EPSA Annual Reception 2020

EPSA Annual Reception 2020 “Pharmaceuticals in the environment – The role of pharmacists and other healthcare professionals”

On the 3rd of March, the European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (EPSA) organised EPSA Annual Reception 2020 “Pharmaceuticals in the Environment – The role of pharmacists and other healthcare professionals’’ in the Hotel Renaissance in Brussels, Belgium. The event was hosted by MEP Irena Joveva (Renew Europe, SI) and MEP Jutta Paulus (Greens/EFA, DE). In the first panel session, Cornelia Rudolph (Policy Officer for Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals, European Commission, DG Environment), Marilena-Silvia Lungu (Legal Officer for European Commission, DG Sante) and Bastiaan Venhuis (Senior Scientific Officer, Duch National Institute for Health and Environment (RIVM)) addressed EU policy actions on pharmaceuticals in the environment while in the second panel session, prof. dr. pharm. Kristien De Paepe (The European Association of Faculties of Pharmacy (EAFP)), adjunct prof. Tiina Sikanen (Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki), Fredrik Bostrom (Chief Pharmacist, the Swedish Association of Pharmacies) and Luis Rhodes Baião (The Association of European Self-Care Industry, Inter-association Initiative Task Force on Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (IAI PIE TF)) shared their perspectives on the incorporation of environmental concerns in pharmaceutical curricula and presented current best practices. MEP Irena Joveva mentioned that the aforementioned EPSA event is a possibility to address the obstacles students and professionals in various fields of health care face, as well as a great opportunity to share best practices among professionals which is enabled by the unique collaboration we have on our continent. She added that the path of a professional includes lifelong learning and continuous professional development, which is especially true for scientific fields with the new discoveries and developments on a daily basis, including on Pharmaceuticals in the Environment where more needs tobe done.

MEP Jutta Paulus addressed that according to her information communication skills, but also other soft skills that are needed to operate and deliver the scientific messages to the patient and public, are still lacking in the pharmaceutical curricula. There should be more training and education included in the studies of health care professionals, but also later in their professional path. Additionally, the topic of Pharmaceuticals in the Environment is also widely overlooked in the curricula, therefore, she encouraged pharmaceutical faculties around Europe to address this issue and offer education and training on it to students. She added that commitment and pledge of pharmaceutical students in Europe are visible and that where there is a will, there is also a way.

Over 110 European pharmaceutical students, healthcare professionals, stakeholders, and policy makers recognised that the integration of pharmaceuticals in the environment in education of not only pharmaceutical students, but all future healthcare professionals, is fundamental for providing new solutions and building strategic approaches for tackling multifaceted challenges that the release of pharmaceuticals poses to the environment. They agreed on the importance of supporting joint initiatives at the national level to further educate healthcare professionals and students on communication skills as well as other soft skills. Moreover, it was remarked that any obstacles can be overcome only if we all as policymakers, stakeholders, professionals, and students work together on this matter. The event was carried out despite the closure of the European Parliament for the external events the night before the event. EPSA would like to thank everyone for the trust shown to European pharmaceutical students and on showing the commitment to address pharmaceuticals in the environment.

EPSA will continue to be active on the topic by publishing Educational Outcomes from the EPSA Annual Reception 2020, releasing EPSA Position Paper, and by organising Online Discussions Forum as well as Public Health Campaign.