Pharmacy Education
Education plays an extremely important role in preparing pharmacy students for practice and other professional activities. It serves to ensure adequate and appropriate competence, knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviour required of pharmacists in order to contribute to communities and health systems in the best possible ways. It is the foundation of nurturing the 7+1 star pharmacist as recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).
The 7 roles of the pharmacist are: caregiver, decision-maker, communicator, manager, life-long learner, teacher and leader, with the added function of the pharmacist as a researcher. Read more about the 7-star pharmacist here.
IPSF is committed to ensuring quality pharmacy education. It is IPSF’s stand that students are an important stakeholder of the profession, and thus should be involved in and contribute to the development and implementation of their education and profession. The Federation strives to provide pharmacy students around the globe with avenues to broaden their knowledge base and encourages member associations to be proactive in improving pharmacy education.
IPSF’s involvement and initiatives in the field of pharmacy education include:
- Research
- Educational publications
- Educational events
- Statements
- Representation (events and networks)
IPSF conducts original research on issues relevant to the profession and education to engage pharmacy students in scientific research. While a recent initiative of the Federation, IPSF research is one of the most successful and widely-conducted. Research findings are regularly shared with international organisations such as the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and World Health Organization (WHO).
In November 2006, IPSF representatives attended the 2nd UNESCO International Colloquium on Research and Higher Education Policy – Arenas for Critical Debate in Paris, France. Read a report of the event here.
Moving On Research
Moving On is a series of original, questionnaire-based research projects that IPSF conducts on an international scale. Named after the inaugural proposal “Moving On – Practising what we preach” which was presented to IPSF at the 47th Congress in Cairo, Egypt (Aug 2001), the projects are a platform and strong evidence base to address pertinent issues in pharmacy education and workforce development.
Project findings are published in academic media and presented at international conferences. The research is conducted in collaboration with the School of Pharmacy, University of London.
Do you have any topics in mind that IPSF could conduct research on? Wish to get involved in a Moving On project or to find out more? Contact the IPSF Chairperson of Pharmacy Education at education@ipsf.org.
Moving On I – Academic Mobility
Academic mobility - Exchange of knowledge and skills through the international exchange of academics
At the 48th IPSF Congress in Budapest, Hungary (Aug 2002), students participating in the Education Forum decided to study why academic teachers do not engage more in worldwide mobility. Such exchange is vital to generate novel ideas, practices, cultural diversity and practices, in order to promote positive changes in pharmacy education and for pharmacy to progress globally as a profession. Pharmacy education has great influence on professional development and the role of a pharmacist and thus factors that can be utilised to enhance it should be identified.
162 academics from 24 countries participated in this study conducted in 2002-03. Results have been published!
Authors: Annemiek A.P. Bosman, Helga Gardarsdóttir, Linda Härmark, Luís Miguel Lourenço, Tana Wuliji, Ian Bates, Sarah Carter
Moving On I in a nutshell – View a scientific poster of the study here.
Download a booklet on the preliminary project results here.
Moving On II – The Student Learning Experience
There is much interest in standards of pharmacy education as health policy-makers focus more on the greater use of pharmacy practitioners. Curriculum design and delivery are as important as curriculum content for effective learning. As students are most directly affected by the system, their input is important in making informed, justified decisions in the development of educational policies and practices. It is thus of interest to survey the student learning experience for the construction of an evidence base for educational development.
MOII allows world-wide comparisons of the learning experiences of students enrolled in pharmacy programs. It is the first to make international comparisons in the field of pharmacy education and is the largest study of its type to date. Data collected will be used as a tool for education advancement.
Data collection concluded in May 2007 after two years. More than 10000 responses from 30 countries were received. Final analysis, results publication and discussion on the future of the project are in progress. Interim results have been published.
Authors: Zhining Goh, Luís Miguel Lourenço, Lesley Zwicker, Tana Wuliji, Sarah Carter
Download the article here.
Download the interim project slides here.
Moving On III – Migration Intentions of Pharmacy Students
The issue of the migration of skilled workers, especially health workers, has been the topic of many projects and discussion papers. It was identified at the 9th UNESCO Non-Governmental Organizations Collective Consultation on Higher Education, Paris, France, April 2005 that the ‘brain drain’ was a barrier to achieving progress in all areas of sustainable development. There is little information on the migration of pharmacists worldwide as most of the attention and research has been focused on physicians and nurses.
This study is a collaborative research between IPSF, the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and the School of Pharmacy, University of London. It aims to determine factors in the education and environment of pharmacy students that influence their desire to migrate. It is a pilot study with greater applications across all disciplines by developing a validated research questionnaire tool that can be used in the future to examine the migration intentions of students from other fields. Opportunities to improve workforce retention and conditions can hence be identified.
Data collection for the research is ongoing. For more information, contact Tana Wuliji at Tana@fip.org.
Download pilot project results slides here.
International Patterns of Tobacco Use among Pharmacy Students
Participants of the 50th IPSF Congress in Halifax, Canada (July 2004) were surveyed about their tobacco use, the policies of the students’ associations they represented to have smoke-free events, and training they receive to provide advice about smoking cessation. 147 out of 210 pharmacy students from 30 countries completed the survey. Results were published in 2005.
Article title: Tobacco Use among Pharmacy Students: An International Survey
Authors: Simon Bell, Satu Siiskonen, Marloes ten Brink
Medical and Pharmacy Students’ Attitudes towards Interdisciplinary Education
As interdisciplinary collaboration between healthcare professions is widely held to be beneficial for healthcare, interdisciplinary education is a logical preparation stage to encourage student practitioners to learn and work together. Conducted by IPSF, the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) and the European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (EPSA), this project sought to compare attitudes towards this subject.
1052 medical and pharmacy students from 69 countries completed the project survey tool in 2005. Results are awaiting publication.
Educational Publications
Each year IPSF publishes an educational/scientific supplement called “Phuture”. Each issue focuses on a different theme significant to pharmacy and healthcare. Pharmacy and other healthcare students, professional and international organisations, as well as representatives from various sectors and stakeholders of healthcare and the profession contribute articles for each issue. Articles are either of a scientific or informative nature.
The theme for Phuture 2008 is “Antibiotic Resistance”.
Download Phuture 2007 here.
Download older issues of Phuture here.
Pharmacy Education: Vision of the Future
In 1999, IPSF and the European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (EPSA), in collaboration with UNESCO, jointly published the booklet Pharmacy Education: A Vision of the Future which reported the essential developments in pharmacy education as studied by students worldwide. The booklet content reminds readers that healthcare and education are logical and complementary partners in practice and in development, and expresses the wishes of how pharmacy students would like to see their education directed.
Download the booklet here.
Educational Events
Education Forums
Education Forums are avenues for current issues in pharmacy education to be addressed. Such Forums are held each year at the annual IPSF Congress and at regional meetings.
The next IPSF Education Forum will be conducted during the 54th IPSF Congress in Cluj-Napoca, Romania in August 2008.
IPSF-EPSA Joint Symposium of Pharmacy Education
In 2001 and 2003, IPSF and the European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (EPSA) held this joint event to further develop the aims of the Pharmacy Education – Vision of the Future document. International speakers were invited to present on innovative learning and teaching methods and the empowerment of students for positive changes in pharmacy education. The event was very well-received by the attendees, and outcomes were contributed to UNESCO’s work on Higher Education.
Symposia and Poster Exhibitions
Symposia are great avenues for sharing and gaining knowledge, and to network with others. They take a varied format of lectures, workshops, exhibitions, study tours etc. Symposia can be of the following types:
- Scientific – Scientific symposia allow science-based updates and research to be presented and discussed.
- Informative/educational – Informative symposia aim to equip participants with information surrounding various topics e.g. clinical therapeutics, healthcare financing
- Combined – Such symposia combine the above types. Their broad scope caters to a wider range of interest and allows subjects like translational research to be addressed.
Poster exhibitions are usually held as part of a symposium or as a standalone event. They allow research work to be presented as attractive visual designs. A poster exhibition may also include a competition where the best poster presentations are awarded.
The next IPSF Symposia will be held during the 54th IPSF Congress in Cluj-Napoca, Romania in August 2008. Call for posters.
Theme of Education Symposium: New Challenges for the Pharmacy Profession
Theme of Scientific Symposium: Quality of Pharmaceuticals – Idealism vs. Reality.
Statements are declarations on IPSF’s stand on topics pertaining to issues in pharmacy or healthcare. At the 1st World Medical and Pharmacy Students Symposium (WorldMaPS), IPSF together with the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA), European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (EPSA) and European Medical Students’ Association (EMSA) jointly developed a Statement of Beliefs on Multidisciplinary Collaboration.
IPSF was represented in the form of a student rapporteur at the 3rd UNESCO Global Forum on International Quality Assurance, Accreditation and the Recognition of Qualifications held in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania in September 2007. Read a summary of the event here.
IPSF is also represented in various networks and meetings pertaining to pharmacy education:
- FIP Pharmacy Education Consultation
- International Forum on the Quality Assurance of Pharmacy Education
- PHARMacy IN Europe (PHARMINE) network