V20e1 by EPSA

EPSALETTER

NEWS

bringing pharmacy, knowledge and students together Volume 20 | Edition 1 | October 2012 www.epsa-online.org

35 years of EPSA and it’s still about you! Pharmacoeconomy Now and then

Member’s activity EAHP Fresh start in Brussels and upcoming events

this newsletter is produced by EPSA and is distributed to all EPSA members, national pharmaceutical students’ organisations, faculties, ofﬁcial bodies and partners

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association

Table of contents and Editor’s words Presidential Words

TWINNET: Best EPSA Members perspective

EPSA Team

What do you know about EPSA Trainings?

Annual Congress 2012

Leadership Summer School

EPSA Summer University

EAHP A new era of EPSA-EAHP relation begins - a second Officer moved to Brussels for an internship at the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists - page 10 FIP Cenntenial

Get the most out of professional events Numerous professional events are being available for EPSA students. Prepare your business cards and hit the professional world - page 28

DIA Clinical Forum

EPSA congresses - what about some fun?

IPSF Congress

Event calendar

Blast from the past - Pharmacoeconomics The topic has been in focus ten years ago as it is now. See a Newsletter article from 2002 and why it’s topic of the next EPSA Annual Congress as well - pages 16&17

Contact Info

EPSA members and activities

From scratch to AC

GSK survey infographic

Special thanks to: Stefan Rack - Design and Editing Miloš Ćosović; Desko, La krc - Infographic design Maria Stef; Edel O’Connor, Jokub Kubiak, Anne Downing - Editorial Board

Dear readers, Welcome to the latest edition of the EPSA Newsletter! In the world of students’ organisations time moves fast and it doesn’t take long for ideas to become a reality. This is why, hopefully, in these few pages we will managed to offer you a diverse peak into the world of EPSA and help you understand what have European pharmacy students been up to. Celebrating the 35th anniversary comes in somewhat an expected manner. Important friends, activities we are proud of and more then anything a positive atmosphere that inspires us all to build on a better future. Dig into these pages and let the EPSA Spirit move you as well! Yours in EPSA, Miloš Stojković EPSA Vice-President of Public Relations

Presidential words Dear EPSA friends, I’m delighted to present you the first edition of the EPSA Newsletter for the mandate of 2012/2013. This edition marks a big celebration of our Association’s 35th Anniversary — an on-going yearlong event that invokes many memories and traditions, alongside a time of great change and many achievements directed at our future and that of our beloved Europe. Since the beginning of the mandate in late April, a lot has happened. EPSA has been active in several fronts, be it managing and developing the projects that are already so dear to us all, considering and setting up possible new initiatives, or ensuring the representation of European pharmacy students in multiple professional events of particular interest for the Association and its members. One particularly important development comes from our presence in the FIP Centennial Congress. During this event, EPSA and IPSF made history by signing the Student Declaration on the Future of Pharmacists, a document that embodies the vision of students throughout Europe and the World on what the pharmaceutical profession is, was, and most of all, what it should be. Student involvement in this initiative was truly inspiring and, among other things, it brought forward a number of realisations about EPSA itself. Traditionally, our Association has been growing in numbers each year. One of our main goals has always been increasing the number of students we represent, after all. However, in recent years, EPSA ignited; the dimension of our events increased dramatically and our portfolio of projects and activities has been expanding at a truly remarkable rate! This expansion has occurred

on a very centralised manner, and one might argue that this is because it makes it easier to manage, which is certainly true. But as we draw nearer than ever to representing all European countries, the focus is shifting from creating new projects to increasing the efficiency of their delivery unto our members, at a national and local level. This member-driven outlook, which also underlines the importance of member engagement and involvement, has permeated many of the discussions and activities that have been taking place since April and it seems like the way to go forward from here. I like to think that EPSA’s history has a bit of a cyclical nature. If we look back, we can see that we are often approaching the same subjects we were dealing with years, even decades ago; this edition of the Newsletter features a great example of that. But we are doing so from a different angle, because things changed. We changed. Not only the angle is different now, but also the length of our reach and understanding, for we are not a circle, but a spiral — always growing outwards, intersecting the same lines further and further ahead. Evolving with an eye set on the past so we can better see the future that lies ahead. Let’s do this together, all of us. And while the reference that follows might be elusive for some, the message is the same for everyone: Spiral out, keep going! Yours in EPSA, Pedro Barroca EPSA President 2012/2013

35 Years of EPSA. 35 Years of bringing pharmacy, knowledge and students together.

Executive

EPSATEAM 2012/2013

Pedro Barroca President

Roberto Barros Treasurer

Miloš Stojković VP of Public Relations

Sabiha Sagun Secretary General

Tiia Metiäinen VP of Education

Laura Scurtu VP of Mobility

Guilherme Monteiro Ferreira VP of External Affairs & Immediate Past President

Parlamentarian Council

Chiara van Rodijnen Parlamentarian

Camilla Lavoll Parlamentary Council Member

36th EPSA Annual Congress Reception Committee Chairperson

Audit Comittee

Willem Rauwé Committee Member 6

Hanka Landova Parliamentary Council Member

Jarno Kotajärvi Committee Member

Guido Gerlando Gangarossa Committee Member

Educational Board

EPSATEAM 2012/2013

Katrine Schuster Hansen Professional Affairs

David Preece Educational Affairs

Charlene Galea Science

Monica Luca Social Services & Public Health

Sandra Hočevar Training

Externals Board

Gabriela Valentová Partnerships

Ana-Maria Oltean Grants

Public Relations Board

Tuong Vy Publications

Stefan Rack Design

Srdjan Radak IT

Daniela Kolberg Events

Central IMP Coordinator

Deniz Öner

João Silva Duarte Alumni 7

Annual Congress The oriental excitement in Istanbul The annual congress is the primary gathering place of people interested in pharmacy. Towards the end of April this year, people from all over Europe gathered together in Istanbul to discuss “The Future of Pharmacy” as the main topic of EPSA AC and to set up the direction in which EPSA is heading. Whether you are part of the Executive team, OD, RC, LS, Alumni or just a regular participant, your adventure begins upon receiving the confirmation letter! The first thing you notice after leaving the plane is that you are easily able to recognise participants of the congress. These are students in groups that just have this indescribable happy face with a sparkle in their eyes. If you join them you will start the checkpoint journey through Istanbul with taking pictures of every RC you have met as proof. But the real hero of the day is the Opening ceremony. Everyone is dressed really fancy and it is pretty impressive to see how the EPSA team are treated. It seemed like they were celebrities! So, who else should introduce you to The Muevelo song that will be stuck in your head for the rest of the congress? Well, the most significant part of congress are the lectures and workshops that can affect your whole life. Who would think that a career in regulatory affairs could be so interesting, thanks to the international composition of your co-workers. Are you shy, have problems with time-keeping or creativity? Here is the solution for you if you want to change something about it.

“...that is the Spirit of EPSA - to share and care.“

For me, the biggest surprise was how EPSA works on a professional level although it is student association. When you first reach General Assembly or Liaison Secretary Tea you will get lost, but everyone is eager to help you as much as he/she can and that is the Spirit of EPSA - to share and care.

My first GA has been spiced up because of request of our association - CPSA to be part of EPSA. You just cannot describe the feeling after being banished out of General Assembly after a brilliant presentation done by Official Delegates who had not slept well for two days due to the stress and work. Minutes seems like hours, nervous hovering and whispering fills the corridor you stay in. Then it is interrupted with the sound of the door opening and RC inviting you in. That amazing feeling fills you the moment you enter room with a full round applause and people with wide smiles on their faces. That is how EPSA welcome new members. After all, EPSA is one big family that loves to accept every lost sheep and make it feel like home. I guess that delegates from Belgium and Montenegro could tell you the same story.

“...one of greatest events during my whole short life.” You do not have to be a first year student like me, to get stunned by the atmosphere during the annual EPSA congress. “The biggest and most exciting event in EPSA’s calendar” says my handbook. Unfortunately, I cannot compare the AC to any other EPSA event but I can definitely tell you that it has been one of greatest events during my whole short life. Let me just tell you that I slept two hours per day on average because more would be waste. And right now I cannot wait to see, feel, and experience even more. Lukáš Höchtberger Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové (Czech Republic) Liaison Secretary CPSA cpsa.czechLS@gmail.com

Fortunately, the congress is not only about work, it is about meeting new people from different places and cultures and the best place to do so is during night parties especially the International night. Personally I most enjoyed the Cartoon party because I could get a little back to my childhood and do it adult style on the roof of the club with an amazing view over Istanbul at night. Sadly it all has to end but it culminates with the fancy Gala night and introduction of the new EPSA Executive.

EPSA in Brussels – Working at the EAHP The European Association of Pharmaceutical Students (EPSA) has entered into a new collaboration with The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP), along David Preece (Hospital Pharmacist and EPSA Educational Affairs Co-ordinator) starting an internship in the EAHP office in Brussels, Belgium. I wanted to become the EPSA intern in the EAHP because I have a passion for hospital pharmacy and representing pharmacy students and this internship seemed the perfect way to fuse them together. I see this collaboration as an important step to help represent the new ideas of pharmacy students with the expertise the EAHP can provide through their national delegations. The EAHP, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is an association of national organisations representing the interests of hospital pharmacists from across Europe. This not-for-profit organisation aims to represent and develop the hospital pharmacy profession within Europe to ensure continuous improvement of care delivered to patients whilst in hospital.

What are the goals of the EAHP? • To develop hospital pharmacy in order to promote the best and safest use of medicines and medical devices for the benefit of patients in Europe • To create a platform for the education and training of hospital pharmacists to a level of specialisation and maintain continuing professional development (CPD) • To uphold the interests and advance the position of European hospital pharmacists within the healthcare systems, the EU and national authorities http://www.eahp.eu/about-us [Accessed 26/9/12]

EAHP have supported EPSA in previous years by providing high quality speakers at EPSA events, inviting students to the EAHP congress and most importantly sponsoring the prestigious joint EPSA/EAHP Student Award, which will be awarded again in Paris 2013. Keep an eye on EPSA website for more information on how to apply. This is the first time that this collaboration has created the opportunity for a second member of the EPSA team to be based in Brussels and to work closely with one of our partners. By being based within the EAHP office, I hope to represent the voice of students whilst being involved in policy and advocacy of our profession and also creating and developing new projects. This internship was created last year with the view to working closer together with our partners and aims to make students more aware of the different areas they can practice pharmacy. EAHP want to help students consider the world of hospital pharmacy; EPSA will be joining forces and I will be working very hard to do just that!

EAHP Chief Operating Officer Jennie de Greef said:

“As an organisation firmly focused on building the hospital pharmacy profession of the future it is a pleasure to have with us a young and enthusiastic hospital pharmacist who will be a part of that future. Both EPSA and EAHP look forward to the growth of this and other projects of collaboration.” Hospital pharmacists work in acute environments where patients are usually treated with risky, mostly expensive and potentially novel medicines, commonly used outside “off label”. It is imperative that the hospital pharmacist keeps up to date and EAHP is encouraging the development of a hospital pharmacy qualification, advocating for this specialization to be internationally recognized. This would be another opportunity for students to work in this exciting area, and specialise in different aspects of hospital pharmacy.

Pharmacy students understand the potential for medication errors and hope never to be personally involved in them. Pharmacists have to be actively involved in their minimisation. The EAHP support furthering the use of technology, for example, using bar coding technology as a measure to prevent medication administration errors. In particular EAHP is requesting that manufacturers issue a bar code to the single unit of medication intended for administration in hospitals. This would make it possible for every hospital in Europe to conduct a scan verification of the medicine at the patient bedside to help ensure the right medicine and right dose is being administered to the right patient by the right route and at the right time. This request has already been a legal requirement in the USA for the last 6 years â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we should definitely catch up in Europe for the safety of our patients! As the EPSA intern I will be spending a lot of my time working on EPSA related activities. I will attend events in the European Parliament, and with other associations which EPSA can learn from and strengthen relations with. In my first few weeks, I have already attended various events and meetings regarding personalised medicine and bio-similar medicines. As a member of the European Public Health Association (EPHA), I will also attend other activities in place of other EPSA Team members who cannot attend, ensuring that EPSA is always represented. This means that I will be talking to the people making the decisions that directly affect how pharmacy will be

implemented in the future, which simultaneously affect pharmacy students. So this is your chance to be heard and I encourage you to get in touch at epsa@eahp.eu! An exciting new project that I will be initiating is the development of an internship programme with interested hospitals across the EU. Experience within a hospital setting is a great way of learning about hospital pharmacy and a great addition to the CV of the student. From personal experience I know its value and I am really excited to be working on this project â&#x20AC;&#x201C; find out more at www.eahp.eu/content/students-internship-programme. I will also be actively involved in working on the content of the EAHP website and social media. This allows me to become highly engaged with students from within the EAHP and I hope this will help promote hospital pharmacy as a future career and also the good work of EPSA. EAHP will have a presence at EPSA events in the future and I hope you will be part of the EAHP Congress in Paris 13-15th March 2013. I can already confirm the first ever official Students Welcome Dinner will be included in the low price of only 90 Euro. Look out for more updates, register now to this really great event and see you next year in Paris!

David Preece EPSA Educational Affairs Coordinator

Student Declaration on the Future of Pharmacists The official signing took place at the FIP Centennial Congress – Amsterdam, The Netherlands. On 7th October 2012, the “Students Declaration on the Future of Pharmacists” was signed by the Presidents of the European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (EPSA) and the International Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (IPSF) during the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Centennial Congress that took place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The “Students Declaration on the Future of Pharmacists” aims to navigate the current professional challenges that await future pharmacists and outlines opportunities to contribute to better health care provision. The document, divided into three main chapters (global health, profession and education), embodies the vision of the future pharmacists - current pharmacy students - on their role as healthcare professionals, highlighting as well the need to adapt the pharmacy curricula in order to deliver education based in innovation and future challenges.

This document is the result of a collaborative project between the two associations that represent pharmacy students on an international level (following the Memorandum of Understanding signed by both in 2011) and was supported by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). The representatives of EPSA in the working group created for this particular project were the EPSA Alumni João Silva Duarte, EPSA Vice President of Education 2010/2011 and current EPSA Alumni Coordinator, and Mariana Fróis, EPSA Vice President of Public Relations 2010/2011.

Several pharmacy students and students’ organizations worldwide participated actively in the discussions and in the shaping of this document. The President of the EPSA, Pedro Barroca, hopes this document will “serve as a guideline and also as a reminder, lest the concepts at its base or the reasoning behind them become less visible or otherwise forgotten as we move forward.” The signing ceremony was witnessed by over 200 pharmacists and the document gathered positive feedback from the most important institutional and professional stakeholders of EPSA. This document is currently available online on EPSA’s official website for consultation (www.epsa-online.org). Mariana Fróis João Silva Duarte FIP Student Comittee

DIA Clinical Forum The Hague, The Netherlands Second year in a row DIA&EPSA are engaged in joint effort of bringing Clinical Forum closer to students. Last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event in Basel saw first ever Student Session but the number of students on the venue was not easily noticable. Especially having in mind the big following DIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flagship event EuroMeeting obtained, as we talked about in the previous issue. This year both EPSA and DIA decided to move things forward and results came along. Together with an additional session for students and young professionals visiting the event, a big move has been made by introducing the fellowship programmes, a practice until now done only for the EuroMeeting. Fellowship programmes present an opportunitiy for students and young professionals to earn a complimentary congress fee. This could be achieved by showing interest in the topics discussed via cover letter. With great reactions to DIA events by colleagues visiting EuroMeeting in March, it was not so difficult to get studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attention for another flagship event of DIA. The ones interested in dynamic area of clinical trials were far from lazy to use this opportunity and bid for the fellowship programme early on.

and many others involved in different aspects of clinical trials. Together with student fellowship programmes, this event saw birth of patient fellowship programmes as well. With more students attending the event, an additional student session was introduced further tailoring the event for them. Aimed at getting students familiar with how to use the most out of Clinical Forum, together with professionals of diverse backgrounds, one of the panelists was EPSA Vice President of External Relations. While waiting for the feedback to come, from both students and professionals, the evident need for bridging the gap from student to professional world is there. Clincal Forum and other events of DIA proved to be a friend of EPSA in its journey of making this bridge possible.

Clinical Forum is an event with high focus on the diverse world of clinical trials, gathering on one place stakeholders from various backgrounds. Great selection of speakers and set of highly interesting atendees is what draws participants to this event. In a relaxed environment students could see and hear the most up to date developements from industry, CROs, regulatory bodies

IPSF Congress Hurghada, Egypt One could say that with International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF) everything is going as usually. Fresh ideas, new members, interesting discussions and a new congress location in the different part of the World. Same old, same old. This could be best experienced during the 10 days of August, 58th time in a row reserved for the IPSF World Congress!

This was of course in close ties with seeing the European members standing among the most active ones. And as If selection of Porto, Portugal as the host of 2014 World Congress hasn’t made enough of the contribution, the elections of the new IPSF Team certainly did. The Team of Radoslaw Mitura from Poland, will surely lead IPSF to one more year filed with success.

This year’s location, Hurgada in Egypt, sparked a lot of interest among world’s pharmaceutical students community. Who could even predict a full scale civil revolution in 2010 when Egyptian Pharmaceutical Students’ Association was applying for being the host of this year’s event? And even in this tricky situation, Egyptian association proved worthy of its acronym and turned 500 pharmacy students into a global family.

The sun was already setting in the Red Sea as the Gala dinner was about to start. Trip to the desert, jeep safari and camel rides were long behind us while we were waiting for the best annual member association to be announced. We were ready to go home knowing that NAPSer Serbia was this year’s choice of IPSF as well as EPSA’s. Too bad that these 10 days are happening only once a year. Yours in EPSA,

Days packed with activities were sometime too exhausting and the 40+ temperature was not there to help. It made perfect sense why some of the participants “misheard” that the next workshop is happening in the Red Sea, just across the beach bar. How else would you have the chance to discuss the rising importance of self-medication with your colleague from Japan while sitting on the pool-edge? Meantime, the warmth inside of the facilities was brought by the felt of joy of seeing IPSF regional offices grow and become ever more active. Students from all over the world were standing united and were recognising the importance of collaboration on both international and regional levels. The atmosphere of experience sharing was just amazing!

Miloš Stojković EPSA Vice-President of Public Relations

StudyPortals: The European study choice platform Did you know that there are more than 150 international Master’s programmes in Europe that relate to pharmacy? And did you know that there is over 16 billion euro available in scholarships to study in Europe? Now you do. Be surprised by the great study opportunities that Europe has to offer with thanks to StudyPortals – the European study choice platform. The team of StudyPortals does its best to stimulate and inform you on international study choice. On several web portals you can find relevant information about study programmes, including pharmacy studies and information about funding opportunities. In addition on you have a great chance to learn from others students and experiences they have shared on Student Experience Exchange platform. StudyPortals provides a unique overview of all study programs offered in any European country. Through the search engine you can find study programmes in pharmacy or other disciplines of interest. Each program has a short description, information about the tuition fee, duration and university information. It provides all details related to study programme: application requirements, contents, application deadlines, start dates, mode etc. Check it out and find your Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD, Short Course or Online Degree (and Scholarships to finance it)!

Pharmacoeconomics Now and then Pharmacoeconomics and health economics are definitely not a new subject. As you can see, pharmacoeconomics were on the table already ten years ago and even the topic of the EPSA Annual Congress panel discussion at the time. Even though issues such as evidence-based pharmacoeconomic decision making and outcomes research were debated then, it is a sad reality that even today they are not made use of nearly as well as they could. This is why the “next generation” of healthcare professionals needs to be aware of the science and debates behind healthcare resource allocation.

It is quite interesting to see that Mr. Bates has addressed the issue of ethics in relation to pharmacoeconomics in his speech ten years ago, as the topic of the first symposium day at the upcoming EPSA Autumn Assembly in Sofia is exactly “the ethics of healthcare resource allocation”. Hence it is equally important to know how to calculate the potential benefit of a new treatment or medication to a population as well as be aware that making a choice for one option is ALWAYS away from another. With limited healthcare resources, especially with the economic crisis looming over us, we need to understand the implications of the decisions we make and be able to have enough information at hand to make those decisions. Some of the problematics related to generating that information, making the right decisions as well as potential solutions will be addressed at the Sofia Educational Symposium as well as the workshops to follow. Tiia Metiäinen EPSA Vice-President of Education

Members’ page What was going on in EPSA’s member countries the past months?

Expopharm is said to be the biggest pharmaceutical fair in Europe. We can say that its not only big but interesting for students as well. BPhD from Germany traditionally has a booth on this event and in has been drawing more and more international attention in the recent years.

Dutch pharmacy students showed some serious consideration about the future. Teddy Bear Pharmacy is an activity aimed to raise awareness about the pharmacy profession among children. And all that was done in collaboration with medical students

Farmaceutica hasn’t even joined EPSA and this years Annual Reception was filled with Belgian pharmacy students. After their acceptance in EPSA let’s see where they’ve set their limits.

Living on an island, it is perfectly understandable that mobility is an important concept for students from Malta. As this summer over 30 students from Croatia, Lithuania and Turkey spent one week on a quatrino in Malta this is to be confirmed.

Another new member of EPSA, CPSA Czech Republic. Students from Hradec Králové, region of Bohemian have their own way of socialising. It’s called ATP bar! Certainly a twinning potential.

Pharmaceutical waste is not alway an easy issue to consider. Especially when things are not really on the sunny side. Pharmacy students from Serbia recently joined forces and decided that this topic needs more attention.

read more about these and related stories on www.epsa-online.org/blog 19

Annual Congress 2013: Backstage Interview with Giulia Malaguarnera, Vice-Chairperson of the 36th EPSA Annual Congress, Catania 2013 Miloš: AISFA, the Italian Pharmacy Student’s Association, is one of the youngest ones in EPSA, could you remind me how old is it please? Giulia: AISFA was born in 2009 by students of Genoa’s School of Pharmacy, after EPSA Annual Congress in Reims. This amazing event drove them to get involved in the European Association and organize the 6th Autumn Assembly in their city: the RC became the first AISFA executive team.

challenge for a young and lively association like ours. The possibility to host, for the first time in Italy, an event of such a large and very significant prestige makes us very proud.

The promotion video for the congress caused quite a bit of excitement among students. Could you tell us more about it? Luigi: The choice of Catania as a frame for the event has literally enraptured EPSA members, already anxious and eager to discover the wonders of historical, artistic and cultural aspects of our country. The promotional video was then a real success, a triumph of consensus that has spread throughout Europe in a flash. Sicily, land of sun, myth and splendour has charmed and conquered all, making us flooded by memberships’ requests even before the official registration period opened. We are curious to know something more about the video, any gossip from backstage? Is it true that you rent the helicopter?

When did it come in your mind to organize the Annual Congress in Catania? G: That’s a funny story. Truthfully speaking, since my first EPSA event in Helsinki, João and Inka asked us to host a Summer University in Catania. In 2011 Guido and I were planning our degree, so we decided to postpone this task, never thinking we’d organize an Annual Congress! This “crazy” idea came to my mind as I was in Brussels for IMP training and AR in 2012. So I called Guido and, after some negotiations (the training worked!), he answered me: “I’ll sort it!”. The next day, he texted me the first estimations from Catania’s hotels! What does the Annual Congress mean for you and your association? Giulia and Luigi: The assignment of the Annual Congress 2013 is an important and evidential test for AISFA Catania, which in all its components has welcomed with great fervor and enthusiasm the news. This is a very exciting

G: Let’s leave this for the blog What are your plans now? G: I can only tell you that during the Autumn Assembly in Sofia. We might have some surprises for you!

EPSA and GSK asked students about their wishes for trainings provided by pharmaceutical industry. See the results.

product training

TWINNET A Best EPSA member’s perspective Students from Serbia will often say that their most favourite EPSA project is TWINNET. Reason for this is simple- through TWINNET mobility project students can go abroad, make new friendships and learn something interesting beyond regular curriculum. That is why National Association of Pharmacy StudentsSerbia (NAPSer) tries to organize TWINNETs in every local Association (Belgrade, Nis and Novi Sad) during the year. In the 2011-2012. students from Serbia participated in 4 exchanges and organised 3 which, we believe, helped NAPSer to become the Best EPSA Member. Usually, the exchanges arranged last 7 days for a group of 15-20 students coming from each country. The hosting organization of the exchange provides the food and accommodation for participants. The only expense students have to pay for is transport. The budget is often low and many times students coming to Serbia are often guests at the houses of their colleagues, resulting in stronger and longer-lasting friendships. Students visiting Serbia get the opportunity to visit cultural and historical sights, experience the amazing nightlife and taste the exquisite cuisine. In addition, they can also visit the local faculty premises, pharmaceutical factories and companies!

“Exploring new countries and cities, overcoming prejudices, sharing ideas and opinions, learning about different cultures and improving the knowledge in the field of pharmacy are what makes TWINNETs so popular. “

The TWINNET project is sought-after by many Serbian students. When a new exchange is arranged and applications open, there is always over double the registrants than required. Although it is a cheap to participate, price is not the sole motivation for students to apply. Exploring new countries and cities, overcoming prejudices, sharing ideas and opinions, learning about different cultures and improving the knowledge in the field of pharmacy are what makes TWINNETs so popular. Organizing TWINNET in your country is an excellent way to get students involved within the local/national students’ association and familiarizing them with other EPSA projects and activities!

Whether you are the participant or the organizer, in the first or final year of your studies, rest assured that TWINNET will change your perspective and expose you to the infinite opportunities that EPSA can offer. In TWINNET, the EPSA spirit will find you, guide you and never leave you! Start twinning, you won’t regret it!

Svetlana Kolundžić NAPSer Serbia LS

Training Project Develops your skills for the future Training project, introduced in 2009, is one of the most successful and popular EPSA projects. The main aims of the project are to promote the importance of non-formal education and to deliver quality trainings.

“Fun and useful, because we could recognise myself and realise my mistakes.” Training usually focuses on soft skills and, in comparison to lectures, is more interactive. This means that students play a key role by participating in discussions, exercises and games. Sharing opinions, listening to the thoughts of European pharmaceutical students and practising new tools in safe environment during games and roles plays are the most important factors, and why trainings are evaluated as fun and useful as you can see from the feedback between the paragraphs.

“I think it was useful experiences, because I learnt something I could apply in my future.” Furthermore trainings are important in professional life as well, because soft skills are highly valuable for employers nowadays. Therefore it is recommended that you attend trainings as students, and this opportunity is offered to you at every EPSA event. Trainings are organised as parallel sessions, so you can always choose between different topics and attend the training which interested you the most.

In addition to that, our members also organise local events, where EPSA trainers are invited to deliver trainings. If you are interested in offering opportunities to your students to attend trainings at their University, this could be easily organised. The only thing you need to do is arrange the logistics and contact the EPSA Training coordinator to prepare training a program and contact trainers. Trainings on a local level could be organised during TWINNET projects, for new elected executive, during national congress or at other opportunities; the imagination is the only limit here.

“It was fun, because it was interactive!” Moreover EPSA organises a Training New Trainers (TNT) event every year. During this event an intense training program is organised and participants are educated to become trainers. The next edition of TNT will be organised in late February in collaboration with European Students of Industrial Engineering and Management (ESTIEM). If you are interested in becoming trainer, follow up on the EPSA webpage. To conclude, EPSA is offering an exclusive opportunity, with quality trainings, so enjoy them at any opportunity possible. Sandra Hočevar, EPSA Training coordinator

Leadership A skill able to be learned? Some people say you have to be born to be a leader, others say everybody can become one! As pharmacists, we will all be facing situations where the circumstances are demanding quality soft skills from us. We must take on responsibilities and stand up to lead other people by being role models ourselves. But how can one learn this? My own journey towards leadership started 5 years ago when I decided to be actively involved at the local organization within my faculty. I was part of the national executive for 2 years and now I am helping and motivating other pharmacy students out there in Europe. Leadership comes by looking for opportunities to practice, to fail and to stand up again. In EPSA, I am an avid fan of the EPSA Training Project and I believe that the soft skill trainings and the people participating therein gave me a lot of inspiration on how I could improve my daily behavior towards people. Giving the person in front of you the feeling that you understand and motivating them to work is an important part of leadership. Leadership comes by listening and digesting what you heard and applying what you’ve learned. Leadership comes by inspiring people.

“Leadership comes by trying out new things and taking risks, with the support of your dear ones.” This summer I participated in the Leadership Summer School. Together with 80 people and 20 trainers from all over Europe, we shared knowledge and developed ourselves together towards becoming better leaders for the world around us. The experience gained through international events like this are largely motivating and somewhat addictive and contagious. Leadership comes by trying out new things and taking risks, with the support of your dear ones. You can’t become a leader on your own, that is for sure.

You depend on the feedback and knowledge of other people. It’s always a joint project. You can start by asking your friends for constructive criticism, by actively looking for new opportunities to gather new experiences and by attending soft skill courses, where several people from different backgrounds and cultures pass on to you their experience. Including spreading your view on the international level will surprise you with additional success on your journey towards a followed leader. Leadership comes by aiming for it. Daniela Kolberg EPSA Events Coordinator

Summer University What makes this event so special? You have just finished your well deserved lunch after a training on public speaking (please edit the topic Stefan if needed) and are in the bus to the adventure park. A couple of moments later you are already helping out your new friends to cross the hard obstacle that needs team effort. Somebody yelled in a language you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand sparking laughs and smiles you couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop until the late night. Summer University has started fully. Summer University is no different from any EPSA event. One needs to experience it to truly realise what it is all about; severe case of post congress depression included! This summer, the beautiful city of Brasov in Romania became the buzz of the community. From the information coming to us, it seemed the group of enthusiastic girls and

boys (and more girls) were eager to show us around and make a statement. The statement was BR simple: Summer AS OV University is your , summer place to be! The first thing that could be spotted in Brasov, no matter if you came alone or with your friends, was the positive and relaxing atmosphere.

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The organising team could be seen by their vivid t-shirts but were recognisable by big smiles. From the first moment, you knew that this is a week where you leave all your exams and troubles away for the enjoyment with new friends.their city so trips and activities were endless. Fresh tasty apples included.

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It was very interesting to be in the cosy city of Brasov as culture could really be soaked in here. A relatively small city in the centre of Romania offered us more than we could experience in these few short days. It was a pleasure to take a break from the programme and just go to the local green market for a first hand cultural experience. The organisation committee were too good at knowing For the second year in a row, Summer University has been shaping itself as a relaxing and soft-skills training orientated event. Trip into a cultural diversity, fun and socialising, which are the event’s main aspects, perfectly merged with concept of EPSA Trainings. High motivation and engagement during the morning sessions made the afternoon and the whole day trips even more fun and rewarding. And in the end of a day, it is always nice to know that all this fun came with new knowledge and new skills.

The important aspect was certainly the leisure. For the ones who are used to having no time whatsoever on other EPSA events, Summer University will come as a breath of fresh air. Trip to the medieval castles, aqua park, party or an afterparty. There was time for everything. This relaxation also made us lose track of time, as only seconds later we were already packing our stuff for the way home. Some boarded a train, others headed to Bucharest to visit their friends while some photos on Facebook revealed to us that the best road in the world, Transfăgărășan, was conquered by pharmacy students. One thing is sure, Summer University left us with many good memories and even better friends! Milos Stojkovic EPSA Vice-President of Public Relations

Get the most out of congresses

EPSA Vice-President of External Affairs shares his experiences Dear EPSA friend, You are reading this article at the moment because one of our firm beliefs at EPSA is to provide you, as a pharmacy student, a chance to attend events supported by our professional partners. Throughout the year, we offer you several opportunities of it at reasonably affordable prices. Now you ask: “Why should I go?” Events from professional organizations are the bridge linking the world of the student to the various sectors of the pharmaceutical field and healthcare in general. By attending these professional events, you’ll be exposed to an large number of opportunities, all within your reach. You’ll gain learning experiences. You’ll become aware of new areas in the pharmaceutical field. You’ll get the chance to interact with the world’s top of the class professionals and expand your network of contacts. From this specific point, you can gain not only promising knowledge and contacts but also possible future opportunities. Who knows, maybe even a job opportunity?! Networking and meeting new people is something that you should not be afraid to do. It can shape your future as a professional. You might worry that the individuals that you want to approach might be disinterested in talking to you. I could go on forever mentioning the worries and fears that some of us have when we are trying to establish contact and maintain a conversation with someone we don’t know and whom we are trying to impress. This has happened to me during the past when I have been representing EPSA at these professional events and I had to transmit the idea of EPSA, in order to get new partnerships, IMP placements and so on. Below are some tips that from my experience prove useful on how you can improve and expand your network.

The first and foremost important thing is that you aren’t afraid of trying. You need to risk! If you don’t try, you’ll never be able to gain any opportunities that can arise by striking up the conversation. In the worst case scenario, things stay the same. You will never lose anything by trying. You only stand to gain! Another thing which I consider to be an asset is looking professional. First-impressions count tremendously when initiating contact. Therefore you cannot afford being clumsy or dressed inappropriately, as this can lead to a false idea of who you are. You should always carry some business cards (BC). This is especially important when the person who you are conversing with is interested, as they will have your contact details and it looks professional. My personal opinion is that it should have a simple, clean design. Avoid flashy colours and glitter backgrounds. Useful tip is to give business cards away as that can often lead to you receiving a business card back. Finally, most of the events have networking cocktails or dinners. These are the perfect opportunities for you to create your network.Be careful with the drink here and us you want to use the most out of these gatherings, not the other way around. I hope that this article not only motivates you to take chances and attend professional events, but also to take the most out of it both in terms of knowledge, your network of contacts and opportunities. To sum up, here is what you should retain: • • •

If you don’t try, you won’t get it! Look professional and smart (even on cocktails), Have Business Cards with you.

Yours in EPSA, Guilherme Monteiro Ferreira

What about fun? Some call it networking. Some call it socialising. Some call it plain fun. We like to acknowledge and nourish it.

at EPSA events. As soon as the “Muevelo” starts playing, all students gather up and start dancing in sync with each other and the music. This scene is simply indescribable and one should really enjoy it at the congress!

The Social Programme is a part of EPSA events. The hosting country organises various recreational activities, such as sightseeing and parties with interesting themes. Each participant must be well prepared for these, as they act as a break from the Educational Programme! Workshops also involve interactions, but they should be serve better for ice breaking, sharing experiences, discussing the topics on the agenda and all the rest.

There is so much to say about EPSA activities. However, I’ll finish this article by mentioning the gala dinner which is held at the end of a congress. The gala night is the apotheosis of the social activities. It constitutes as a good reminder of the congress which has come to an end. Almost all of the participants would know each other by the time the gala is held. Participants are suited and dressed up for this event. Everybody makes their utmost in making sure that this last evening will be unforgettable and that they salute their international friends for one last time before returning back to everyday life.

The international night is well renowned. Each delegation has a stand boasting of several typical goodies, such foods and drinks, from their own country. This is a very good opportunity to learn the significance of the ensembles worn by the different participants and to taste their delicacies. This night is an EPSA tradition and it is the perfect place for the Exec of the association to get closer to the multicultural students. This night truly gives you a full “Tour of Europe”. During this party, each delegation comes to the stage to dance a popular song from their home country. The “Meuvelo”, which originated from a French event, is probably one of the most famous dances

I hope that I have left you with enough curiosity to attend one of these events and contribute towards the EPSA spirit. I do hope to see you at these incredible events! Pharmaceutically yours, Olivier Toucas ANEPF, France

Events page See whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coming up the next months December 30th-2nd Nov Germany, Regensburg - 2nd Leaders in Training

April 5th to 7th Germany - Training Weekend

January Finland - PharmMed Seminar

(dates not set yet) United Kingdom - BPSA Annucal Conference

March 4th to 6th The Netherlands, Amsterdam DIA Euromeeting

13 to 15 France, Paris - EAHP Congress th

22nd to 28th Italy, Catania - 36th EPSA Annual Congress

15th to 17th Germany, Hamburg - Interpharm 17th to 22nd Finland - Helsinki - TWIN with Frankfurt (Germany)

(dates not set yet) Belgium, Brussels - EPSA Annual Reception Would you like your event to appear here? Let us know! events@epsa-online.org

EPSA Executive Contacts EPSA President Pedro Barroca president@epsa-online.org

EPSA VP of Public Relations Miloš Stojković vp.pr@epsa-online.org

EPSA VP of Education Tiia Metiäinen vp.edu@epsa-online.org

EPSA VP of Mobility Laura Scurtu vp.mobility@epsa-online.org

EPSA Secretary General Sabiha Sagun secgen@epsa-online.org

EPSA VP of External Affairs Guilherme Monteiro Ferreira vp.ea@epsa-online.org

EPSA Treasurer Roberto Barros treasurer@epsa-online.org

EPSA Office Rue du Luxembourg 19-21, 1000 Bruxelles, BELGIUM epsaoffice@epsa-online.org

Have you enjoyed reading this EPSA Newsletter? Now you can subscribe the EPSA Newsletter and receive it, three times per year, at your home! How to do it? Go to www.epsa-online.org/students/merchandise/, fill in the application form and send it to EPSA Vice President of Public Relations (vp.pr@epsa-online.org). You should also send the proof of payment to EPSA Treasurer (treasurer@epsa-online.org) Keep yourself updated!