Policy Newsletter 9th Edition

POLICY NEWSLETTER

Welcoming Words

Welcoming Words

Dear Readers,

I am pleased to present to you the third Policy Newsletter of the EPSA mandate 2022-2023. I hope this edition provides you with the best overview of the current EPSA advocacy efforts.

In this Newsletter, you will have the opportunity to discover interesting news from our members and national news. Additionally, you will gain insight into the most recent news from Brussels, as well as a special feature on the Annual Reception One EPSA alumni will also provide his testimony and you will have the chance to get to know more about his professional path. In the final section, you will finally find opportunities to engage more in advocacy and learn more about European Affairs.

I would like to express my gratitude to all those who contributed to the creation of this Policy Newsletter.

I wish you a great reading and kindly ask you to please keep in mind to what extent you can make a difference just by being informed and engaged because every step matters!

Yours in EPSA, Charlotte Thibault Policy Coordinator (2022-2023)

News from Brussels

Annual Reception

On the 28th of March, EPSA organised the 13th EPSA Annual Reception on "Digital Transformation in Healthcare: European Youth at the CentrePoint", in Brussels, Belgium, hosted by MEP Maria Walsh (European People's Party).

EPSA will continue being active on the topic by launching a survey on Digital Health that will later be turned into a policy document, reflecting all the results and outcomes gathered from European pharmaceutical students' perspectives, to advocate for their needs.

News from Brussels

Oath to Society launched by the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP)

On the 13th of March, EPSA Interns were present at the European Parliament to discuss how clinical and hospital pharmacists can continue to deliver on the promises included in the Oath to Society launched by the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) together with the European Society of Clinical Pharmacy (ESCP). Later, in a discussion between Gabriel (EPSA President), Catarina (EPSA Vice President of European Affairs), and the EAHP President, András Süle, ways of promoting the Oath to students were debated in order better prepare them for this possible career path.

News from Brussels

Nobody Left Outside Conference

On the 28th of March, Charlotte Thibault (Policy Coordinator) was present at the Nobody Left Outside Conference. This was the opportunity for EPSA to take part in a debate addressing minorities' mental health The Nobody Left Outside (NLO) initiative is a collective of organisations representing people in some of the most marginalised communities in Europe, including homeless people, LGTBI people, people who use drugs, prisoners, sex workers, and undocumented migrants. Hosted by the Maltese MEP Cyrus Engerer, this conference shed light on new perspectives of the future where more inclusivity is being raised.

News from Brussels

European Health Tech Summit

From the 21st to the 23rd of March, was held the European Health Tech Summit at the European Parliament. We are currently facing a digital transition, where our professions require more and more knowledge that we are not necessarily taught during our studies. The speakers of the Summit discussed the need to increase the skills of healthcare professionals, which is one of the pillars of the European Union's plan.

Technology is the basis of modern Health Care delivery. However, it also presents threats against patients due to misuse but also to under or overuse. A vigilance system is in place, but adverse events are still underreported; hence, the legal framework for the management of medical technology and its proper use should be considered We must be prepared to respond to new types of adverse incidents from new and emerging technologies.

News from Members

News from Members

CzPSA

Expanding the competencies of pharmacists in the Czech Republic

CzPSA continues to advocate for the needs of students with the project called “Expanding the competencies of pharmacists in the Czech Republic“ The initiative started two years ago as a reaction to the proposed amendment of law about unregulated mail delivery of medicines. 97% of our students disagreed with the proposal and believe ensuring safe pharmacotherapy through online delivery is not always possible. Now we prepared, in collaboration with USF Czech Republic, another survey asking for students‘ views on new possible competencies of pharmacists in the Czech Republic

Digitalisation creates new opportunities in the pharmaceutical sector and therefore also new opportunities within the career field. After we get the results, we will advocate for implementing the potential change to protect the future of pharmacy in our country.

Dominika Pinterová, Vice President of International Affairs ls@scsf cz

News from Members

K.N.P.S.V. The Netherlands

Thematic week: Anti-Microbial Resistance, by the committee for pharmaceutical policy

A few editions back, you could read about the new committee for pharmaceutical policy that K.N.P.S.V. was busy starting up. This committee participates in international advocacy, policy and public health projects from EPSA and IPSF This was done by contributing to videos and posts about Cancer Awareness or Humanitarian Month for example A major achievement was our first post about International Day of Women in Science on the 11th of February. An international project was used, and then promoted through a national perspective, as the post contained specific information about Dutch women in science!

A big goal that was also set, was to create our own theme week around a pharmaceutical policy topic. During this week, awareness would be raised around the topic through social media At the end of the week, an activity would be organised in the same theme. Ultimately, we came to the theme Anti-Microbial Resistance in cooperation with Medical Pharmaceutical Museum de Griffioen in Delft, the Netherlands. The museum has a great collection of old pharmaceutical instruments, tools, products, books, and more! A highlight is their diverse collection of old microscopes, among which a replica of one of the very first microscopes made by the Dutch microbiologist and microscopist Antoni van Leeuwenhoek This perfectly tied in with the theme of the week

News from Members

K.N.P.S.V. The Netherlands

Thematic week: Anti-Microbial Resistance, by the committee for pharmaceutical policy

The AMR week took place from 13-18 March On Monday a post was shared on our social media about the causes and threats of AMR. On Wednesday we shared a post about what you could do. On Saturday the Policy Activity, a Day in Delft, took place. Around 60 participants were split up into three groups who experienced the 3-part programme in different rounds. One part was the visit to Museum de Griffioen, where volunteers gave us a private tour, showing many of their interesting pieces with valuable stories. The second part was an interactive workshop by EPSA trainer and K N P S V member Kaatje Knol about “Communicating Science” in the theme of AMR. The participants learned how to convince different types of target groups to take action for this serious topic. Finally, the committee had designed a citywalk through Delft with some fun challenges. The day was a great success, and the theme week raised not only awareness for AMR, but also for policy and advocacy in general! The committee got a new member after that week, and hopes to keep growing to participate and create many important projects

By Eline Modder on behalf of the committee for pharmaceutical policy of K.N.P.S.V. The Netherlands

farmaceutischbeleid@knpsv.nl

News from Members

K N P S V The Netherlands

Thematic week: Anti-Microbial Resistance, by the committee for pharmaceutical policy

National News

National News

France

The French National Pharmaceutical Convention: 1 year later, where are we?

March 9, 2023 marks one year since the signing of the National Pharmaceutical Convention. ANEPF, with its commitment to the future of our profession and its progress, has shown itself to be particularly diligent and attentive to the various additions to this agreement, because it governs all the new missions incumbent on the profession This National Convention signed by the National Health Insurance Fund, the National Union of Complementary Health, FSPF and USPO (the 2 French pharmacy unions) organizes the relationship between the health insurance organizations and the pharmacies, it sets in a way for the payment of the health insurance for each mission of the pharmacist. Renegotiated every 5 years, it is regularly supplemented by amendments. One year later, we will therefore save you from going back to some of the key measures of this new agreement as well as their evolution in the French health ecosystem! Vaccination in pharmacies: for a few years now, pharmacists have been able to carry out vaccination against influenza in pharmacies. Following the pandemic, he was also granted the right to vaccinate against COVID-19. This made it possible to demonstrate the unfailing involvement of the pharmacist in the prevention and fight against these diseases. This new agreement was able to further develop the pharmacist's capacities by granting him the right to vaccinate for 13 new vaccines and boosters This agreement was also able to apply remuneration to all future vaccinations, under prescription or even without.

National News

France

The French National Pharmaceutical Convention: 1 year later, where are we?

The quality approach in pharmacies: ANEPF is part of the High-Quality pharmacy committee, which aims to develop quality within the pharmacy environment to allow continuous improvement of practices. This involves, for example, the implementation of procedures that were until now primarily found in the industry To promote the approach, it is included in the agreement To prove that the pharmacy is committed to quality and obtain remuneration, you must carry out the self-assessment and subscribe to the newsletter on the site https://www.demarchequaliteofficine.fr - Colorectal cancer screening: the pharmacist can provide a colorectal cancer screening kit to people aged 50 to 74. He introduces the patient to the test and its use, completes the patient identification form, and informs the doctor. -

Colorectal cancer screening: the pharmacist can provide a colorectal cancer screening kit to people aged 50 to 74 He introduces the patient to the test and its use, completes the patient identification form, and informs the doctor. The pharmacist is paid the first time when he delivers the test, and a second time if the patient has performed the test. - Dispensing by unit: in the constant fight against antibiotic resistance, the pharmacist can dispense by a unit to deliver only the right number of antibiotics adapted to the treatment of his patient. It concerns both the different classes of antibiotics and narcotics, regulations already in force

National News

France

The French National Pharmaceutical Convention: 1 year later, where are we?

This Agreement then makes it possible to frame the remuneration during a unit dispensation - Short interviews with pregnant women: these are not interviews as we have known so far at the pharmacy! These new interviews can be carried out directly at the counter, and last about 5 minutes. They consist of making pregnant women aware of the risks associated with certain teratogenic substances for pregnancy, and reminding them of the importance of vaccination. The pharmacist sends after the interview, by secure messaging on My Health Space, additional documentation on medication and pregnancy Corresponding pharmacist: due to their proximity to the patient, the corresponding pharmacist can, in collaboration with a general practitioner, renew treatment by adjusting a dosage if necessary. To be implemented, the pharmacist and the doctor must indeed be in the same coordinated exercise structure and in an area with difficult access to care. The corresponding pharmacist is chosen by the patient. - Digital health: digital technology, an essential tool for the proper functioning of pharmacies, has been given special attention in the Agreement She gave a series of indicators to be achieved for pharmacies to receive remuneration, for example: development of E-Prescription, use of Secure Health Messaging, implementation of the Carte Vitale application, realization and remuneration of teleconsultations in the pharmacy

Pauline LAVENANT,

Vice President of European Affairs in ANEPF affaires.europeennes@anepf.org

National News

Portugal

Double Taxation in Community Pharmacy

Community pharmacies are, without any doubt, the first point of contact of a patient/user with the Portuguese Health System It is not only the place where the Portuguese turn the most to for advice, but also the place where patients turn the most to find their therapeutic means.

Thus, it is to be expected that these health establishments are highly controlled and regulated from the point of view of controlling the quality of their services, but also from an economic and legal point of view. With the entry into force of Ordinance no. 150/2016, on 26 May, community pharmacies became subject to the payment of fees for the services provided by the Health Regulatory Entity ("HRE"), as well as to the payment of a regulatory contribution.

Unsurprisingly, these fees applied to pharmacies providing pharmaceutical services proved to be a difficulty for them, given that they were already subject to taxation by Infarmed (National Authority for Medicinal and Health Products). In order to contrast this situation, the Portuguese Government approved Order no 49/2023, of 15 February that would lead to the exemption of fees applied by HRE, which for community pharmacies came to be a very beneficial measure, since they can exercise their pharmaceutical services without having to pay any fee to HRE. In this way, community pharmacies now have a new future ahead of them, in which rigour and excellence may prevail, without additional taxes being applied.

David Ramos, Vice President for Political Affairs

Bernardo Pedroso ls@apef.pt

National News

The Netherlands

The view on community pharmacists in the Netherlands, in an age of health digitalisation, and what to do about it.

In the Netherlands, research has been conducted in the way the community pharmacist is perceived by patients. The ministry of Health has asked two research institutes (Nivel en SIR Institute for Pharmacy Practice and Policy) to conduct research on this topic. They found that Dutch patients perceive the community pharmacist as a medication specialist, but not necessarily as a first point of contact for questions related to drug usage This provides community pharmacists with an opportunity to become seen as such. This finding is in line with other pharmaceutical trends in the Netherlands. The role of the community pharmacist is changing. The digitalisation of health with its new technologies and online pharmacies shift the playground, and the community pharmacist is forced to adapt. Simply providing basic information about medication seems to no longer be enough. In times when you can watch Netflix on demand and get your groceries delivered by Gorillas within 15 minutes, convenience has become the status quo Why bother coming to the pharmacy to pick up your medication and wait in line, while you could also let it be delivered to your front door? To convince patients to still come to the pharmacy, the pharmacist has to show its surplus value. And that’s where the patient’s perception of the pharmacist comes in.

National News

The Netherlands

The view on community pharmacists in the Netherlands, in an age of health digitalisation, and what to do about it. (part 2)

The research showed that in public pharmacy, there should be more room for actual healthcare provision. The work conducted by the pharmacists should become more visible for patients to notice so they know in what way the pharmacist provides care to them. Additionally, the pharmacists should cooperate even more with the general practitioner, to enhance even more smooth patient treatment. This could lead to community pharmacists expanding their task package and even taking over certain duties such as doing yearly medication evaluation meetings and becoming involved in preventive steps such as reducing certain medication or giving lifestyle advice. Lastly, the pharmacist should move from being a provider of a standard information story about a drug towards a consultant, which provides tailored advice adjusted to the needs of a patient. This requires careful listening and asking thorough questions. In this way, community pharmacists will remain relevant, regardless of technological development and other services which lead to convenience Not only in the Netherlands, but also abroad

By Tijn van Heuveln on behalf of the committee for pharmaceutical policy of K.N.P.S.V. The Netherlands

farmaceutischbeleid@knps

Alumni News

Luis Rhodes Baiao

Could you introduce you

Hey there EPSA members! My name is Luis, but my friends have a hard time deciding which surname to call me by – "Rhodes" or "Baião". I hail from the vibrant city of Lisbon, where I spent most of my life studying and working as a pharmacist. However, in 2018 after a job offer, I decided to pack my bags and head over to Brussels, hoping to dive into a more healthcare policy-oriented career at the EU level. (Psst, check out my next answers for juicy details on this!)

I've always had a soft spot for politics, and I'm a huge advocate for a greener future and a united European Union with a touch of federalism. But let's not forget, life's not all about work - I also love hitting the volleyball court as a player and a coach. And as if that wasn't enough, I'm also an avid activist for LGBTQIA+ rights. You know what they say, a well-rounded life is a happy life!

What is your academic background + engaging initiatives when you were a student?

I'm a Portuguese pharmacist who graduated from the prestigious University of Lisbon way back in 2005. Back in the wild 90s (oh, how I miss those times!), I was a part of a Health Promotion and Education initiative led by the local students' association, AEFFUL. We were a bunch of passionate pharmacy students who wanted to spread awareness about important topics like sexual and reproductive health, HIV, and drug use to high school students. Back then, when public communication was scarce, these actions made a difference.

That spark never left me, and I continued my journey by enrolling on the board of the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Student's Association as an LS for two years. And this is how many romances between Lisbon and Ljubljana started (blame twinning programmes and EPSA congresses).

Right after, in 2004, I was elected EPSA President, which was a challenging mandate, to say the least. EPSA was growing in members, and a new work structure with several special interest committees had just been approved. It was time to put in some serious work! This was a groundbreaking period for EPSA, as we grew our stakeholder network, including healthcare associations in the EU bubble. We even scored our first-ever association sponsorship and the first EPSA collaborative internship in Brussels. However, things took a wild turn when a last-minute drop-out left me to take the internship at PGEU by myself. It was a challenging and consuming experience, but the rewarding nonetheless, especially since we had to move EPSA headquarters from Leiden, The Netherlands.

Who knew a simple initiative during my student years would lead to such incredible experiences? Life's full of surprises!

Luis Rhodes Baiao

Could you please detai d missions at the moment? What were your previous work experiences?

After this thrilling internship in Brussels (I’m sure you read it on the previous question), I returned to Portugal to tackle the task of handing in my thesis – it was all about lifelong learning and post-graduation specialization courses for community pharmacists.

Fast forward to my first 7 years of work in a community pharmacy, where I approached my responsibilities with an out-of-the-box mindset. I even established and managed a certified quality system and became the pharmacy deputy director, leading a team of 12 other pharmacists. I also created a peer-learning scheme, where each month a pharmacist would lead a lecture on a chosen topic.

Then, in 2011, the Portuguese Pharmaceutical Society saw my potential and recruited me to lead the International Affairs Department (EPSA experience paying off!). Thanks to my past engagements, I was also stretched to establish the Pharmaceutical Quality Systems Council, the Pharmaceutical Profession Employment Observatory and the Education-Employment Platform

But my journey didn't stop there! After 7 more years in the professional body, I was invited to become a policy advisor to a Member of the European Parliament I got to work on the Committee for Environment, Public Health, and Food Safety (a k a ENVI), shaping healthcare policy at the European level

Now, I manage Governmental and Public Affairs at AESGP (European Self-Care Industry Association), also known as Lobbying (although the name could use some jazzing up!) AESGP represents self-care products, like non-prescription medicines, medical devices, and food supplements And I'm proud to play a pivotal role in the "Inter Association Initiative on Pharmaceuticals in the Environment" as well, where we deal with industry-led activities to mitigate environmental impacts of pharmaceuticals

In my job, I liaise externally with policy-makers (EU institutions), other stakeholders (industry, patients and environment associations), and also coordinating with members at the national level for a synergic approach with regulators and administrations. We aim to bring data and information so that these partners can take a science-based approach to decision making. But lobbying activity needs to be taken internally too. It's crucial to show our members where the political needle is shifting and which direction we should go for the future. After all, everyone loves a change, but no one likes to waste resources in dead-ends.

Luis Rhodes Baiao

A particular health policy topic you are interested in and why?

This is a very vibrant period we are living now in Europe (that’s early 2023, if you are reading in the future) relating to policy making for medicines in particular. The Pharmaceutical legislation, that dates back 20 years with several patches in between, is finally being fully revised. Environment seems to be taking a priority in all policies, so pharmaceutical business and medicines manufacturers are adapting to this new reality. The digital transition in the EU is furthering how we might be using health data in the future, by defining the Health Data Space beyond the concerns of RGPD, and how the hype of technology might shift how we design and understand medicines and treatments.

However health budgets are not stretching, and I see that the profession of pharmacist is embracing new roles, providing new services to the population, like in immunisation, enhancing health literacy in their communities, and supporting the health system sustainability.

I cannot be interested in just one topic as all these are interlinked but I am eager to see how all of it plays out in the future

Opportunities

Policy and Advocacy Toolkit

During the APR meeting that was held live during the Annual Recepion, it was the official release of the Policy and Advocacy Toolkit. A project that EPSA has been working on during several mandates to share members' guidance and tools to motivate their members to take part in advocacy. Following this release will be organised some workshops so the members can get some practical application after reading the theory.

Click here to be redirected to the Policy and Advocacy Toolkit.

Click here to be redirected to PoliSanté's website.

European Affairs Wednesdays !

Do you want to learn more about European Affairs, don't hesitate anymore to follow EPSA on its social media where you will be informed of the various projects taking place in the European Affairs department in addition to some tips and tools to better understand how the EU works.

Erasmus for young entrepreneurs!

You might have probably heard of Erasmus, but do you know that within this program there is a specific branch for the entrepreneurs? The ERASMUS program is rich in opportunities, creative minds have a lot to take from it so don't hesitate and apply!

Click here to get more information on this opportunity! Click here to get to know JEE more!