. I felt like the activities and games in which the EPSA Team Members and LSs were involved together created a stronger bond between us, which I believe was very beneficial for our future collaboration. In conclusion, the 2nd EPSA Team Meeting has been a very beneficial experience which had very fruitful outcomes related to the cohesion and productivity of the team!

Ciprian Chiriță

Professional Affairs Coordinator 2019-2020

www.epsa-online.org | @EPSA_Online

Internal Affairs

Liaison Secretary Day Two tired Irish bodies arrived in Zagreb on a dark Sunday night after a long day of travelling. We checked into the hostel and dropped our bags at last. We looked around, introduced ourselves to a few people and went to bed. We awoke early and to meet the crowd that was walking to the LS Day location. This was my first proper interaction with anyone in EPSA, and I was excited. I had no idea what to expect from the day ahead. However, it became very clear, very quickly that this was one of the nicest bunches of people I had ever met. The day began with simple networking games to get people to know one another. Yet, the main challenge that day was to get

us to shut up rather than to get us talking. I had the chance to chat with not only my LS colleagues but also a lot of the EPSA team members, which really set me up for the big week that was to follow. I was overwhelmed with the kindness of my colleagues and we had a lot of fun from the offset. As we were told to be quiet yet again, we began the more educational aspect of the day. We were taught about soft skills and how to apply them to our own lives and associations. We were given the opportunity to discuss with one another, give feedback and even give feedback on feedback. I think everyone will agree that we learned a lot that day from the trainers and especially from each other.

Then the games began to finish off the day. I am glad to announce my team won even though some other teams may disagree, we did amazing (well done Marko and Jasmin!). We learned loads about EPSA and had a lot of “craic” doing it. LS Day was a highlight of my Autumn Assembly! Love my fellow LS’s and see you all soon!!

It is my second mandate as LS, but this was the first LS Day I attended.

the day, we knew how to both provide and receive feedback, the importance of which I would very much like to underline.

I would like to thank everyone for making this day special for me, I am thankful for everything I learned and the people I met and I definitely feel way closer to EPSA and the Team now!

Both new and old faces, I was thrilled to see everyone there for our special Day! And, indeed, it was a day dedicated to us LSs. A day, during which I, personally, felt the EPSA spirit more than ever before! The morning ice-breaking games and the trainings were amazing, we networked and polished our soft skills in a fun and interactive way (kudos to our beloved EPSA Trainers!). I learned a lot about my fellow LSs, I was excited to see how engaged and active everyone was, and this motivated me to provide my input and opinion. There was no judging, every opinion was respected and appreciated and at the end of the first half of

The second part of the day was dedicated to the communication of LSs with the Team Members. After a couple of very interesting and informative workshops on EPSA Event organising and the EU institutions, bonding activities followed. And that was the peak of the day for me! Everyone was laughing and discussing, we were really acting like a big family and the atmosphere was so warm! This warm atmosphere followed us for the rest of the day, while we were all playing bowling (The one skill I failed to improve during this day!) and later on at karaoke night.

Dylan Burke

Liaison Secretary for IPSA, Ireland

Take care and hope to see you all somewhere around Europe!

Mavina Tsatsalidi

Liaison Secretary for GPSF, Greece

Events

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association

16th EPSA Autumn Assembly The 16th Autumn Assembly took place from the 29th of October until the 3rd of November. During these days, about 350 students came together in Poreč, Croatia, to CROnnect with each other.

An educational program was set up by the Reception Committee and EPSA’s educational department consisting of two mornings of symposiums on biological treatments with several high level speakers. Furthermore; workshops, trainings, a live public health campaign and a science excursion were organized for participants. In the evening, participants had the opportunity to meet each other during the social program. After the first night’s opening-ceremony on Wednesday, it was time for a ‘heroes and villains’ themed evening. On the third day we had the opportunity to explore Poreč during the sightseeing and in the evening we tested our knowledge on the cuisines of different countries during international night. We had the opportunity to experience some Croatian style during Croatian night on Friday and the congress was concluded as usual with a gala on Saturday. Concluding this, I want to congratulate the Reception Committee, Helping Team and the EPSA team for their work to make this event a successful one. The determination of the Reception Committee made it possible to bring an outstanding number of participants and sponsors to contribute to this event. I hope to see a lot of participants, and new faces, again at the Annual Congress in Lyon!

Anne Smit

Events Coordinator 2019-2020

www.epsa-online.org | @EPSA_Online

In October I got the opportunity to join the EPSA Autumn Assembly. The EPSA Annual Congress of 2018 in Baarlo, the Netherlands, where I was part of the Helping Team, was my first EPSA experience. This congress was my second EPSA congress and I was very excited to be able to join the EPSA AA as a participant. I was very happy to see some familiar faces after arrival and to get a very warm welcome from the Helping Team. This evening we got the chance to socialize and to enjoy the opening ceremony and party. During the mornings of the first and second day we got the chance to learn about biotechnology during a very interesting symposium. We got the opportunity to ask questions and to discuss about the future of this field. It was very interesting to learn about the vision of experts in this field and to discuss it with other students. The other days we could choose from very broad spectrum of workshops and trainings. It was an outstanding educational program where I gained many hard skills as well as several soft skills. I also really enjoyed being able to discuss the educational outcomes with other students. On Thursday it was time to see sites in Poreč. We got a guided tour through Poreč and learned about the rich history of Poreč. Last but not least, we really enjoyed the social program and the food during the whole congress which was absolutely outstanding. I got to know many fellow students from all over Europe and got many new friends after this EPSA congress. Altogether, the congress was great, and we had an unforgettable week.

Elvira den Hertog

K.N.P.S..V. President

Events

Internal Affairs

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association

Meet Me Fair The EPSA Meet Me Fair is a session at EPSA Autumn Assembly during which EPSA Member Associations’ present themselves, their structure, project, and activities with a poster/flyers/stickers to all students interested in knowing more about European associations and international opportunities. “The Meet me fair project was a great opportunity to learn more about European countries and the focus areas each Pharmacy student association had chosen to enlighten. In my association, SOP, we kept the presentation subtle and minimalistic by simply showing our Instagram page activity and a printed overview of SOPs work areas, events and positions. People from other associations showed interest in our pharmaceutical faculty’s activities and traditions. The one tradition that created excitement and publicity, was the painting of the lab coats and the “belonging routines” by the older students for freshmen students. Most of the other countries had made promotional material in the form of posters, flags, pins and even small goody bags with chocolates. That was totally another level of dedication and pinning their countries and associations to the rest of EPSA. Enthusiasm, openness and interest in other cultures was undoubtedly the driving force of the meet me fair project.”

Jasmin Farshch

Liaison Secretary for SOP, Denmark

“The Meet Me Fair represents an incredible opportunity to get in touch with other Member Associations from all around Europe. Major advantage of the Meet Me Fair is that you are able to connect and exchange information with other associations on the spot, in person, which is ultimately much more beneficial than doing so online. By participating in the Meet Me Fair I was able to learn from other members, as well as present my own association, in a very relaxing, easy-going atmosphere and I got to hear about other members’ projects, advocacy work, initiatives, etc., whilst networking along the way. This is what makes Meet Me Fair an ideal platform for connecting with students all around Europe - I cannot recommend It enough!”

Rijad Šerak

Liaison Secretary for SAFF, Bosnia and Hercegovina Chairperson of the17th EPSA Autumn Assembly

www.epsa-online.org | @EPSA_Online

Internal Affairs

Alumni Weekend at 16th EPSA Autumn Assembly During each EPSA Annual Congress and Autumn Assembly, the Alumni Weekend simultaneously takes place, joining together people who have been an active part of EPSA in the past years and now wish to see old friends and reconnect with the spirit of EPSA that keeps burning inside them. The recent Alumni Weekend took place in Poreč, Croatia between the 31st of October and 3rd of November 2019. We had the pleasure to host seven Alumni, two of whom even attended the Pre-Congress Tour, from three different countries and various professional fields. Throughout the days we all enjoyed an Alumni Dinner, adventurous outdoor activities, rich wine tasting and social programme of the 16th EPSA Autumn Assembly, but let’s hear more from a first-time Alumni Weekend attendee, Laura! Nejc Klopčič

Alumni Coordinator 2019/2020

After my discharge from the EPSA Team in April, I grabbed the first possible opportunity to join the EPSA Dinosaur Club (aka the Alumni Group) in Poreč during the 16th Autumn Assembly. It wasn’t your typical Alumni Weekend I guess, because the most famous dinosaurs decided not to travel to the far-away land of Poreč. A new species joined though, in the form of two Italian Alumni, who could tell us stories about EPSA from long, long ago. Viktor, the Alumni Officer of the RC, had the honourable task of managing two Slovenians, two Italians, three Dutchies, and Nejc the Alumni Coordinator through the programme that started with the Alumni Meeting on Thursday Evening. We enjoyed some beers in the hotel lobby whilst being informed of the programme of the weekend and the Alumni Project in general. After dinner, which in my humble opinion must be one of the best ‘regular’ dinners during EPSA Events ever, it was time for International Night (IN). To my greatest pleasure, the Italians brought prosecco, and the huge German delegation (hats off to BPhD for gathering so many new recruits!) must’ve had about 3 kilos of gummy bears. Obviously a 10/10 success! On Friday we went to an Adrenaline Park. Without the Slovenians, who apparently overplayed their hand during IN and couldn’t handle the thought of an adrenaline park and stayed behind in the hotel. At the park, the owner, who’s mental health I questioned a couple of times that day, in one breath offered us shots and explained that we’d all start the afternoon in “The Catapult”. Now this sounds like a terrible idea when you’re hungover, but actually it was quite fun and sure got our adrenaline going! Afterwards, there was some tree-top fun with ziplines that might slightly exceed the speed limits for ziplines, but sure. After a quick change of clothes, we went to Alumni Dinner. We had great food, a fair amount of pink sparkly wine because everyone felt really in-sync with their femininity, and lovely company in a gorgeous location! The night ended with a questionable car-ride to the club, where we enjoyed the afterparty of Croatian Night. On Saturday we had a wine tasting to attend, and the host enthusiastically told us all these amazing facts about his wines, the vineyard, and the country (I suppose. It was all in Croatian) and provided us with snacks and a complimentary rakija at the end. The gala night traditionally closes off the programme. The food at the hotel was really great, but for gala night the Alumni would’ve enjoyed a seated dinner instead of a buffet. Unfortunately, we found no-one willing to pay Nejc to serve our food, so we had to go grab it ourselves. What I remember best from the gala itself is that multiple people had decided that buying a bottle of wine for yourself is nice and efficient. Being Dutch means that I love this efficient thinking, so I did the same. Laura Mulder EPSA Alumna

Internal Affairs

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association

Vaccination in the era of misinformation - from complexity to value During recent 16th EPSA Autumn Assembly in Porec Croatia, our students - “generation Z” could debate the digital transformation of pharma profession and the challenges in promoting knowledge and reliable sources of information over social media. The debate started with background information about manufacturing complexity and explanations regarding technology standing behind production of vaccines. In the second part, students were enrolled in an exceptional fake news online game from Dutch scientists to see how effective they are in tackling medical fake news and misinformation. During the last part of the session, interactive panel session with experts in healthcare policies and immunization programs, as well as industry representatives took place.

We were hosting various experts from governmental bodies such as: Siniša Varga - Member of Croatian Parliament and WHO Consultant for Healthcare, Dr Vladimir Draženović - Director of the WHO Centre for Influenza in Public Health Institute in Croatia and Zvonimir Mlinarić - pharmacy student.

Dr Vladimir Draženović, Director of the WHO Centre for Influenza in Public Health Institute in Croatia agreed to answer a couple of burning questions about the challenges in reaching European goals for vaccination coverage. EPSA: Many of the anti-vaccination parents are well educated and affluent. Why do you think that there is such fertile ground for anti-vaccination theories? Dr Vladimir Draženović: In those days, there was a big concern in public because of climate changes as well as pollution in the environment. People are afraid of pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics and any kinds of chemicals. And then you have a Vaccine which you apply more than ten times on babies in their first year of age. They cannot manage all this data and this constitutes a very fertile ground for all kinds of misunderstanding.

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Internal Affairs

EPSA: Do you think it’s quite easy for the general society and especially parents to exempt themselves or their children from vaccination? Do you think there should be a policy for not accomplishing a certain minimal set of vaccinations for children in kindergarten? Dr Vladimir Draženović: First of all, there is a right of a child to health and then there is the right of parents to have free will. And then there is social responsibility for other children who cannot be vaccinated because of real medical conditions. Vaccination is first individual protection but if we don’t think about collective immunity we will become a society of selfish individuals. EPSA: What can pharmacists do in order to increase trust in vaccination? Dr Vladimir Draženović: Healthcare Professionals play a central role in Vaccine promotion. The biggest problem however is that many of us truly don’t believe in the idea of vaccination and then we don’t transfer it in the right way to the public. There is a big role pharmacists play in Vaccine promotion because they are in the front row of the medical system and people have easy access to them. First of all they must start with vaccination against influenza in pharmacies and they will gain public trust in other issues regarding vaccination in general. There is, of course, a need to have appropriate education in studies regarding vaccination.

EPSA Team aims to provide members with high-level perspectives on vaccines production as well as hesitancy problems and equip pharmaceutical students across Europe in arguments to further diseminate the facts and values behind vaccination.

Internal Affairs

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association

Visiting EPSA Members ASFRM Congress “Drug and Pharmacist: News and Perspectives”, The Republic of Moldova The Pharmaceutical Students’ Association from The Republic of Moldova (ASFRM) organised the second Congress of the Pharmaceutical Faculty based on the following topic: “Drug and Pharmacist: News and Perspectives” which took place between 11th -14th of November 2019. This event aimed to initiate and develop the research and practical skills of the 120 students and future young professionals in the field of pharmacy. It included keynote conferences, workshops held by local teachers and invited teachers from abroad and also two training sessions, held by EPSA Trainers. Throughout the congress, the Reception Committee provided a unique social program, capitalising on traditions and customs of the Republic of Moldova. I strongly recommend you to attend the next edition of this congress, because it is a good opportunity to present your research in front of a qualified jury and to meet nice and

Mihaela Giuvelea-Tilici

Design Coordinator 2019-2020

IX APEF ATP, Portugal In the beginning of September 2019, I had a chance to represent EPSA at IX APEF ATP in lovely Lisbon, Portugal and deliver EPSA presentation on our projects and activities and as well to deliver Trainings. Thanks to Matilde Machado, the LS for APEF, I had a chance to bring not only EPSA and its spirit to participants, but also EPSA Training Project. APEF organised this September their IX ATP which aims to bring soft skills to international students in a span of several days each calendar year. EPSA Trainers were given a chance to deliver parallel sessions and in total we delivered 13 Trainings throughout the whole event. Moreover, hosts prepared an amazing social programme, which included sightseeing, treasure hunt, movie evenings and lots of sports and dance activities! I enjoyed being a part of the team and bringing our Training Project closer to all participants. Further, I am thankful of my EPSA Trainers who were there as well, João Anastácio, Beatriz Nobre and Tiago Rodrigues! Marko Ocokoljić

Vice President of Education 2019-2020

Education

European Pharmaceutical Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association

EPSA Public Health Campaigns and Social Services Last three months, EPSA has been focused on several public health topics. Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, World Pharmacist Day, Immunization weeks, Antibiotic Awareness Week and World Aids Day were tackled by EPSA. During September, EPSA focused on Childhood Cancer which was in cooperation with The European Society for Paediatric Oncology and here we raised awareness by highlighting the subject. On World Pharmacist Day, EPSA informed the public about the various possibilities which a pharmacist can develop into professionally. Two weeks later, Immunization week was promoted in which pharmacistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role in vaccination promotion and delivery were highlighted. There was a live campaign which EPSA took part in at the 16th EPSA Autumn Assembly, concerning monitoring of health conditions. After this event, World Antibiotic Awareness week was done by EPSA. Here, the problem of antimicrobial resistance was mapped and also new therapies on how to tackle this later. In December, World AIDS day was organized, liaising with IPSF, we raised awareness on the power of communities and promoted prevention.

Social Services were kicked off in September with saving water and energy campaign. Infographics were spread in which several tips were given on how to save energy and water. In October, green transport week was organized by EPSA. To promote sustainable and green transport, a survey was launched which students would fill out every time they use a sustainable form of transport. During theAutumn Assembly, a social service was organized by the Reception Committee and EPSA to raise funds and to collect needed materials for an elderly home.

www.epsa-online.org | @EPSA_Online

Education

Our members delivered several Public Health campaigns and Social Services. FASFR, Romania delivered “fight the flu” on raising awareness to differentiate flu from a cold, myths and prevention. This campaign was done online and live by FASFR. AFÖP, Austria organised a Teddy bear hospital in October. They visited 350 children from age 4 – 8 in kindergarten. They partnered up with the national Medical Students’ Association for this campaign. Their outcome was children being less afraid of hospital visits, even preparing them some food.

ANEPF, France vaccinated their own students against flu during their general assembly. These vaccinations were carried out by pharmacy students and 118 students were vaccinated against influenza. AEFFUL,Portugal also did a live campaign on flu. They provided materials to promote awareness on this topic. PPSA, Poland organised a national campaign called “consult the pharmacist.” Here they visited shopping centres and put up a stand to measure vitals and talk about diabetes and hypertension. They also explained to the public the difference between medicines, diet supplements and medicinal herbs. SPSA, Slovakia shared sweets on World Pharmacists Day, did a live campaign on Movember by raising awareness about prostate and testicular cancer in a local mall. They also did an antiAIDS campaign were they shared mulled wine and condoms. VFSO, Belgium organised an online campaign on antibiotic awareness where they took pictures from medical and pharmacy students. SSFB, Romania organised a blood donation in a transfusion center where they collected blood that will help save 90 lives. MUPSA, Turkey also organised a campaign on Movember and delivered brochures, as well as using banners to create awareness.

Michael Vranken

Public Health and Social Services Coordinator 2019-2020

Education

European Pharmaceutical Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association

Educational Chronicles One of EPSAs main pillars has and always will be EDUCATION. For this reason, EPSA has always been a pioneer in showcasing the most contemporary and significant matters in the world of pharmacy to pharmaceutical students of europe. For this reason, EPSA has been offering amazing opportunities for students to engage in the journey of lifelong learning and continuous professional development. Historically speaking, pharmacy as a discipline combined science and art, but has evolved, changed and adapted with the needs of the global population. This is due to new knowledge and scientific advancements, from drug design and development to data analysis, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Community pharmacy, clinical pharmacy, ambulatory pharmacy, compounding pharmacy, industrial pharmacy, regulatory pharmacy - the list goes on. There are countless adjectives which pair perfectly with the word pharmacy, and yet we gain countless opportunities to perceive pharmacy in that particular aspect. This is why pharmacy is a sophisticated synergy of life sciences, health sciences as well as social sciences and in one word is simply unique. Taking this into account, it is easy to assume the versatile aspects of the world of pharmacy have become simplified. However, it is not so easy to find out more about what it really takes to pursue the field of pharmacy which we are most passionate about. This is something EPSA has recognised and therefore launched a brand new project - Educational Chronicles, which shall take you on a journey of lifelong learning. Continuous professional development and learning more about the necessary education for a soon-to-be pharmacist to pursue a meaningful career will help you understand what it takes to pursue your ideal career. Together we shall create our own lifelong learning journey and take charge of our own education, shaping our own unique story in the process! This project is designed as a series of Online Activities, but with slight alterations to the usual format. We want to focus on what EPSA believe pharmaceutical students lack in certain pharmaceutical fields through short, yet informative presentations. These will be delivered by a pharmacist working in the respective pharmaceutical field, whilst also collaborating with many of EPSAs partners who are supporting our cause. At the same time, we would like to offer a platform for the European pharmaceutical students to ask, and most importantly acquire the relevant information about the pharmaceutical field, which ignites and stimulates their curiosity.

www.epsa-online.org | @EPSA_Online

Education

This journey consists of six Chapters, with two of them having already been completed. On November 21st, this project kicked off with Chapter 1, which was done in collaboration with ACRP (Association for Clinical Research Professionals) and EUFEPS (European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences). This aimed to establish a connection and create a triangle between academia, research and clinical trials. Chapter 2 happened on December 5th with the primary focus on applying a systematic approach to drug information enquiries in a hospital pharmacy environment, while collaborating with EAHP (European Association of Hospital Pharmacists). To increase the educational value of the topic, we decided to combine this with Chat with Professionals and connect it with the legal and regulatory framework of drug information. This also raised awareness of the Falsified Medicines Directive, where our speaker was a representative of the European Commission. As much as the pharmaceutical curricula is shaping pharmaceutical students for a career in community pharmacy, what is the European perspective on innovations happening in this field? On the other hand, clinical pharmacy has been developing and gaining well deserved recognition. So what does the future hold? What will the Pharmacy of Tomorrow look like? Chapter 3 will hope to address these questions on December 23rd! Curious about the remaining Chapters? Well, as the greatest stories require time to be written and captivate the audience with suspense, so to does education requires dedication and patience. Stefan GrgiÄ&#x2021;

Educational Affairs Coordinator 2019-2020

Education

European Pharmaceutical Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association

EPSA Science Day Have you spent countless hours in the lab performing research and even more behind your computer investigating the data and writing everything down? Do you want to show off what conclusions you have been able to draw and maybe inspire the next generation of young researchers? Do you like accepting challenges? If you said yes to any of those questions continue reading to learn more about an amazing opportunity that is coming during the 43rd EPSA Annual Congress in Lyon, France. EPSA Science Day is a long-running project within the science portfolio with an eleventh edition which took place last year. Over the years, it became an inseparable part of the educational programme of each EPSA Annual Congress and prestigious competition among pharmaceutical students. The participants have the opportunity to take part in oral and poster presentations sections. Each section is special in its own way and requires a different approach. During the oral presentation, the participants have ten minutes to present their research with the help of a PowerPoint presentation, during which the main goal is to take the audience from the initial idea to results. The challenge is in presenting to a large audience in a limited amount of time. Each presentation is succeeded by five-minute-long discussion when the members of the jury or the audience can ask anything about the presented research. The poster presentation is different. This time the participants are not limited by the time but by the size of the poster as the participants need to fit everything about the research from introduction to the conclusion. The members of the jury and the rest of the audience can freely go from poster to poster and discuss the research with the researchers themselves for as

What is essential for participants in both sections is a thorough knowledge of the performed research. You have to be able to engage in discussion and present the importance and implications of the results. Also when you have a strong background knowledge, you will be more confident when standing in front of the audience. As mentioned both sections have a jury consisted of a professional from EUFEPS (European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences), local researcher and EPSA Science Coordinator. Each participant is provided with feedback from the jury about the presentation and research itself. On top of this, the participants are encouraged to approach the members of the jury after the Science Day presentations itself to ask them for additional feedback about their presentation and quality of the research. The jury also picks the best presentation from each section and the winner is awarded with a valuable prize and an interview about the research in the next edition of EPSA Newsletter as well as publishing their abstract in next edition of EPSA Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Scientific Publication.

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Education

EPSA Science Day in an amazing opportunity to experience the thrill of presenting scientific research and engage in a discussion with professionals and student audience. At the same time you will see what research pharmaceutical students all across Europe are doing and even might get inspired by it. But the most important thing is that EPSA Science Day is a great way to meet new friends who are enthusiastic about science the same way you are. If all of this sounds interesting for you do not hesitate anymore and sign up for the 12th Science Day that will take place during the 43rd EPSA Annual Congress that will be in Lyon, France. The process of registration is You have to submit the title of your research and abstract over the EPSA website to become an official participant of EPSA Science Day. Before the EPSA AC itself the participants will have an opportunity to take part in an online webinar focused on the art of public speaking and effective presentation. On top of this, they can approach the EPSA Science Coordinator and ask for feedback or help during preparation for the presentation. If you want to learn what participants of the last Science Day think about this experience, go to EPSA Science Blog where you can read their testimonials or the previous edition of EPSA Newsletter where you can find an interview with both winners of the 11th EPSA Science Day. On EPSA Science Blog you can also find articles about essential skills for researchers like how to read a scientific article, how to write scientific abstracts and how to present research so you will be well prepared for the big day when you will come in front of the audience and present your research. Josef Kunrt

Science Coordinator 2019-2020

Education

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association

Trainers on Tour In the month of April, I attended the Trainers’ Forum Conference, which is the biggest networking event for soft skills trainers in Europe. In its scope, I got to deliver my very first trainers-to-trainers session, entitled ‘’How to tell a story with your training’’. During the session, my co-trainer from BEST (Board of European Students of Technology) and I led our participants through an exploration of how to use the elements of storytelling in order to elevate learning. The session was well-received among the participants (who included a couple of professional trainers) and gave me a boost to further explore advanced trainers’ education. Katja Olenik EPSA Trainer

In March of 2019, I had a wonderful opportunity to deliver 6 hours of Trainings to AFÖP Board at their National Seminar in Vienna, Austria, with the aim of improving their skills and management of the Association and overall projects and activities. It was without doubt one of the most impactful experiences I had as a Trainer. Thank you AFÖP. Marko Ocokoljić

Vice President of Education 2019/2020

Trainers on tour, May 2019. The beautiful experience took me and my buddy Stefan to various countries. A memory I’m very fond of is Inspiration training in Sofia, Bulgaria. We aimed to discover what is the inner spirit that drives us all forward. For me, this was an unforgettable experience of self-revelation and human integrity. David Brychta EPSA Trainer

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Education

The month of November was the start of my Trainer path. I delivered for the first time in an EPSA Event, together with my mentor, at the Autumn Assembly in Porec where I discovered that being a Trainer means more than deliveries - it is a lifestyle. Then I had the amazing opportunity of designing 3 sessions, along with my colleague Ciprian, for the Congress of ASFRM, in Chișinău, Moldavia. For a young Trainer like me, this extremely challenging and rewarding experience presents the needed motivation and enthusiasm for building a future career. Ioana Pețenchiu

EPSA Trainer

Since becoming an EPSA Trainer, I have delivered soft skills trainings in many European countries, including at the Congress of CPSA Croatia in Zagreb. The training focused on leadership, different styles of leading and how team dynamics look like under each of those. The training was successful thanks to proactive and interested Croatian pharmaceutical students! Tilen Kozole

Vice President of European Affairs 2019/2020

I have delivered at several EPSA events since I became a trainer. My last two international training experiences were at the NPSW Basel (National Pharmacist Students Weekend) in the month of October, where I delivered with my mentor a Communication and Feedback training. Directly from Basel my journey continued to the EPSA Autumn Assembly in Poreč, where we discuss with participants about Conflict Management strategies. With every training, not only participants but also trainers are learning and growing. This is why I always try to deliver new topics. Jana Leskovska

EPSA Trainer

During my EPSA Trainer career, I delivered at several international events. These included two IPSF World Congresses in Taiwan and Mendoza, Slovenian Motivational Weekend, and a field trip and two NAPSer Congresses in Serbia. The last trainings I delivered were at the Summer University in Portorož, which was actually my first EPSA congress delivery since becoming a trainer. I usually delivered my favorite topic Presentation Skills, but also delivered other topics. I find it more comfortable to deliver in English to foreign students! Bruno Rački

EPSA Trainer

Education

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association

RxEPSA When I got the email about RxEPSA, I immediately saw it as a way to challenge myself and share an idea at the same time. I signed myself up, got to work on my presentation and developing the idea I had. The event went brilliantly! I did my talk, we discussed the idea after and it was amazing to speak with so many like-minded people. My favourite part was hearing all the ideas from the other speakers and listening to them share their experiences. It was an amazing event and I can’t wait for the next one! Eva Shannon Schiffrer

Immediate Past President (IPP) 2019-2020 Honorary Life Member (HLM)

As this was my first EPSA event, I decided to get involved as much as possible and take every opportunity which was offered to me. Therefore when RxEPSA gave me the opportunity to talk about a topic which we all struggle with (finding the thing we’re passionate about), I didn’t hesitate to apply! Jagraj Thandi

BPSA, The UK Participant at the 16th EPSA Autumn Assembly

I am very happy and grateful to EPSA for the opportunity to take part in RxEPSA. I have never had an opportunity to share my experience in such a format before so it was definitely challenging but also rewarding. Public speaking and communication skills are crucial for any healthcare professional and this event helped me develop mine. I also enjoyed the discussion with the participants afterwards which inspired me further and allowed us to share ideas and experiences. I recommend taking part in such activities for all pharmaceutical students. Dylan Burke

Liaison Secretary for IPSA, Ireland

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Education

EPSA Symposium Powered by Young Professionals Participation in the symposium “Powered by young professionals” is a unique chance to educate your colleagues and develop yourself as a person. My experience as a hospital pharmacist had taught me many things that are not on any university curriculum. I found it rewarding being able to give others an insight into my role and answer questions that will assist others in making their career choices. I would encourage anyone to apply who has experience in an area of practice/research. You will grow in confidence and have the opportunity to trial your presentation/ soft skills in a supportive environment. I feel this is fundamental for driving our profession forward and taking others with you along the way. Robert Oakley

BPSA, The UK Participant at 16 EPSA Autumn Assembly

When I first saw the email to present at the Autumn Assembly Symposium to 350 delegates, I was very nervous and was initially not going to apply. I had never presented in front of a large group of people or even talked for a full 10 minutes before! So there was a lot of selfdoubt before I finally decided that I may not get an opportunity to do this again and finally hit the application submit button. Huge thanks to Marko Ocokoljić (VP of Education) for organising this talk and for giving students the opportunity to actively engage in the symposium programme as a speaker. The amount of preparation which was involved for this talk gave me a newfound respect for lecturers and academics, as I needed to ensure the information I was providing to 350 delegates was current and accurate. Sitting in the audience shortly before my talk and listening to talks from Marko Skelin, Petra Wicklandt, Siniša Varga, Maja Šerčič and Arijana Meštrvić, my only thought was “how on earth do I follow that talk?” However, I soon learned that it takes many presentations to build that level of confidence and it only happens through making mistakes and learning from them. I vividly remember Marko Skelin pulling me aside to give me positive and constructive feedback before I entered his workshop after my talk. This was overall a great opportunity to present in front of a large international delegation and I look forward to presenting at EPSA events in the future. Jagraj Thandi

BPSA, The UK, Participant at 16th EPSA Autumn Assembly

External Relations

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association

EPSA Advocacy Initiatives EPSA aims to collaborate with professional and students’ organisations to showcase the current state of European pharmaceutical students and to represent their voice to stakeholders throughout Europe. EPSA has been present in Brussels actively for more than a decade. This year we are represented in Brussels by 8 EPSA Team members who work part-time at seven internships-providers. These internship organisations include PGEU (Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union), EAHP (European Association of Hospital Pharmacists), AESGP (Association of the European Self-care Industry), Medicines for Europe, EFPIA (European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations), SIOPE (the European Society for Paediatric Oncology) and DIA (Drug Information Agency). With these EPSA Team members in Brussels, EPSA is represented externally at different events, particularly those of European institutions and different stakeholders. This enables EPSA to represent the voice of over 100,000 European pharmaceutical students on matters that are interesting and vital to them. EPSA has established Educational and Professional Affairs Advocacy Platform where representatives of EPSA Member Associations express their opinions, steer EPSA’s future directions and exchange good practices among each other. The Platform currently has 50 Representatives across Europe. EPSA has thus created a Policy Newsletter which covers European and national developments that are related to EPSA students, news from EPSA Team members present in Brussels and sharing advocacy initiatives of EPSA Member Associations. Ending 2018 with a release of EPSA Survey Report on Obstacles in Student Mobility, EPSA has been focusing on areas where European pharmaceutical students are confronted with many more obstacles compared to students of other studies in Europe. That has led EPSA to collaborate with other associations which have as a core focus mobility and advocate for it. EPSA has established great collaboration with ESN (Erasmus Student Network) with which we recently released a joint EPSA-ESN position on obstacles in student mobility. Additionally, on the field of education, EPSA has been active in the field of Interprofessional Education (IPE), its current inclusion and lack of it within the curricula and training of healthcare students. EPSA carried out the survey on IPE during the summer of 2019 with almost 500 responses from 32 European countries. In November 2019, EPSA released IPE Report where we showcased the current status of IPE in higher education of pharmaceutical studies. EPSA plans to do the joint work together with EHSAS (the European Healthcare Students’ Associations’ Summit) on the topic by releasing a joint policy document. Furthermore, EPSA was co-organiser of ‘Implementation of One Health in undergraduate education’ in collaboration with professional organisations representing community pharmacists (PGEU), dentists (CED), medical doctors (CPME), and veterinarians (FVE).

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External Relations

In April 2019 EPSA released a Statement of Opinion on eHealth and Digital Skills that was a follow from EPSA Annual Reception 2019. With this, EPSA acknowledged the importance of incorporating the new developments in technology into healthcare and education and summed up the opinion of European pharmaceutical students towards digitalisation. The main outcomes were that current students and recent graduates feel unprepared in terms of digital skills and that eHealth and digital education are missing in the European pharmaceutical curricula. Following this, in September 2019 EPSA released a Position Paper on the topic of eHealth and Digital Skills. This policy document discusses in detail topics like the current situation of digitalisation in healthcare, studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; assessment of their knowledge and attitude towards eHealth and digital skills, the impact of eHealth on patient outcomes and the future of the pharmaceutical curricula and education. The Position is based on a Survey conducted by EPSA in the Autumn of 2017 which collected 587 responses from pharmaceutical students across Europe. One of the major outcomes from the Survey showed that almost 63% of the respondents believe their digital skills are (below) average. EPSA also engaged in Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) highlighting the importance of it by participating in a public health campaign on AMR and by releasing a joint EHSAS Press Release on European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) on the topic.

The Press Release highlighted the problem of AMR as one of the main issues that healthcare is currently facing. EHSAS has set the goal to tackle AMR through its activities and encourages students from different professions to improve the knowledge on the topic through collaboration. EPSA also worked on knowledge and attitudes on vaccination of Young Healthcare Professionals together with MSD. Hereby we evaluated the knowledge of 501 European pharmaceutical students where we assessed that AMR is mostly missing in the curricula in regards to vaccination, as well as that there is a big difference between Eastern and Western parts of Europe in regards to attitude towards pharmacist-delivered vaccination. EPSA has been a strong advocate for European pharmaceutical students on topics of their interest and will continue to do so in the future! Tilen Kozole

Vice President of European Affairs 2019-2020

External Relations

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association

EPSA Annual Reception EPSA Annual Reception is EPSA’s event of excellence held annually in the European Parliament in Brussels. It is a presentation of EPSA’s activities and achievements from 2019 to external bodies such as European institutions, professional organisations, students’ organisations, other stakeholders and EPSA partners, followed by roundtable and panel discussion on a hot topic with questions and answers session. This year, EPSA Annual Reception (AR) is celebrating its 11th edition and happened on 3rd of March 2020. The topic of this year’s AR was “Pharmaceuticals in the Environment” focusing on the role of pharmacists and healthcare professionals. The event was attended by 100 European pharmaceutical students and a dozen of European stakeholders interested in the topic. The event was hosted by Slovene MEP Irena Joveva (Renew Europe) together with a colleague MEP Klemen Grošelj, while the panellists included different healthcare stakeholders with whom EPSA collaborates throughout the year. EPSA Executive decided to focus on this hot topic as it is very relevant and is currently being discussed within the European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) on further actions. EPSA also recognised the topic as our interest as it connects two main fields EPSA advocates in – education and healthcare. The educational and healthcare aspects are hereby intertwined as we see the inclusion of communication and other soft skills in the curricula and training of higher education, as well as assuring health literacy in the general public as the main parts of ensuring appropriate use of pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, EPSA Member Associations have been expressing the wish for EPSA to do more on topics related to the environment and sustainability. The topic is broad and addresses different obstacles: • • • • • •

How do we ensure appropriate use and disposal of pharmaceuticals? How to deal with unused medicines? How to deal with the wastewater filled with active pharmaceuticals and its modifications? What is the connection between pharmaceuticals in the environment and AMR? What role do the healthcare professionals have in addressing this issue? How can we assure appropriate communication skills are put in place to assure appropriate use? What can be done on educational and training level of future healthcare workforce?

European pharmaceutical students as the future cornerstones of healthcare systems are the possible target group for finding solutions that could bring an added value to the safety of the environment and better public health well-being for generations to come. With this Annual Reception, EPSA focused on advocacy work that will be done in the near future in regards to the environment and sustainability, as well as actions to be taken on local, national and European level to assure that the matter is dealt with properly. Additionally, EPSA foresees further work with its engagement in Public Health Campaigns on the topic and assuring the general public will be engaged in the topic. The outcomes of the discussions will be shared with the general public and followed by the discussion at EPSA Online Discussions Forum. Stay tuned! Tilen Kozole

Vice President of European Affairs 2019-2020

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IFISO Meeting EPSA has been an active part of IFISO (Informal Forum of International Students’ Organisations) for the past years and this year we have stepped further – to organise IFISO Annual Meeting in Brussels, Belgium. For that, we hosted incoming students at the EPSA House and at PGEU (Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union) to discuss the matters each of us is interested in. Participating organisations were BEST (students of technology), EGEA (students of geography), ESTIEM (students of industrial engineering and management), IAPS (students of physics), IFMSA (students of medicine), IFSA (students of forestry), ISHA (students of history), IVSA (students of veterinary medicine) and EPSA as the host. Apart from the discussions on internal obstacles each association faces and possible solutions, we discussed the topics that are important to all students’ associations in general and civil society. We have exchanged good practices among associations and overall enjoyed the informal IFISO spirit. Finally, we managed to choose the new informal board of IFISO with 4 members of different associations. EPSA looks forward to further collaborations within IFISO with a meeting in Bucharest, Romania, this spring!

Tilen Kozole

Vice President of European Affairs 2019-2020

External Relations

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External Relations

Individual Mobility Project The Individual Mobility Project (IMP) is one of EPSA’s most popular projects in members’ view, thanks to the unique opportunities it is bringing closer to students and recent graduates. IMP helps to set the starting point for their careers by presenting exclusive offers for internships in international companies. While other EPSA projects and activities are providing students with the necessary tools for their future professional life, IMP is providing the golden gateway they need to go through to reach their long-awaited career debut. The IMP was launched in 2008 as an official EPSA project, with the main aim of giving students and recent graduates the possibility to access paid internships in different pharmaceutical areas, otherwise unavailable or too hard to get in their own countries and based on their resources. Since then, it has been perfected with the help of devoted EPSA coordinators and added advantages have been brought to it. With every new partner collaborating for a position, the project became more and more visible and trustworthy, now counting incredible numbers when looking into its history. Up to this day, 84 placements have been provided to EPSA members in more than 25 European countries. To achieve this, EPSA has been working together with no less than 30 partners. Some of these partners only offered one-time shots, but there were others such as GSK or Fresenius Kabi who have provided EPSA’s students and recent graduates with more than 7 placements until now. In recent years, the IMP has known great recognition and this came hand in hand with increased interest from professional partners to set up new collaborations. In 2017, the project provided placements in a multitude of fields, such as pre-clinical and clinical research, regulatory affairs, market access, policy and pharmacovigilance, with no less than 11 internship calls. In 2018, 8 placements have been distributed to EPSA’s students, while in 2019, 7 internships have been successfully allocated, with the last call closing in early December. Year after year, IMP partners offered a growing range of jobs to both students and recent graduates, resulting in increasing numbers of highly motivated professionals who are responsible and ready to set new standards in the pharmaceutical industry. By following the EPSA motto of bringing pharmacy students together, IMP aims to ease the exchange of experience and culture between students and IMP trainees alike. Throughout the year, using different activities, IMP offers are shared between all EPSA members to show all the opportunities this project provides. For example, Central IMP Coordinator (CIMP) together with National IMP Coordinators (NIMPs) and recent IMP Trainees organized this year the IMP Booth during the Career Fair at the 16th EPSA Autumn Assembly in Poreč, Croatia. After extensive, captivating talks at the IMP Booth, an impressive number of participants were interested in IMP and ready to apply for the next offers. As has been also noticed by one of the participants, it is always better to try and fail rather than not trying at all. In October 2019 a pilot project was started within IMP called IMP Action Groups. Three IMP Action Groups were established: IMP Social Media and Promotion Strategies, Professional Development of the NIMPs and IMP Acquisition. The Action Groups will aim to further develop IMP and exciting new things are on the way! To know more, keep an eye on EPSA’s Social Media channels.

Era Gruda

Central IMP Coordinator 2019/2020

Oana Ciobanu

NIMP Coordinator for FASFR, Romania

Aleksandra Chlebowska

NIMP Coordinator for PPSA, Poland

External Relations

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association

EPSA TWINNET Project FASFR Twinnets FASFR – The Federation of Pharmacy Students’ Associations from Romania has always been fond of mobility projects. The reason itself which stood as the foundation for creating the Federation was the wish to provide students with the opportunity of experiencing different study environments during a one-week exchange in another University than their own. Since 2003, FASFR has organized such national exchanges twice a year, during the InterFarma project. Nevertheless, the need for international collaborations proved to be as significant to Romanian students and new initiatives of doing exchanges abroad have been put in place with the help of EPSA. FASFR’s Member Associations started to get involved in EPSA’s Twinnet project, each year more passionate and determined to put together high-quality programs. These framed the perfect setting to allow participants the transfer of culture, knowledge and experiences through dedicated educational and social activities. In recent years, members’ interest in doing a Twinnet exchange has been higher than ever. During the first half of 2019, three of FASFR’s eight Member Associations have completed exchanges: SSF Bucureşti partnered with ANEPF’s Local Association in Rouen, SSF Iaşi also went for a French experience, hosting and then visiting fellow students from Rennes and last but not least, OSF Cluj-Napoca paired with the Spanish Local Association from Barcelona. “We were delighted! All the activities were well planned and the hosts have been very kind to us.” said one of the Romanian participants this year. FASFR will keep organizing Twinnet exchanges for its students, aligning with EPSA’s vision of ensuring constant exchange of cultural experiences for the benefit of our future professionals whom we are raising together.

Oana Ciobanu

Liaison Secretary for FASFR, Romania

VFSO Twinnets I’m Amber and I’m the mobility coordinator at VFSO Belgium. Therefore I’m responsible for the organisation of the Twinnets and also for the NIMP function. This year we organized the first Twinnets in Belgium. One of them was with Utrecht in the Netherlands. We visited them in the beginning of October for a long weekend from Friday till Sunday. We were with a small group of nine people from Belgium who made the journey from Antwerp to Utrecht. When we arrived in Utrecht we were welcomed by the Dutch and were immediately immersed into the culture by giving us a bike to be able to explore the city. We dropped off our bags and went out for some drinks and got to know each other. We also got to know the Dutch drinking games, beware of if you see Dutch people holding a dice in their hand close to your drink ;). The next day we got to visit a pharmaceutical company called ‘Chipsoft’. Which was very interesting. We also did an EPSA workshop about team work where we had the chance to learn some new things. In the evening we went for some nice pizza and had a lovely evening exploring the nightlife in Utrecht. The next and last day we went to have a boat ride through the little canals of Utrecht and had a lovely brunch on the boat. It was a great Twinnet with new friends and new experiences. Thank you again KNPSV for organizing such a lovely Twinnet! Amber Lesage VFSO, Belgium

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External Relations

HUPSA Twinnets 15 HuPSA members had the chance to experience what it is like to be a student at the Cyprus International University. As soon as we had set foot in Cyprus we felt very welcomed. After these 5 days we were very satisfied culturally, professionally and last but not least gastronomically too. On the first night we tried out how traditional Turkish coffee tastes and we continued the night attending a live concert. The other day we experienced a Meyhane Night, we sat together around a big table, selected mezze from trays and sipped raki while we were getting to know each other. Thanks to the amazingly warm weather we could have night picnics. We also experienced the sunset at the Kyrenia Harbour. These Twinnet will remain unforgettable to all of us and we can’t wait to show Hungary to our CIUPSA friends. Kinga Virág

Liaison Secretary for HuPSA, Hungary

TWINNET In the year 1992, the Group exchange project was established, which was actually also the moment when the basic core of the TWINNET project was done. That time, the main idea was to promote contacts between European pharmacy students and to ease the organisation of excursions to other member countries. As the years went by, the aim of the project turned more into the direction of exchanging knowledge and experiences, with the possibility of visiting each other. Nowadays, through TWINNET we provide pharmacy students from all over Europe the opportunity to exchange culture, knowledge and experience. The project teaches its participants intercultural awareness, to accept responsibility and how to plan and manage a project with a rich educational as well as social programme provided by the hosting group of students. In addition, as EPSA Team, we provide continuous support and information to the TWINNET Coordinators while ensuring a smooth process of the project’s organisation. After each successfully organised project, the participants submit their feedback report, in order to keep the project regularly developing and enhancing. This way, we also guarantee that the TWINNET Coordinators share their experiences between each other.

Crișan CÎmpeanu

Mobility Coordinator 2019-2020

External Relations

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association

Continued Professional Development with EPSA Chat with Professionals Chat with Professionals (CwP) is a great opportunity to directly talk with pharmacy professionals from various fields of pharmacy. It is a unique opportunity to ask the speakers anything you have been wondering throughout your studies, exam periods and internships. What is their current role, what skills and experiences they needed to ‘get the job’, what is their day-to-day work life. The live CwPs takes place twice a year, at the Annual Congress and the Autumn Assembly. The aim is to get to know better past and current work of EPSA Alumni and their progression as young professionals. Live CwP allows students to interact in small groups – on a speed dating basis – with EPSA Alumni and EPSA partner’s organisations’ representatives. Sessions last 10 to 15 minutes and serve as a great opportunity to learn through asking questions, how to pursue a career in a variety of different pharmaceutical fields. Additionally, students gain knowledge on how to build their professional pathway, which aspects are the most important during job interviews, what background is beneficial in different positions. Chat with Professionals Online is an online webinar which every EPSA member can attend. All you need to do is regularly check all of our media tools (website, Facebook, and your mail) for the information. When you are signed up, you receive all the details on when and how to join the online session. So how does the event look like? Well, we strive towards the idea of having an interactive chat, starting with a short presentation of the speaker’s career and field of expertise, where he/she emphasises on certain details regarding how it is like to work in that specific field. They will focus on the importance of the field in the pharmaceutical sector, the tasks which they have to accomplish each day, the collaborations with other institutions

“Live Chat with Professionals at the 16th EPSA Autumn Assembly in Porec was the first one I’ve ever attended so far. I’ve heard about this project a lot before and I was curious about how it looks like in real life. As I expected, the meeting was carried out very smoothly and interestingly. During the CwP I had an opportunity to talk to invited guests from different pharmaceutical areas and found out about their everyday responsibilities at work in a really friendly and easy-going way. Surprisingly, the CwP made me super motivated to explore the pharmaceutical world and to not be afraid of doing it.” Aleksandra Chlebowska

NIMP Coordinator for PPSA Poland, Participant at 16th EPSA Autumn Assembly

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External Relations

Career Week The EPSA Career Week (CW) aims at educating students about work possibilities that they may pursue after completing a pharmacy degree. Each year, with new editions of the project we are focusing on different areas and opportunities accessible in the pharmaceutical job market. Through a whole Career Week – with an approach focused on the easiest accessible channel of communication – social media – we are sharing various career-focused publications. On top of that, there are organised online educational activities like workshops and Chat with Professionals, so everyone can participate and learn. 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. Next EPSA Career Week will be held from 23rd until 29th of March 2020.

Career Fair “The career fair at EPSA’s 16th Autumn Assembly in Poreč, Croatia, was a fantastic and insightful event. Most of the companies were presented by Croatian pharmacists who gave an incredible insight on the jobs that were suitable for future pharmacists. All of them showed passion for their job and showed how many different kinds of job opportunities are available for pharmacists. I definitely recommend every pharmacy student to visit as many Career Fairs as possible to find out what sparks your interest and what makes you passionate to work on! This career fair was absolutely a valuable event for everybody.” Victor Pera

K.N.P.S.V., The Netherlands, Participant at 16th EPSA Autumn Assembly

Have you finished the pharmacy course, 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? 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 to visit EPSA Career Fairs in the future! Ciprian Chiriță

Professional Affairs Coordinator 2019-2020

External Relations

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association

EPSA External Representation: Focus on collaboration DIA Conference “Better Medicines for Children”, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, September 2019 During September 2019, EPSA had the chance to attend the DIA Conference on the topic: “Better Medicines for Children” in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The focus of this conference was on two major topics currently influencing Paediatric Drug Development - Innovative approaches to Drug Development and the impact of the current environment on the Regulatory and Research Infrastructure. Marko Ocokoljić, EPSA representative and Vice President of Education, had a chance to gain critical insights from Regulators and leading industry experts about the latest scientific innovations. This provided the opportunity to engage in lively discussions with the Paediatric Committee (PDCO) members and other industry experts involved in Paediatric Drug Development. The patient experience was voiced throughout the conference as well. Nevertheless, this experience helped to guide EPSA’s future path in “Child Healthcare” and bring such initiatives to the pharmaceutical youth.

European Youth Forum Council of Members, in Brussels, Belgium 12th - 13th of April 2019 The Global Vaccination Summit is a renowned event organised by the European Commission in cooperation with the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the 12th of September 2019, in Brussels. The overall objective was to give high-level visibility and political endorsement to vaccination and to issue a statement endorsing and promoting the benefits of vaccination as the most successful public health measure that saves millions of lives on a yearly basis. It was organised to demonstrate a global commitment to vaccination, boost political commitment towards eliminating vaccine-preventable diseases and engage leaders from different fields. The event was organised exceptionally in order to showcase the Commission’s trust in vaccines and commitment to keep vaccination on the agenda also in the next mandate of the Commission. As future healthcare professionals, EPSA was glad to be invited to the event as a member of the Coalition for Vaccination and to support European Commission in this initiative.

A Health Care Workforce for the Digital Age, European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium November 2019 On the 5th of November, EPSA was able to be one of the panellists at “A Health Care Workforce for the Digital Age” event hosted by Health First Europe in the European Parliament. EPSA presented their work and results from the eHealth survey that proved the lack of digital skills and inclusion in the curricula. We called on stakeholders to recognise pharmaceutical students that penetrate in different areas of healthcare as a vital part of future implementation of healthcare digitalisation and not a cost or a burden, but rather as an investment for the future.

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External Relations

The EAAD launch event, Stockholm, Sweden, 18th November 2019 The European Antimicrobial Awareness Day is organised yearly by the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, which is a European Union agency aimed at strengthening Europe’s defences against infectious diseases. During the event, EPSA had a chance to engage with present high-level speakers such as Mr Vytenis Andriukaitis, outgoing Health Commissioner and point out the difficulties in bringing more engagement between students associations and European organisations in terms of joint work towards antimicrobial resistance (AMR). One of the main outcomes from the discussions was problematic and challenging education and lack of societal understanding of AMR and preventive measures. As future healthcare professionals, we shall be the ones stirring the discussions and educating patients.

Implementation of One Health in undergraduate education, Warsaw, Poland, December 2019 On December 4th, alongside the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union and together with the European organisations representing medical doctors (CPME), dentists (CED) and veterinarians (FVE) and their student organisations (EMSA, EDSA, IVSA), EPSA hosted the event “Implementation of One Health in undergraduate education” in Warsaw, Poland. The objective of the conference was to encourage an open discussion and exchange views on how to implement the One Health approach in undergraduate education and foster interdisciplinary education in eastern European countries: Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia and promote the concept of One Health, where various healthcare professionals are working together from curricula to practice in order to achieve optimal outcomes for patients benefit.

Excellence in Pediatrics Conference and 4th Lifecourse Immunisation Focus Group Meeting, Copenhagen, Denmark, December 2019 From 5th to 7th of December, EPSA attended the 11th Excellence in Pediatrics Conference and 4th Lifecourse Immunisation Focus Group Meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark. The topics covered at the event were how to combat online misinformation related to vaccination, reach the excluded groups and pockets of low vaccine coverage, meningococcal vaccination and influenza vaccination. During the event, EPSA represented the views of European pharmaceutical students’ on vaccination and pharmacist-delivered vaccination. EPSA’s positions were very well accepted and stakeholders were glad to hear the perspective of the healthcare students and young professionals.

Internal Affairs

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association

Map of Europe In the last few weeks AFÖP has organised two teddy bear hospitals, with one coming up in December. We tremendously enjoyed these opportunities to strengthen our collaboration with AMSA (Austrian Medical Students Association). Furthermore we are looking forward to our second Marketing Skills Event that will be happening during the second week of December. AFÖP, Austria

ANEPF is organising, in collaboration with UNECD the National Association of Dental Surgery Students, a 3-week humanitarian project in Morocco for the summer of 2020, with a focus on diabetes awareness and the proper use of medicines. Volunteers have been recruited and will be trained together on their missions and inter-professional collaboration for the project. Various materials will be collected from students around France in order to donate to them as well. ANEPF, France

The BPSA Executive were present at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Annual Conference, and we enjoyed meeting professionals from various sectors and explaining the Association’s role in pharmacy students’ careers. We received great feedback on our second Business into Practice Conference and also hosted our first ever Annual Drinks Reception on a boat on the River Thames. The BPSA Travel Fund has now opened, and we look forward to being able to fund some students to attend EPSA Annual Congress in Lyon in April! BPSA, The United Kingdom

On the 18th and 19th of October, an APEF member, AEFFUL, organized a congress under the topic “Health Technologies: From Molecule to Society”. This is their major activity and was attended by 300 participants. The topics discussed allowed to debate the impact that the technological applications have had on the health system, as well as the potential they have in the future. APEF, Portugal

The biggest event of Asep took place during the month of October. It is called the NPSW (National Pharmacy Students Weekend) and the aim of this week-end is to gather all the students of Switzerland in order to learn something but also to have fun. During the week-end some Symposiums and Workshops were organized but also an amazing Gala dinner which took place in the Markthalle in Basel. The other big event on the agenda was the Delegate Assembly, where the new board got elected. asep, Switzerland

With the beginning of November, CPSA has hosted the 16th EPSA Autumn Assembly in Poreč which was a result of two years of planning. We are also organising a TWINN with the turkish students from Adana, starting the 19th of December and ending the 22nd of December. CPSA is also organising the Marketing Skills Event in the middle of December with Abbot as the general sponsor. There are many things currently brewing so be sure to follow our social media. CPSA, Croatia

Since the beginning of November, CzPSA has joined the ATB Awareness Week in cooperation with Czech Pharmaceutical Chamber, Movember month with Mustache Café and an online HIV/AIDS Public Health Campaign. We organized educational lectures, not only for our students but also for active seniors, and two Teddy Bear Hospitals for children. In CzPSA we do try to cover different ranges of activities for students and the general public. For more information about our activities and policy, you can follow us on social media. CzPSA, Czech Republic

After working together with FASMR and FSMDR (National Federations of Medical/Dental Students’ Associations) on different projects and following their collaboration in advocating for healthcare students’ rights, FASFR and the other two associations decided to establish an official Alliance. This is how, on the 14th of December, ASDS was created. This National Alliance of Students in Healthcare provides its Members with a common, stronger voice when advocating for shared goals and comes about as a firm step towards achieving interprofessional collaboration. FASFR, Romania

IPSA has dedicated itself to improve the representation of Pharmacy Students on both an international and national basis. IPSA is planning their inaugural conference to take place in March 2020, they announced two new Twinnets with Serbia and Poland and they have also been involved in a national campaign to remove proposed cuts for community pharmacies. We look forward to ensuring the voices of our students are heard. IPSA, Ireland

During the past few months, GPSF has carried out various Health Campaigns both live and through social media, including ones for vaccination, diabetes, COPD and AIDS. Moreover, we recently launched the “Learning from the Experts” project where we interviewed healthcare professionals about serious issues. Those interviews can be found on our YouTube channel. GPSF, Greece

In December, HuPSA was focusing on fundraisers. “Little for the little ones” was one of our projects’ , where we collected money and goods for a Children’s Clinic. With our other project we were aiding therapeutic recreation camps (Bátor Tábor) for seriously ill children. HUPSA,Hungary

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At the beginning of November, the K.N.P.S.V. organised a professional day. The aim of this day was to familiarise students with the different professional possibilities that are open to them after graduation. This event was a great success and we are really looking forward to the EPSA Annual Congress, where we hope that many students will join us. K.N.P.S.V., The Netherlands

At the beginning of December, NAPSer organized the 12th NAPSer congress. Zlatibor, the mountain in western Serbia was a home for over 300 students during three days of the congress. The topic was “Endocrinology outside of the box”. Participants were students from Serbia, Hungary, Croatia and Montenegro. We organised a series of lectures and interactive workshops delivered by renowned lecturers and experts, and also an EPSA training took place as an important part of the congress. NAPSer, Serbia

In late February 2020, NoPSA will organise a National Congress for our members and others, where one of our goals is to gather Norwegian pharmaceutical students from all over the country. The theme of the Congress “Cancer – the disease and the time after” will offer our members more knowledge about how cancer affects the patient and their next of kin, both physically and mentally. NopSA, Norway

With the beginning of the month, the whole PPSA association has come together to educate the public about antibiotics. Our students visited primary schools, high schools and senior universities, reaching around 2800 people. We also had our annual public health campaign “Consult with the pharmacist”. We visited shopping centers in 11 cites and, with the help of students from different healthcare professions, talked to people about diabetes and hypertension. PPSA, Poland

In November, students from Slovak and Czech pharmaceutical faculties competed in the Czechoslovak round of the Compounding event for the title of master in preparation of individually prepared drugs. To support interprofessional collaboration, SPSA and SloMSA (Slovak Medical Students Association) joined forces and organized two public health campaigns. During the first one, MOVEMBER, we spread awareness about testicular and prostate cancer and during HIV/AIDS day, we raised awareness for the AIDS disease through surveys and discussions with the students in our campus. SPSA, Slovakia

At the beginning of November, we organized together with Lithuanian University of Health Sciences the 10th International Pharmaceutical conference “Science and practice“ dedicated to the 200th Anniversary of the first Pharmacy Association in Lithuania. During the International Student’s Forum, three students’ organizations from Lithuania, Latvia, and Ukraine shared their ideas and discussed future collaboration opportunities. In December at our faculty, we organized a PHC: raising awareness about AIDS through a stand where we were giving out leaflets, condoms and spreading proper information about the prevention. One more thing, we already started organizing a Twinnet project with Slovakian pharmacy students organization in Košice. We hope that we’ll make strong bonds between our organizations in the future. SFD, Lithuania

Internal Affairs

This year we organised the 3rd Anti-Stress Days with the participation of 100 pharmacy students. Following the presentations of various speakers on how to overcome stress, we tried to gain new habits and methods to reduce stress in our daily lives by participating in aromatherapy and yoga workshops. At the end of the event, we were completely relieved of stress in our body with the Zumba dance workshop. MUPSA, Turkey

For our association, this year was about development: the growth of a new team, of the students and of our projects. We implemented two new concepts: ExpoPharma and Learning Journey. The first one covers the professional aspect of our pharma life, while the latter is centred on personal development. We organized a pharma fair where several partners were present to showcase their job opportunities for students and recent graduates and a series of three inspirational workshops. With these two activities, we hope to broaden students’ perspectives on the pharmaceutical field. SSFB, Romania

In November, TÜRS had an annual Autumn Conference for healthcare students and professionals. The topic for this year was “Innovative Solutions in Pharmacy”. The participants learned about new possibilities in pharmacy services, biopharmaceuticals and e-health systems. This yearly conference is highly acclaimed by Estonian pharmaceutical associations. TÜRS, Estonia

During November we had a presentation made by a lawyer of the Czech Pharmaceutical Chamber about the responsibilities of a young pharmacist in practise. Also our students had a chance to visit the central laboratory of our biggest pharmaceutical company and last but not least we went deep into the subject of public awareness, whilst emphasising the overuse of antibiotics among the population. USF, Czech Republic

In these last couple of months, VFSO has organized our first pharma speed-date with professionals, a symposium about medicinal cannabis and a company visit to Chipsoft. We can also look back at two successful twinnets with KNPSV and NAPSer, it was a blast working together! Coming up in March 2020: our national congress about Childhood Care. VFSO, Belgium

In October we organised the 5th Symposium of ŠSSFD on the topic of Biologic and Biosimilar Drugs. We hosted seven speakers from different fields of pharmacy and medicine who each delivered a 30-minute lecture to almost 300 students from different faculties. In December we organized a public health campaign at our faculty raising awareness about “Safe Sex” through a stand where we were giving out leaflets, condoms, and we also had a pop quiz with amazing prizes. At the moment we’re planning a lot more projects which we believe will greatly contribute to public health and the development of Slovenian students on a professional and a personal level. ŠSSFD, Slovenia

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association

EPSA Awareness Campaign The European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association was founded in 1978 with the aim to develop the interests and opinions of European pharmaceutical students and recent graduates as well as to encourage contact and cooperation between them. And throughout the association’s existence its vision is to represent, reach and engage every single pharmaceutical student in Europe. With that in mind, we are always aware of the importance of bringing EPSA closer to our members and those, who might not even know that they are our members or that an association like ours exists.

To not only introduce the association to those, who might not be as familiar with it, but to as well emphasize that EPSA is its members and the work it coordinates, projects it organizes and events it plans is solely for its members and to present them with opportunities, which would maybe not be there otherwise, we prepared an EPSA Awareness Campaign under the hashtag #WeAreEPSA.

This specific hashtag was picked to show that you, me and every other student in the pharmaceutical sciences studies in Europe, is EPSA. Not only that, it was chosen to promote collaboration among us and showcase the power a network, where knowledge and experience are shared, has.

www.epsa-online.org | @EPSA_Online

The campaign was launched in Poreč, Croatia, at the 16th EPSA Autumn Assembly, where a photo wall with the hashtag #WeAreEPSA was constructed. Our students could then engage with it and be part of the campaign. The goal for the first installment was that our members take a photo with the hashtag in the background and for it to be shared on social media channels. Collectively our posts could then reach students, who might not know of EPSA and the opportunities it can bring. Our installment in Croatia was only the start of the campaign and we are very thankful to those who took photos and participated in the activity. We will continue with our efforts and spread awareness about EPSA in the future, so we sincerely hope you will join us too!

And remember #WeAreEPSA!

Mija Kavčič

Social Media Coordinator 2019-2020

EPSA Executive Contacts

Mihai Nițoiu

Bernardo Marinheiro

EPSA President

EPSA Vice President of Internal Affairs

president@epsa-online.org

vp.ia@epsa-online.org

Mina Grguri

Kamber Çelik

EPSA Secretary-General secgen@epsa-online.org

EPSA Treasurer treasurer@epsa-online.org

Marko Ocokoljić

Sanja Aleksić

EPSA Vice President of Education

EPSA Vice President of Public Relations

vp.education@epsa-online.org

vp.pr@epsa-online.org

Paulina Kruk EPSA Vice President of External Relations vp.er@epsa-online.org

EPSA Office Rue du Luxembourg 19, bte.6 B - 1000 Brussels, Belgium www.epsa-online.com

Tilen Kozole EPSA Vice President of European Affairs vp.ea@epsa-online.org

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EPSA Newsletter Volume 27 Edition 2

Articles inside

External Representations

WeAreEPSA

Map of Europe

Continued Professional Development with EPSA

EPSA Twinnet Project

EPSA Individual Mobility Project

RxEPSA

EPSA IFISO Meeting

EPSA Science Day

EPSA Annual Reception

EPSA Symposium Powered by Young Professionals

EPSA Advocacy Initiatives

Trainers on Tour

Educational Chronicles

EPSA Public Health Campaigns and Social Services

Meet me Fair

Liaison Secretary Day

Vaccination in the era of misinformation - from complexity to value

Alumni Weekend

Visiting Members

16th EPSA Autumn Assembly

2nd EPSA Team Meeting