EPSA NWL_November

European Pharmaceutical Students' Association | www.epsa-online.org 

Bringing pharmacy 

knowledge 

and students together. 

Volume 24 | Edition 1 | November 2016 

Annual Congress: 

The congress from 

another perspective 

New Members: 

Meet our new 

EPSA members 

Mental Health: 

Don't let stress 

get you depressed

Some people sacrifice 

a sense of purpose for 

career success. 

We believe you can 

have both. 

To challenge. To change. 

Find a career with purpose 

at gsk.com/careers 

Christine 

Field Worker Sales 

USA

Table of contents Editor’s words 

Presidential words 4 

Internal 

New Team 6 

LS and NIMP of the year 8 

Meet our members factsheet 10 

Members Fund 12 

Events 

Annual Congress Report 14 

Summer University Report 16 

Education 

Science Day Winner 18 

Hygiene Your Summer 19 

Soft Skills 20 

Mental Health 22 

Mobility 

Twinnet 26 

European Voluntary Service 27 

External 

Individual Mobility Project 28 

Mentoring Project 29 

External Events by EPSA Team 30 

IPSF 31 

Roche 32 

Dear readers, 

It is my great pleasure to present to you the EPSA 

Newsletter Volume 24, Edition 1 on behalf of the whole 

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association. The 

first EPSA Newsletter was published in December 

1979 and right now, you are holding its 70th edition. 

The world of pharmacy is dynamic and new ideas are 

put into reality every day. Here, we want to provide you 

with a sneak peek of what has been going on around 

Europe in the last few months. 

This edition of the Newsletter reveals memories 

of attended events, testimonials of EPSA officials, 

members and alumni and more! In addition, we are 

honoured to introduce the newest EPSA members and 

provide you with some more insight into the variety of 

EPSA projects we are working on, such as our public 

health campaigns, our Mentoring Project, our mobility 

opportunities and many more! 

Not only does the EPSA Newsletter reach a round 

number this year, but also our association is thrilled to 

celebrate its 40th Anniversary during the 40th Annual 

Congress in Slovenia with all its members and friends. 

Lastly, I would like to thank all the contributors to 

this Newsletter: EPSA Team, EPSA officials, external 

authors, but especially the EPSA Public Relations 

department and the Editorial Board, for their great 

efforts in making this edition happen. After this being 

said, I wish you a pleasant reading and hope the EPSA 

spirit will move you as well! 

Charlotte Jacobs 

What is EPSA to you? 34 

Map of Europe 36 

Events Calendar 38 

Executive Contacts 39 

EPSA Vice President of 

Public Relations 2016-2017 

vp.pr@epsa-online.org 

Special thanks to: Gökberk Alp Yakar (Design), Cláudia Ferreira (Editing) 

Editorial Board: Nikola Lazarevski, David Kološic, Natalie James, Mia Šojat, Charlotte Jacobs 

www.epsa-online.org | @EPSA_Online

4 

Presidential words 

What is new? 

Dear EPSA friends, 

November has come and with it the European 

pharmacy students once again gather at one 

of the most famous EPSA events – the Autumn 

Assembly. It doesn't matter whether you're 

joining to actively help shape the Association and 

its future by attending the General Assembly, to 

learn more about scientific matters that surround 

pharmacy studies by joining the Educational 

Programme, or just to meet new people and 

old friends, this esteemed event guarantees 

long-lasting memories for everyone. 

Twelve years ago, EPSA introduced its second 

General Assembly of the year, 1st EPSA 

Autumn Assembly, which was held in Prague, 

Czech Republic in October 2004. Today, hosted 

in the outstanding country of Romania, the 

participants of the 13th EPSA Autumn Assembly 

will have the chance to firsthand experience 

how contagious the EPSA spirit really is, while 

learning and growing immensely as individuals 

and future Pharmacists. 

Three years have passed since my very first 

Autumn Assembly and I could not be more 

proud to attend this event with such an amazing 

group of talented individuals - the EPSA Team 

2016-2017. This Team officially started its 

mandate at the end of July, when our 1st Team 

Meeting took place in the beautiful city of Łódź, 

Poland. 

During those three days, the Team assembled to 

discuss the upcoming year. Plans of action and 

final reports took an active voice and old, new 

and restructured projects were passionately 

presented. From education to public relations, 

passing through external affairs and mobility, 

complementing with administration and internal 

affairs, all the EPSA matters and departments 

were carefully introduced and debated. 

This edition of the Newsletter highlights the 

EPSA events that happened in the past months 

- the Annual Congress in Helsinki, hosted by 

Finnish Pharmaceutical Students’ Association 

(FiPSA Finland), and the Summer University in 

Białystok, Poland, hosted by Young Pharmacy 

Poland (YP Poland). You will also be able to 

find articles about our latest activities in the 

educational and mobility areas, as well as brief 

digests of some external events in which EPSA 

was represented. Do not forget to have a quick 

look at our Map of Europe to get familiar with 

what our dear members were up to! 

I am very confident this edition of EPSA 

Newsletter and the Autumn Assembly have 

everything to amaze you and persuade you 

to become (or continue to be!) a loyal EPSA 

fan. Stay connected for more surprises and 

partaking on the development and growth of our 

Association! 

Yours in EPSA, 

Catarina Nobre 

EPSA President 

2016-2017 

president@epsa-online.org 

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association

Change the future. 

Push boundaries. 

At Roche, our success is built on innovation, curiosity, and diversity 

- multiplied by 91,747 professionals in 100 countries. By challenging 

conventional thinking and ourselves, we’ve become one of the 

world’s leading research-focused healthcare companies. 

Are you ready to add practical experience to your course of study? 

An internship (3 to 12 months) at Roche can be the perfect place 

to find out how your discipline looks in action. Interesting projects 

are taking place throughout the entire company and dedicated 

students from these fields of study are always in demand: 

• Pharmaceutical Sciences 

• Pharmaceutical Technology 

• Natural Sciences 

Bring along your ideas and your ability to research, develop, plan 

and organise. 

The next step is yours. 

careers.roche.ch

6 

Meet the New 


EPSA Team 2016-2017 

7 


8 

Member of the year 

ŠS SFD 

One late April evening in Helsinki, when everyone’s 

eyes were getting heavy with the congress week 

beginning to take its toll, Katarzyna (EPSA President 

2015-2016) announced one last award of the night. 

At this point, I was sure there was nothing that could 

make the past week any more unforgettable, but as 

ŠS SFD was announced the EPSA Member of the 

Year 2015-2016, I was proven wrong. 

ŠS SFD stands for Students' section of Slovenian 

Pharmaceutical Society. Established in 1997, it 

represents all of the 950 students (and one snake), 

studying at the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University 

of Ljubljana. If it wasn’t for the strict word limit, I would 

tell you about our numerous and diverse projects and 

the high amount of teamwork that goes into them, 

however, coming from such a small country, keeping 

our activities strictly domestic, is not an option. 

That is why we strive to make the most of what 

international student organisations have to offer us, or 

in other words, we keep the EPSA spirit alive. How? 

By promoting, pursuing and adopting its projects, but 

most importantly, the sharing of EPSA experience. A 

result of this is, no doubt, the high number of ŠS SFD 

members attending the EPSA events. Going as high 

as 36 people at the 2016 Annual Congress alone, is 

proof that the EPSA spirit has never run higher. This is 

a sign that Slovenians are now more ready than ever 

to take a step into the unknown, explore the options 

of pharmacy in Europe, pursue something more than 

formal education has to offer and experience student 

life unparalleled to any on a national level. 

Highlights from the past year other than the record 

delegation? Two Twinnets, several of our members 

becoming EPSA Trainers and Team Members, 

and, of course, being confirmed as the host for the 

upcoming EPSA Annual Congress 2017, just to 

name a few. 

However, our accomplishments as members only 

reflect the strength that comes from the organisation 

we are members of. So, on behalf of ŠS SFD, I 

would once again like to thank EPSA for providing 

us with so many different opportunities whilst also 

acknowledging our hard work to undertake and 

nurture them. This only motivates us to go even 

further. 

Katja Olenik 

EPSA Liaison Secretary 

for ŠS SFD Slovenia, 

2015-2016 


LS and NIMP of the year 

9 

LS of the year article by Leonor Soares (APEF) 

My name is Leonor Soares and I was the Liaison 

Secretary (LS) for APEF, Portugal between 2014 

and 2015. 

If you want a life-changing challenge, being an LS 

is the perfect position for you! 

When I was asked to write this article, I found it 

really difficult to express how this experience was 

for me. How can you translate a whole year full 

of new and exciting experiences into 160 words? 

You can’t. You have to live it. 

Being an LS is about growing; exchanging ideas, 

good practices and customs; sharing love; making 

new friends; delivering your best for both associations; 

representing your students; spreading 

EPSA activities, projects and opportunities; learning; 

teaching; arguing; working; not being afraid 

to speak up; Skype meetings; emails; GAs; working 

hard and playing harder; travelling; visiting 

new places; a life-changing experience that will 

transform you into a better and more competent 

person. 

And all that remains is Saudade. 

Saudade - Portuguese word that means you miss 

something. 

Leonor Soares 

LS of the year 

APEF Portugal, 

2015-2016 

NIMP of the year article by Philipp Carter (ASEP) 

The wishes, needs and dreams of young pharmacy 

students are very similar in all of our countries. The 

chances to follow them are unfortunately not. 

Trying to make this frustrating situation better was my 

main motivation to volunteer as a NIMP for asep, Switzerland. 

The title of my article is an old socialist slogan. Based 

on this slogan and my abilities, I wanted to contribute 

to the progression of the IMP, EPSA and as many European 

students as possible. 

I tried to use the extremely good conditions in my hometown 

Basel, Switzerland (global headquarters of 

Hoffmann-La Roche and Novartis) and my personal 

contacts to fulfill this task. 

During the last year, I found a good partner in the 

HR department of my former employer Hoffmann-La 

Roche. This contact allowed me and the EPSA Executives 

to secure a sponsorship deal between them and 

EPSA. We also distributed some of their internships 

through EPSA channels. This allowed a Croatian student 

to land an internship in their technical regulatory 

affairs department. 

As a NIMP I enjoy the treats of EPSA (such as our legendary 

congresses and the amazing friendships), but 

I'm also able to give back something to the European 

students and the EPSA family. 

Hopefully some of you will be able to enjoy the beauty 

and experiences that come with an internship in Switzerland. 

I would gladly welcome you. 

- See you soon 

Philipp Carter 

NIMP of the year 

ASEP Switzerland, 

2015-2016 


10 

Meet our new members 

EMUPSS, Cyprus 

EMUPSS (Eastern Mediterranean University 

Pharmacy Students Society) is a student-run, 

non-profit, non-governmental, non-religious organisation 

based in Famagusta, North Cyprus. It launced 

on May 14, 2014. In North Cyprus the national 

language is Turkish. The most known traditional food 

are molehiya and kebap which is usually preferred to 

be eaten with our traditional drink Rakı. 

EMUPSS is active student body at the Faculty Of 

Pharmacy in EMU. It accepts all students at the faculty 

and currently have 300 members. EMUPSS 

has an executive committee of 9 people; 

WHY EPSA? 

Among the various pharmacy student associations, 

EMUPSS’s aims, objectives and activities are more 

in tune with the vision of EPSA. EMUPSS members 

are interested in expanding the role in EPSA beyond 

just membership by actively participating in its activities 

and events. EMUPSS wanted to join EPSA in order 

to give its members the chance to connect with 

other European pharmacy students and exchange 

ideas, experiences, knowledge in addition to building 

friendships that would last a lifetime. 

• President and IPSF Contact Person, Alia Henedi. 

• Vice President, Muhammed Magaji Yusuf 

• Treasurer, Shilan Hassanzadeh 

• Secretary, Zeina Henedi 

• Events Coordinator, Zamo Bakhtyar 

• Research Officer, Nashat Hababa 

• Public Relations Officer, Ecem Tansoy 

• Member at large, Ammar Al Safwa 

• Student Exchange Officer, Safiye Cagansel 

EMUPSS is a member of International Pharmaceutical 

Students’ Federation (IPSF) and a member of 

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association 

(EPSA). 

1 st National Congress | May 2016 

EMUPSS organises academic and educational 

activities such as conferences and seminars for its 

members, to broaden their knowledge about the 

different fields of pharmacy. The biggest event for 

EMUPSS was The 1st National Congress which was 

held between 14 th -16 th of May 2016, hosted for students 

from different countries. EMUPSS also holds 

various disease awareness campaigns for pharmacy 

students and other students at EMU to raise awareness 

about the importance of prevention, early detection 

and treatments of common diseases. 

Presenting EMUPSS at EPSA Autumn 

Assembly | Finland 2016 

Visit to School of Children In Need | December 

2015 


Meet our new members 

ASFRM, Moldova 

Asociația Studentilor Farmacisti din 

Republica Moldova (ASFRM) 

• President, Alexandr Galațanu 

• Vice President, Boaghi Marina 

• Secretary, Vesiolîi Sorina 

• Treasurer, Butescu Olga 

• IT Department Coordinator, Curac Victor 

• Culture Department Coordinator, 

Gușan Marcel 

• Projects Department Coordinator, Țurcanu 

Eugenia 

• External Relations Department Coordinator, 

Ermurache Cristina 

Meat products hold a special place in traditional 

Moldovan cuisine, especially as an appetizer or the 

first course. Roasted and grilled pork, beef meatballs 

(known as pârjoale and chiftele) and steamed lamb 

are common. Meat and fish are often marinated and 

then grilled. 

Non-alcoholic beverages include stewed-fruit compotes 

and fruit juice. Popular alcoholic beverages 

are divin (Moldovan brandy), beer, and local wine. 

11 

Number of faculties: 1 

Capital City: Chișinău 

National language: Romanian 

National dish and drink 

The best known Moldovan dish is mămăligă (a cornmeal 

porridge). It is served with stews and meat 

dishes or simply garnished with cottage cheese, 

sour cream, or pork rind. Regional delicacies include 

brânză de oi (salty cheese) and ghiveci (a lamb or 

goat stew). The local wines are served with most of 

the meals. Lots of fresh vegetables like tomatoes, 

sweet peppers, aubergine, cabbage, beans, onions, 

garlic, and leek are used in salads and sauces. The 

various kinds of borș (ciorbă) include a wide range of 

soups with a characteristic sour taste. These may be 

meat, vegetable or fish soups all of which are soured 

by borș (traditionally made from bran), or lemon 

juice. Chicken soup with meat, known as zeamă, is 

very popular. 

Number of members you are bringing to 

EPSA: 530 members 

WHY EPSA? 

We, as students, have a lot in common. We are 

young, clever, happy and we are in Europe. I said, 

why not? 

This is our chance to meet a lot of people like us and 

we can share many things with different students 

during the EPSA events. Our purpose is to improve 

students’ lives and knowledge and this is the best 

way to do it. We are beginners and we need to develop, 

thus the EPSA community is the best way of 

us doing this. Thank you EPSA for accepting us in 

your family. 

The field in which we have experience: in External 

Relations and Projects. 


12 

Members Fund 

MUPSA & USF & MPSA 

Starting a new project from scratch has many 

challenges, particularly because of the organisational 

and financial aspects. Fortunately, we are very lucky 

to have EPSA which always supports its members in 

every step! EPSA has launched a new competition 

that encourages its members to organise new 

projects and supports them financially. 

studies and psychopharmacology presentations. 

The social part of the Twinnet was full-on too - we 

arranged a welcome party during the first night, 

followed by a Pharmacy Ball on the Bosphorus during 

the second night, ending with a Turkish Night where 

we presented our traditional cuisine and drinks. 

MUPSA, Turkey participated in the Members 

Fund competition and was awarded the highest fund 

among the other applying associations. Being one 

of the winners of this competition truly motivated us 

and enabled us to organise new Twinnets during the 

spring term! 

There was hard work and dedication in organising the 

project - the preparation for it started several months 

in advance. The first part of the Twinnet was held 

in Freiburg between the 9th and 13th March. Even 

though it was the first Twinnet held by the Freiburg 

Team, the quality of the organisation was very 

high. We are incredibly thankful for their hospitality, 

everything was perfect! 

The next part of the project was organised in 

Istanbul between the 13 th and 17 th May, the theme 

was "Different Perspectives of Pharmaceutical 

Care". The educational part started with workshops, 

followed by a training, by the EMSA Trainers Merve 

Yıldırım and Naz Çakır, who delivered a training on 

"Team Management". It was quite interesting. Some 

exercises, such as making a marshmallow tower 

with the group took place. On the second day of the 

educational part, there were workshops with a multidisciplinary 

approach to clinical pharmacy, case 


I would like to thank EPSA for providing us with 

such an opportunity, as well as the MUPSA Team, 

the Freiburg Team and the Back-up Team members 

who made this project unforgettable! Lastly, I would 

recommend everyone to embark on this journey - it is 

long but worthwhile. 

Baran Arslan 

LS MUPSA, Turkey 

2015-2016 

Spread the Love Generation – 10 th Training 

New Trainers, 7 th to 23 rd July 2016, Brno, 

Czech Republic 

Summer time – the time of holidays, beaches, travelling 

and no school, of course! However, 14 enthusiastic 

students seized the opportunity to come to the Czech 

Republic to find out what it takes to become a soft 

skills trainer. The 10 th edition of Training New Trainers 

event happened in July in the university city of Brno. 

Moreover, this event was organised together with the 

International Veterinary Students‘ Association (IVSA) 

for the first time and we were happy to welcome 

students from all over the world – from Poland to 

Tunisia. 

During the week, the students practiced numerous 

aspects of what is necessary to become an 

excellent trainer. For this event, the EPSA trainers 

Adéla Firlová and Vojtěch Ondra were joined by the 

IFMSA (International Federation of Medical Students’ 

Associations) trainer, Nissa Khan, and EFPSA 

(European Federation of Psychology Students’ 

Associations) trainer, Astrid van der Gun, to guide 

participants. 

In 

fi 

c 

a 

G 

o 

M 

B 

y 

c 

c 

e 

T 

H 

s 

p 

a 

s 

In 

e 

b 

th 

d

In the end, everyone was challenged to deliver their 

first training and after a sleepless night, new Trainer 

candidates were born. Yes, they still have a long path 

ahead, however, it is safe to say that Spread the Love 

Generation has stepped in the right direction to help 

others master different soft skills. 

Zuzana Jirotková 

LS USF, Czech Republic 

2015-2016 

MPSA, Macedonia 

Being a dedicated and ambitious student in the final 

years of studies, or a freshman trying to figure out the 

complexity of the pharmaceutical sciences can be a 

challenging task, especially if one does not dedicate 

enough time for him/herself. 

Therefore, the main goal of this year’s MPSA Mental 

Health Awareness Campaign was focused on the 

students at the Faculty of Pharmacy in Skopje, their 

personal development, the road to self-awareness 

and self-realisation during the studies, and methods of 

stress management in everyday stressful situations. 

In order to act effectively and practically, we chose 

every possible way of interaction with the students, 

both passive and active. The campaign consisted of 

three parts: a one day mental health and personal 

development seminar, photo challenge and ‘Stressless’ 

hiking to the top of the Vodno mountain, in Skopje. 

During the seminar, students experienced a different 

and interactive lecture delivered by Prof. Dr. Emilija 

Stoimenova Canevska, who is a respected Gestalt 

psychotherapist and Dean at the International 

Balkan University in Skopje. Besides motivation, 

students learned the core meanings of ‘contact’ and 

‘communication’ as tools for self-care and care for the 

others. The inspiring lecture was followed by trainings 

on active listening and critical thinking, during which 

participants had an opportunity to develop these soft 

skills. During coffee breaks the cameras were switched 

on and the photo challenge began. Each participant 

contributed in spreading the word on social media as 

part of the global EPSA-IPSF joint online campaign, 

in order to raise awareness about the depression and 

end the stigma around this disorder. 

Last but not least, the physically and mentally 

challenging but fun ‘Stressless’ hike to the top of 

Vodno mountain. MPSA Macedonia plans to maintain 

hiking activities for students, so we plan on doing more 

‘Stressless’ hikes this year. 

Finally, on behalf of the MPSA Macedonia Executive, I 

would like to express a huge gratitude for the financial 

support EPSA provided, so we could implement this 

project on a local level. 

Hopefully, reading this article will inspire many 

associations to be motivated and prepare a unique 

idea with which they could apply to the next Members 

Fund Competition. 

Good luck to all of you and one last piece of advice 

- don’t keep ideas locked inside your brain, express 

them! 

Veronika Stoilkovska 

MPSA, Macedonia 

2016-2017 

www.epsa-online.org | @EPSA_Online 

13

14 

39 th EPSA Annual Congress 

Through the eyes of the Reception Committee 

I am still amazed about the fact that we made it. On 

the other hand, this was the best team I have ever 

worked with. The Reception Committee (RC) was 

made of a combination of talent and experience – 

rumour has it that for many participants this was their 

best EPSA event so far. That is surely something to 

feel proud of (although we Finns do not tend to brag). 

There was not much time for sleep, but high levels of 

stress kept us going. We always had something to 

do, no matter whether it was 2 AM or 5 PM, so you 

didn’t have time to notice if you were tired or not. I 

was running between the venues all day and I think 

the exercise gave me some extra energy as well. 

Now, let’s get behind the scenes! Most of the 

work was done already way before the congress 

week (publications, logistics, finding sponsors and 

speakers, catering, helping committee training, to 

give you some examples). However, I think all RC 

members will agree with me when I say that the actual 

congress week was the most hectic time of our work. 

When there is almost 400 participants and more than 

30 people working, surely all the things won’t go as 

planned. As the Backup Team Coordinator, I didn’t 

have a day without schedule changes and almost 

every day there was a new helper coming to work. 

Nevertheless, I quickly learned to love my work and I 

was honoured to lead the Helping Team. 

Most of us attended and worked at the parties. 

Sadly, I did not have much time to interact with 

regular participants elsewhere. I did not make as 

many new Facebook friends as at congresses I had 

attended before, but I got to work with the amazing 

RC and EPSA Team. Without a doubt, EPSA Annual 

Congress 2016 was one of the best experiences of 

my whole life. 

Saara Ruokonen 

Backup Team Coordinator/ 

Reception Committee Member 

EPSA Annual Congress 2016 


39 th EPSA Annual Congress 

Through the eyes of Alumni 

15 

The EPSA Alumni Weekend of the 39th EPSA Annual 

Congress was once again the perfect opportunity to 

meet old EPSA friends, as well as to get to know 

new students getting involved in EPSA. 

be more aware of professional « pitfalls ». During the 

afternoon, we took on a team building activity in an 

escape room, where Alumni had to work together to 

solve puzzles leading to the exit from a locked room. 

However, all of this was topped off with the best 

moment of the weekend in my opinion: the sauna 

and Alumni dinner, with traditional Finnish student 

songs, rituals and homemade Finnish delicacies. 

The first day was particularly intense: during the EPSA 

elections, Alumni were present to ask questions 

to the candidates and assess their motivation to 

support EPSA for a whole year. And what better way 

to interact with all these people than by joining the 

International Night right after? 

The last day was dedicated to a full session on Chat 

with Professionals and the Alumni meeting, which 

was carried out in style, discussing EPSA whilst 

drinking cocktails on a rooftop bar. The usual Gala 

night followed, concluding the weekend and allowing 

the post-Congress depression to kick in. 

The Alumni Coordinator, Jeanne Kern, as well as the 

Alumni and Reception Committee representatives, 

Inkatuuli Heikkinen, Tiia Metiäinen and Heidi Jäntti, 

did a fantastic job organising the event and made it 

a memorable EPSA event once again! 

The second day started with a career development 

lunch, kindly provided by DRA Consulting. It was 

the perfect opportunity to discuss the challenges 

we all face in the first years of career with Alumni 

and how we can improve the situation by learning 

from each other. As Alumni, this is certainly a 

key activity that such a network can potentiate: 

improving professional development by learning 

from each other and hopefully helping students to 

João Duarte 

EPSA Alumnus and 

Honorary Life Member 


16 

18 th EPSA Summer University 

Białystok, Poland 

How am I going to fit six days of life-changing memories, 

friends and experiences into one small article? This 

was my first thought when I started writing about my 

experience of the 18 th EPSA Summer University held 

from 2 nd to 8 th August 2016 in Białystok, Poland. 

The second memory is the treasure hunt game. I have 

to say, walking together with a small group of total 

strangers, in a totally unknown city, with a map in your 

hands and a desire not to get lost is something special. 

It was amazing! We saw the beauties of Białystok, as 

well as getting to know each other much better (not 

to mention, we won. Go Yellow Team!). 

The story began when I was selected as the winner 

of the EPSA Sqore competition and received a free 

ticket for my first visit into the world of EPSA. Here, I 

will share my top three memories. 

Since this was my first time attending an EPSA 

event, one of the workshops I chose was the EPSA 

Workshop. Not only did I learn about EPSA, the Team 

and their mission for students around Europe, I also 

got to be in the best picture of this event! 

Last, but not least, the Public Health Campaign. This 

is, by far, my most valuable experience of all. It was 

the part where all of us truly connected with our roles 

as pharmacists. To see 120 pharmacists in one place, 

from 20 different countries working on the same issue 

to benefit the public was quite a sight. And I am 

grateful I was a part of it. 

Finally, thank you EPSA, Reception Committee, 

Helping Team and all of the participants who helped 

making this Summer University a unique experience 

for everyone. We have certainly ‘Polished Our Skills’! 

See you at the next EPSA event (wherever that might 

be)! 

Rijad Šerak 

Participant 

EPSA Summer University 

2016 


A Hero with a Thousand Faces 

Winner of the Sqore Competition 

Not all heroes wear capes, at least not the ones from 

comic books, but pharmacists do wear them, and 

they deserve it. Armed with knowledge and passion 

to help other people they act as heroes, heroes to 

children, adults and the elderly. Not often recognized 

as one, but what exactly does make a pharmacist “a 

hero with a thousand faces”? 

And no matter what, he needs to deliver. Every time, 

and with a smile. 

17 

It was, for a long time, considered that magic was the 

right and only way to restore health and strength to 

the body. But a lot has changed since then. Maybe, 

that is why pharmacists wear coats today, as a sign of 

resemblance to a magician? Who knows. One thing 

is definitely sure, they are not magicians and they do 

not appear in white coats only. And like our everyday 

heroes, they are often neglected. 

Pharmacists belong to the healthcare world and they 

present figures that are of big importance to improving 

everybody’s lives. Even though they work in a broad 

palette of areas, most of them work in pharmacies 

which is their home ground. It is there they play 

their key role. Pharmacists are the very last link in 

the whole chain, beginning from doctors, carers to 

prescribers, that ultimately makes them accountable 

and in charge of one’s life. It is their obligation to do 

what is right and guide the patient to it’s recovery. 

But, “why is that so?” you might ask. It is because of 

responsibility. This is what makes a pharmacist stand 

out in the healthcare world and it is what makes him 

so important. He is the last filter that tells whether 

the therapy and the drug are correct. Responsibility is 

one of the key “faces” that make a pharmacist a hero. 

One of the many faces of a pharmacist is also his 

truthfulness. Honesty is his priority and he will not 

withhold anything, just like a true friend. Besides this 

he has many skills on his hands. He is respectful, 

unbiased, open and communicative. A pharmacist 

needs to be informed with the latest trends in 

healthcare and gain new knowledge everyday and is 

obligated to disseminate it. He never stops learning 

and sharing new information, tips and guidelines 

which make him a community leader and an educator 

with a purpose, which is patient’s well-being. 

But, I almost forgot, the most important face of a 

pharmacist, is that he is your friend. 

He is your local neighbour. He is the person that cares 

and advises you in times of need, no matter how you 

look, think or feel. He is no more than you and I, just 

an ordinary person and yet, a hero. Truly, a hero with 

a thousand faces. 

Rijad Šerak 

Participant 

EPSA Summer University 

2016 


18 

Science Day Winners 

Interview with the winners 

Science Day Poster: Presentation Winner 

Science Day: Oral Presentation Winner 

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your 

research? 

Hello! My name is Acacia and I am a recently qualified 

pharmacist in the United Kingdom. I presented my 

research on “Customers’ Opinions on Novel Pharmacy 

Services in the UK”, which included a questionnaire 

about services, such as home visits, discharge support, 

alcohol screening, consultations with a healthcare 

professional and much more. I believe this could be a 

future role for community pharmacists and I wanted to 

share my findings with students from other countries 

that have implemented or are trying to implement 

similar services. 

2. In your opinion, how does the Science Day 

poster presentation benefit students? 

The quality of research presented during the Science 

Day is very educational,especially towards our roles as 

future scientists and healthcare professionals. It was a 

once in a lifetime opportunity to gain skills, experience, 

share my research with other students in Europe and 

learn from them too. 

3. Any advice to future Science Day participants? 

Firstly, just go for it! You will need to deliver presentations 

throughout your studies and the earlier you start 

practising, the better. Secondly, polish your public 

speaking skills, practice your presentation until it just 

rolls off your tongue and you can even send an email to 

the EPSA Science Coordinator for tips and resources 

for good presenting skills. Thirdly, ask for feedback 

from your supervisors, your colleagues and the Science 

Coordinator, as they will help you identify areas of 

improvement for your research. Lastly, take this great 

opportunity to meet other students, share their passion 

for research and have fun at the same time! I wish you 

the best of luck! 

Acacia Leong Pik Kay 

BPSA United Kingdom 

1. Tell us about your research and the EPSA 

Science Day Oral Presentation Competition. 

During my studies I was always frustrated with the 

attitude our professors showed towards dietary 

supplements. I decided to investigate protein dietary 

supplements myself, since these products are widely 

used in amateur sports to enhance muscular growth 

and similar products are used for reducing the effects 

of general and cancer-induced cachexia. I determined 

their quality by evaluating the individual amino acid 

and total protein contents and developed a method 

for amino acid analysis using automatic derivation and 

high-pressure liquid chromatography. I discovered 

that the majority of specifications for these products 

were outside the acceptance criteria. However, these 

inaccuracies are considered unimportant and should 

not affect the human health. In the future, I hope that 

this method will be improved and samples will be tested 

for potential impurities, such as steroid compounds. 

2. In your opinion, how does the Science Day 

poster presentation benefit students? 

After my graduation I was very proud of my work and 

hoped to inform others about my findings. I was very 

happy when I received an opportunity to present my 

work at the EPSA Annual Congress in Helsinki. I also 

hoped the experience would provide me with soft 

skills unrelated to my professional education. During 

the preparation I learnt how to design a poster, print 

it, prepare a presentation, decide which information 

to include, answer questions from the audience and 

so on. It is very helpful to do this before your first big 

professional presentation and in the end, I won the oral 

presentation. 

3. Any advice to future Science Day participants? 

My advice to future participants is simple: I recommend 

it. A lot. APPLY! 

Luka Kosec 

ŠS SFD Slovenia 


Hygiene Your Summer! 

EPSA public health campaigns aim to prevent 

widespread diseases through education and health 

promotion. With the great support of GSK and EPSA 

members, we organised the Hygiene Awareness 

Campaign during August and September. 

maxillary form. Besides this, participants gave away 

balloons, apples, toothpaste samples, leaflets and 

stickers around the mall. Also, those who answered 

the hygiene-related quiz correctly received special 

gifts from GSK and DentAssist. 

19 

The largest part of this campaign was included in 

the Summer University educational programme in 

the form of a workshop. It prepared and informed 

pharmacy students present at this EPSA event 

on how to approach the general public to make 

them aware of the importance of good hygiene in 

preventing the most common infectious diseases. 

Additionally, on 6th August, during the same event 

in Białystok, Poland, we arranged tents and tables 

in two locations, the Branicki Palace garden and Alfa 

Mall, in order to attract different groups of people to 

join our event. The campaign targeted two groups of 

people: pharmacy students and citizens of Białystok. 

In collaboration with YP Poland and DentAssist, we 

organised different activities divided into various 

types of hygiene in order to reach more people. We 

also encouraged children to join our campaign, with 

the children's corner being the main attraction for 

them and helping our students feel more confident 

to talk and interact with the little ones. From “magic 

powders” to learning hygiene-related English words, 

the kids and the participants enjoyed the public 

health campaign. EPSA also collaborated with local 

dentistry students who were in charge of informing 

the public why oral hygiene is important and how 

they should clean their teeth properly by using a 

All in all, more than 1000 people were reached during 

this local event and around 80 pharmacy students 

from 20 European countries volunteered, making 

this public health campaign a success. The winners 

of the public health campaign photography contest 

were: Monika Čičová (Slovakia) and Hera Mobeen 

Ali (UK). 

At a European level, there are two EPSA members 

developing the “Hygiene your Summer!” campaign 

locally: AFÖP Austria and APEF Portugal. 

The campaign outcomes were released in an article 

that included testimonials from different participants 

of the campaign in Poland and a press release article. 

Elena Popa 

EPSA Social Services and 

Public Health Coordinator 

2015-2017 


20 

Soft Skills 

T is for Training 

If a Trainer ever crossed your path, you may have 

noticed that in general, they are strange creatures. 

Not that they are weird people or have strange 

habits (well, some of them may have), but they surely 

are peculiar. Another thing you might have noticed 

is that, if there is one thing Trainers love, that thing 

is questions! Especially those that start with ‘why’, 

‘what’, ‘how to’ and ‘what if’. This, of course, is 

no coincidence. Trainers are used to applying the 

4MAT model in their sessions and, as you may have 

guessed, these four questions are a big part of this 

model. 

As a Trainer I also tend to ask these questions a lot 

and with this article I will show you the great results 

they can bring. 

But what do EPSA Trainers do? 

At this point you may be asking yourself: how is an 

article about Trainers missing the words “soft” and 

“skills”? Wait no more, the time is now! You already 

know that Trainers are here to help you share your 

knowledge and acquire new skills. Those skills are 

soft skills! Trainers carefully prepare and facilitate 

sessions where the major goal is for you to learn 

more about a group of specific soft skills. So it is 

not about calculus or chemistry this time, nor even 

physics. It is about life skills you will need in your 

future! 

Why does EPSA need Trainers? 

As you know, one of EPSA’s aims is to bring 

knowledge and students together and this is just one 

of the parts where Trainers can step in. This group 

of people loves to facilitate knowledge sharing. 

Some of us (including myself) adopted “Sharing is 

caring” as a motto, and although this may apply to 

a myriad of things, knowledge is certainly one of the 

most valuable ones you can freely share with others. 

Moreover, the best thing about sharing knowledge is 

that most of the times your own knowledge grows in 

the process too! Trainers are there to facilitate this. 


But where do you need those skills? The answer 

is quite simple: everywhere! If you are working in 

a team, you need to know how to communicate, 

and some group dynamics will do you no harm; if 

you have a schedule, you are doing some kind of 

time management; if you are stressing before an 

important event, you might be needing some stress 

management; if you need to figure out what the 

patient is feeling behind the counter, you will find 

emotional intelligence the most useful of skills. All of 

these are soft skills that can be transmitted to you in 

a Training session! 

of creative ways for you to learn new concepts. Then, 

during the time of the Training session (the part you 

usually see) they make you do some unusual things, 

make awkward requests and ask some carefully 

planned questions, all with the same objective: for 

you to learn the most you can! 

21 

How do Trainers do this? 

This is a complex question. Trainers do love to 

read (some more than others) and they love to 

be creative. Put these two together, pour some 

models, flipcharts, markers, icebreakers, games and 

exercises in that exact right way, and you will have 

a Training session! Sounds simple but it surely isn’t. 

Trainers spend a lot of time studying the topics they 

are delivering (so much that some of them decide 

to specialise in a couple of them!). After they gather 

enough knowledge (and enough is way more than 

they are able to cover in a session) they start thinking 

What if you want to become an EPSA 

Trainer? 

The answer comes in only three letters: TNT (or 

Training New Trainers event)! If you think you have 

that peculiarity I spoke about before, you somehow 

have a liking for books with unusual titles such as 

“Eat that frog!”, have attended Training sessions and 

felt an inner connection, love to learn, and most of 

all have a huge passion for human development, 

maybe it is time for you to apply for a Training New 

Trainers event and become part of this group of 

amazing people that are traveling all over Europe to 

deliver you skills for life! 

Diogo Piedade 

EPSA Training Coordinator 

2016-2017 


22 

Mental Health 

Introduction 

When we think about the basic human rights, the 

right to health is one of the first ones which pops up. 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights mentions 

it as “the right to a standard of living adequate for 

the health and well-being of himself and of his family, 

including food, clothing, housing and medical care 

and necessary social services”. 

As pharmacists and future healthcare professionals, 

we are those responsible for providing this right for 

others. It is a responsibility we carry with honour and 

pride. 

However, before we go any further, let’s take a 

moment to define health. According to WHO “Health 

is a state of complete physical, mental and social 

well-being and not merely the absence of disease 

or infirmity.” 

The part of this definition, that I want to emphasise 

throughout this article, is the mental one. As 

scientists, we like to live in a world of exact answers, a 

world in which the solution for every problem is clear, 

fitting the problem perfectly, just like a missing piece 

of a puzzle. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work 

like that, especially when dealing with something as 

complex as health. 

What do we know about mental health? 

We know that mental health involves the absence 

of mental illnesses, as well as being able to function 

at a satisfactory level of emotional well-being. It 

involves being able to be autonomous, balance your 

daily activities and face the inevitable challenges 

encountered in everyday life. 

The fifth chapter of the International Classification of 

Diseases produced by WHO, is dedicated to mental 

health disorders and their classification. There, they 

are divided into 10 main categories, out of which 

we will mention substance-abuse disorders, mood 

disorders and anxiety disorders, as they are the 

most prevalent ones. 

Mood disorders 

Based on a recent study, mood disorders account 

for around 13% of mental illnesses. The most 

common mood disorder is depression, which can 

range from mild to severe and is characterised by 

unusually intense feelings of sadness or melancholia 

sustained over a long period of time. In this category 

we can also mention bipolar disorder, characterised 

by periods of abnormally elevated mood alternating 

with periods of depression. 

Anxiety disorders 

As the name suggests, these disorders are based 

on intense feelings of anxiety and fear which disrupts 

normal life. First of all, these include phobias, from 

arachnophobia (fear of spiders) to claustrophobia 

(fear of small spaces) and agoraphobia (fear of open 

or public spaces). Furthermore, in this category we 

also encounter panic disorders and generalised 

anxiety disorder, characterised by excessive, uncontrollable 

and irrational worry. This disorder 

affects approximately 4% of all people. Last but not 

least, post-traumatic stress disorder is also found 

amongst the anxiety disorders. It affects people who 

have undergone a traumatic event, such as sexual 

assault, warfare or threats to life. 


Physiological disorders 

Starting off with food disorders, this category 

encompasses bulimia and anorexia, as well 

as some more uncommon disorders, such as 

pica, a disorder characterised by an appetite for 

non-nutritive substances, such as ice, earth, paint, 

glass or even metal. Next are the sleeping disorders 

such as insomnia, hypersomnia, night terrors and 

somnambulism. 

Disorders associated with psychoactive 

substance use 

The most prevalent of these is alcohol abuse, which 

affects around 5% of all Europeans. Alcoholism can 

lead to severe withdrawal symptoms and even hallucinations. 

It can also cause acute poisoning, which 

can be deadly if untreated. Other psychoactive 

substances associated with abuse include sedatives, 

stimulants and hallucinogens. 

In a world where 27% of all European adults have 

suffered from a mental illness in the past year, it is 

essential that we educate ourselves about mental 

illness and the treatments available. 

23 

Delusional disorders 

The best known delusional disorder is schizophrenia, 

a disease affecting between 0.3-0.7% of the 

population. Schizophrenia comes in many types 

and with many different symptoms, the most 

common one being hallucinations, such as voices 

in one’s head leading to false beliefs. Aside from 

schizophrenia, there are different types of psychotic 

disorders in which patients experience hallucinations 

of various intensity. 

Raluca Radu 

EPSA Vice President 

of Education 

2016-2017 


Educational Calendar 

24 


www.epsa-online.org | @EPSA_Online 

25

26 

Twinnet 

Twinnet participants were asked: “What would you say 

to someone considering going on a Twinnet?” 

“Definitely go on a Twinnet. It could change 

your whole perspective on pharmacy and 

it's great to get to know different students 

in different countries.” 

“Just do it! Don't think about whether you 

have the time or not. Just do it. It is a unique 

experience and you will never be able to do 

it again once you've finished your studies. 

You learn so much about other people and 

other countries. So take the chance and 

have an amazing time with other people of 

your age!” 

“Going on a Twinnet is an opportunity you 

should not miss for any reason. It makes 

you more open-minded. It gives you the 

opportunity to travel, meet new people and 

discover new things! " 

“Twinnet is your best investment. Enjoy 

every day. Make new friends. Have fun!” 

“Just go! Best experience of my life! :)” 

Join us in 

“GOOOOOO, it's awesome! You are going 

to meet loads of amazing people, experience 

another culture and other ways of teaching 

and learning.” 


Mobility 

European Voluntary Service 

27 

• Do you want to help others and be useful? 

• Do you like to travel abroad? 

• Do you want to boost your Curriculum Vitae with 

outstanding experiences? 

If your answer to these questions is Yes – then you 

should apply for one of the volunteering opportunities 

offered by the European Voluntary Service (EVS). 

What is EVS? 

The European Voluntary Service is a programme 

funded by the European Commission, enabling European 

residents aged between 17 and 30 years to 

volunteer with one of the 5000 EVS accredited organisations 

and public bodies. The duration of your 

stay abroad varies between 2 and 20 months. This is 

up to the requirements of the organisation and your 

personal availability. During your stay, the programme 

covers your travel and living costs, provides you 

with pocket money, insurance and a discount card. 

Why should I be interested in this? 

One of the categories in which EVS offers projects 

is health and well-being. Volunteering in an institution 

for dependent elderly people, mentally handicapped 

people or children living on the streets, will 

increase your knowledge and skills in public health, 

communication and solidarity with others, all greatly 

demanded skills for a future healthcare professional. 

Your EVS experience will help you grow into a more 

tolerant, respectful and interculturally aware citizen 

who is an enrichment for the community you live in. 

Furthermore, EVS can help you identify future personal 

or professional opportunities. 

How to get involved? 

You can use the database of volunteering projects 

(http://europa.eu/youth/volunteering/project_en) to 

find the most suitable project . The application procedure 

differs for each project, as you apply directly 

to the organisation offering the volunteering opportunity. 

You can find more detailed information about 

the arrangements, application deadlines and procedures 

in each project description. 

Still considering? – Maybe this will convince 

you to take the next step! 

Are you hesitating about whether you are ready to 

take the step and become a volunteer? Don’t worry, 

nobody was born a volunteer and that’s why EVS 

offers continuous training for volunteers before, during 

and after the project. Take this step out of your 

comfort zone and experience your mobility opportunity 

with EVS! 

Viktoria Jungreithmayr 

EPSA Mobility Coordinator 

2016-2017 


28 

Individual Mobility Project (IMP) 

A first-hand experience from our interns 

I joined PharmInvent in July, two months ago, so 

everything is still quite new for me and I am still 

forming first impressions. Pharmacovigilance is one of 

the areas of pharmacy which I am interested in, so I 

am very happy to work here and eager to learn. Even 

though I work in the office, my job is very dynamic 

and I have many different tasks. We have to be ready 

for different amounts of workload every day, as we 

deal with adverse drug reactions which can happen 

anytime and can be of different seriousness and 

complexity. 

What I also love about working abroad is that I can 

learn new languages. Of course, now the first on 

the schedule is Czech (lessons provided by the 

company), but having co-workers and clients of 

various nationalities I know I have the opportunity to 

learn a lot more. 

I have started working for PharmInvent at the 

beginning of July. This company is located in Czech's 

capital, Prague and provides pharmacovigilance and 

regulatory science consulting services. I find my job 

very interesting. My responsibilities include writing 

medical documents regarding certain medicines, as 

well as monitoring medical literature to find adverse 

reactions, managing Individual Case Safety Reports 

and much more. PharmInvent gives its employees 

great opportunity to become specialists. We have 

a large number of trainings, e-learning, language 

courses (we can choose between English, Czech and 

Spanish) and other activities to improve our skills. 

I think that EPSA members would easily adapt and 

start this work. Just working in my room there are 

people of 4 different nationalities! 

Mateusz Kopaczyk 

EPSA IMP Trainee 

Poland 

Jasna Puh 

EPSA IMP Trainee 

Slovenia 


Mentoring Project 

A chance to learn directly from professionals 

The Mentoring Project is one of EPSA’s youngest 

projects, grouping interested students with 

professionals working in different areas in order to 

get some insight into the respective area and give 

guidance to the mentees regarding their career. 

Marta Simões, a participant of the project said: 

“Being in my fourth year of studies of Pharmaceutical 

Sciences, I felt it was time for a different 

approach in my degree. Thus, I decided to apply 

for the EPSA Mentoring Project in Regulatory 

Affairs. 

From the very beginning, my mentor warned he 

would not be my teacher, meaning that he would 

always be available to answer my questions but I 

would have to research for myself. 

experience: “This year began for me with a fresh 

new challenge: being a mentor in the EPSA project. 

It was a great experience! I have connected with 

my mentee in January, and since then we have 

been meeting on a regular basis. We were both 

Are you a pharmacist and looking for a new challenge which helps 

the future generation to develop themselves? 

direction 

help 

coaching 

career 

practice 

MENTORING 

motivate 

advice 

learn 

goal 

success 

29 

For me, that was the main essence of the project: 

I was developing myself with guidance from 

someone who was quite experienced. Hence, 

during those six months I gained an understanding 

of what is expected of someone working in that 

area and took advice for future options that could 

lead me to a career in Regulatory Affairs. 

I definitely recommend this project to everyone 

and, if you want to take the greatest benefit from 

it, I suggest you keep doing your homework even 

without a teacher.” 

Also, this project can be very enriching for the 

mentors. Rita Machado about her personal 

very Become enthusiastic a Mentor for and the interested EPSA Mentoring the project, Project! and 

we have shared scientific knowledge, personal 

experiences and For perspectives. more information contact: It was certainly 

Clara Brant I Professional Affairs Coordinator 

an enriching experience prof.affairs@epsa-online.org for both, and especially, 

an apprenticeship for me. Although my mentee 

was only in the second year of Pharmaceutical 

Sciences, and I was guiding her in the research and 

development field, I was able to show her my work 

and give her a large perception of working at a lab. 

Being a mentor provided me a great opportunity 

to participate in my mentee’s academic path and 

possibly make a positive impact on it. I hope my 

experience was valuable to Aleša Bricelj!” 

Each autumn, a new phase of the EPSA Mentoring 

Project starts in which approximately 50 students 

get the chance to take part. If you are interested, 

don’t hesitate to join! 

Clara Brandt 

Professional Affairs 

Coordinator 2015-2017 


External Events by EPSA Team 

30 

EAFP Annual Conference 

This year’s European Association of Faculties 

of Pharmacy (EAFP) Annual Conference took 

place under the topic “Postgraduate Studies 

in Pharmacy Education” and included a highly 

interesting educational programme. It was based 

on six round-table discussions, where different 

postgraduate courses in Europe were presented on 

topics, such as hospital and clinical pharmacy, pharmaceutical 

industry, doctorate and post-doctoral 

studies, future of postgraduate studies and ethics in 

pharmacy. 

One of these round-table discussions was the 

student session held under the topic “How to 

include an international perspective in pharmacy 

studies”. It caused a vivid discussion on mobility 

opportunities and especially, Erasmus+ programme 

and experiences of students and professionals who 

went abroad for part of their studies, were shared. 

The friendly atmosphere at the conference 

encourages and appreciates students’ active 

participation in the discussion, which makes it 

a highly advantageous event for your personal 

and professional development. I would strongly 

recommend other students to join next year’s EAFP 

Annual Conference on the topic “Multidisciplinary 

Learning in Pharmacy Education”. 

Viktoria Jungreithmayr 

EPSA Mobility Coordinator 

2016-2017 

EIPG 50 th General Assembly 

The European Industrial Pharmacists Group (EIPG) 

commemorated its 50 th anniversary looking for 

lessons in the past and preparing for the future. 

Gathering in the City of Lights, the General Assembly 

(GA) started with a symposium about the progress 

made in pharmacy during the last 50 years, but 

perhaps more important was when the minds 

turned towards the future of the pharmacist and 

the challenges arising in this profession. After an 

educational first day, the General Assembly was held 

at the French Pharmaceutical Society and EPSA had 

the opportunity to share its vision, projects and the 

existing partnership with the EIPG. EPSA representatives 

also participated in the working group where 

the characteristics and challenges of future Industrial 


Pharmacists were discussed. Some essential soft 

skills were pointed out, as well as some needed 

changes regarding education to motivate young 

pharmacists to work in the industry. 

EAHP Congress 

Diogo Piedade 

EPSA Training Coordinator 

2016-2017 

The educational programme at the European 

Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) 

Congress was extremely well-structured and each 

parallel session had at least one attention catching 

subject. There were times when we wanted to attend 

two or even three sessions at the same time, but that 

was not a problem, because the organisers thought 

about this situation and we were very pleased to see 

that some seminars were repeated and in this way, 

we could attend every part of the event that we were 

interested in. 

One of the most interesting and interactive sessions 

was the one dedicated to students where we could 

learn more about the systematic approach to pharmaceutical 

care and how it can be implemented by 

hospital pharmacists. Furthermore, in collaboration 

with AFÖP, we conducted a campaign to raise 

awareness about clinical pharmacy. 

Besides the educational programme, the EAHP 

congress offered a vast exhibition area. Therefore, 

participants could stroll around the EPSA stand to 

obtain popular stickers and pens, but also more 

importantly, information about what we, as students, 

do. In addition to our stand, visitors could see many 

interesting stands displaying medical and pharmaceutical 

devices, tools and more. At every stand, 

friendly exhibitors provided interested participants 

with helpful further explanations and insights, making 

the exhibition part of the congress interesting and 

useful. 

Elena Popa 

EPSA Social Services and Public 

Health Coordinator 2015-2017 

Adéla Firlová 

EPSA Vice President of Education 

2015-2016

International Pharmaceutical Students' 

Federation (IPSF) 

31 

Israel Bimpe, IPSF President: 

It’s been 23 years since the IPSF 

World Congress was last held in 

Africa and the first time since the 

establishment of the IPSF African 

Regional Office. The Reception 

Committee did a wonderful job 

and I am sure that for many people, visiting Zimbabwe 

for the first time was an exhilarating experience. 

Personally, I have fond memories of the country as I 

was elected the AfRO Regional Relations Officer there 

two years ago and am now the IPSF President. The 

Congress reignited in me the necessity to tap into 

untapped opportunities and champion this as the next 

IPSF President. Furthermore, I was honoured to have 

been able to meet EPSA’s representatives and I look 

forward to our collaboration. 

Luka Šrot, IPSF Chairperson 

of EuRO: 

Since attending the first IPSF World 

Congress in Porto 2014, the next 

two have taken us to more distant 

countries – first India and now 

Zimbabwe. Every year, besides 

being able to rejoin our friends in the Federation, the 

educational and scientific symposia often shed new 

light on specific issues we might otherwise have 

overlooked. Being elected the Chairperson of EuRO 

for the next mandate certainly adds an extra touch to 

the whole experience and enables me to further the 

aims of the Federation even more. I am pleased we 

were able to host EPSA and I am looking forward to a 

fruitful year of joint work. 

different continents, with completely different cultures 

and backgrounds. 

Participants also had the opportunity to attend 

different workshops aligned with the educational 

topic, be present at the clinical skills event and 

compounding event, be part of a Public Health 

Campaign and, of course, experience the outstanding 

surroundings of Zimbabwe during the excursion day! 

In addition, EPSA had the chance to host a workshop 

about Advocacy and it was very gratifying to see so 

much interest in both European Institutions and on 

how EPSA advocates for its interests. 

While the educational programme was taking place, 

the Federation was busy shaping its future during 

the General Assembly, where EPSA was invited to 

be present as observer. It was very refreshing to see 

the dynamic of IPSF General Assembly and to assist 

elections, providing us with the opportunity of already 

meeting the new IPSF Team! 

It is impossible not to point out the remarkable kindness 

and professionalism of the Reception Committee or to 

thank IPSF enough for all the hospitality and invitation 

to such an exciting event! 

We were very happy to strengthen our bonds with IPSF 

and we are looking forward to future collaboration! 



2016-2017 

Catarina Nobre & Ana Marcelino, EPSA Team 

The International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation 

had its 62 nd World Congress on 29 th July – 8 th August 

2016 in Harare, Zimbabwe. With the topic “Ignite - 

Innovate - Implement”, this event joined pharmaceutical 

students from all over the world ensuring a 

very enriching experience of meeting students from 

Ana Marcelino 

EPSA Vice President 

of External Relations 

2016-2017 


32 

Roche 

My experiences within Roche as an intern in 

Pharma Technical Regulatory (PTR) 

1. Hi, my name is… 

…Bruno Rački and I come from Zagreb, the 

capital of Croatia. I am 22 years old and I am 

a fourth year pharmacy student at the Faculty 

of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of 

Zagreb. I am actively involved in the work of 

several student associations, including the 

Croatian Pharmacy and Medical Biochemistry 

Students’ Association (CPSA), the European 

Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (EPSA) 

and our faculty’s Students’ Council. I am an 

intern, spending 6 months in Roche’s Pharma 

Technical Regulatory (PTR) Small Molecules 

- Marketed Products department and I 

discovered this opportunity via the aforementioned 

associations. In my free time, I enjoy 

graphic design, travelling and I like discovering 

new places in Switzerland and its neighbouring 

countries. 

Bruno Rački 

IMP Intern 

CPSA, Croatia 

2. My typical day at work is… 

…very active and diverse. As an intern in PTR, I 

have a chance to work on many different projects 

in the department. I work with my colleagues 

and am learning the principles of regulatory 

affairs, a field I have never encountered before, 

and try to apply them in real life. My tasks to date 

have included filling out application forms and 

writing cover letters for the European Medicines 

Agency (EMA), identifying types of variations 

for our changes, searching internal databases, 

analysing submission timelines for different types 

of changes etc. I also get the chance to see 

scientific data, something that is still fresh in my 

mind from my studies. Since regulatory affairs is 

a very complex field of pharmacy, I attend a lot 

of training sessions and meetings, which I enjoy 

very much. For a student, this position is a great 

opportunity and learning experience! 

3. The location I am working at is… 

… Basel, Switzerland, at the main site in Grenzacherstrasse. 

This location is great, because I 

live few minutes' walk from work. Pretty much 

everything I need is nearby, like shops, canteens, 

a swimming pool and the beautiful Solitude 

park, where I can go to relax and have a short 

walk by the Rhine. 


4. My work helps Roche to… 

… continue providing patients with medicines! 

When a product is placed on the market, that 

is not the finish line – its life has only just started 

and it will continue to change in many ways. We 

often see a need for activities like adding new, 

or changing existing, specification parameters. 

These kinds of changes require associated 

regulatory activities, and we are the right people 

for this job. I am very glad I am able to make my 

own contributions! 

5. Roche as an employer is… 

…for me, as a student, very inspiring and 

empowering! When I first came here I was 

amazed at how everything looks and runs like 

clockwork, and how people and colleagues 

are open and approachable. I was positively 

surprised by Roche’s deep networking culture. 

In every corner of the site I really feel taken care 

of, thanks to Medical Services, the fire service, 

Site Security and such. I also feel that Roche 

cares about its employees’ health, providing 

them with a swimming pool, gym and bicycles. 

Taking everything into consideration, I can really 

say that Roche is a great place to work, and I 

would like to return here after my studies! 

6. What distinguishes the Roche culture 

from the culture at other companies you 

have worked for? 

As a student, I haven't had many chances to 

work in other companies, so I can't say much. 

However, I really enjoy working in such a diverse 

multicultural environment that is not usually 

found in many companies. I have colleagues 

in my office from, literally, all over the world, 

which gives me a great chance to learn more 

about other cultures and even pick up the odd 

phrase in various languages. Like I said before, 

people are very approachable and friendly and 

you can contact anyone at any time and they 

will help you. Also, I haven’t yet encountered 

a company with such a strong IT sector that 

is so well established and organised. I had no 

problems familiarising myself with the email 

system, calendars and other tools that we use 

every day. 

7. How would you describe working at 

Roche in three words? 

Enlightening, inspirational and beneficial. 

33 


34 

What is EPSA to you? 

“Whenever I think about EPSA, I see it as an 

experience that changed my life completely. 

During the ten EPSA events I have attended, I 

travelled all around Europe, explored different 

cultures, worked in an international team of 

motivated and passionate people and made 

friendships for a lifetime. Moreover, EPSA inspired 

me to work harder during my studies, gain many 

skills and knowledge, and most importantly, grow 

a lot on a personal and professional level. 

To everyone already infected with the EPSA spirit 

or encountering EPSA for the first time – it’s a world 

you wouldn’t want to leave behind. Make sure you 

grasp all the opportunities it offers - it’s totally worth 

it!” 

Nikola 

Lazarevski 

Liaison Secretary, 

MPSA 2013-2015, 

Reception Committee 

Member of Summer 

University 2014, 

Vice President 

of Internal Affairs 

2015-2016 

“I was introduced to EPSA in 2012, when I was in my 

third year of studies and have participated in the 35th 

EPSA Annual Congress that was held in Istanbul. 

After my first experience, I took on the positions of 

LIMP, LS and Parliamentary Council Member. EPSA 

is opening doors to every single part of the pharmaceutical 

world. It provides a chance for personal 

development in all fields, as well as a great chance 

to take part in a multicultural environment with 

different ideas and perspectives. In addition, I think 

that EPSA is a source of unforgettable memories 

and friendships.” 

İrem Konuk 

LIMP, MUPSA 

2012-2013, 


MUPSA 2013-2014, 

Parliamentary Council 

Member 2014-2015 

“EPSA is a great memory of my student years and 

a point I share with most of my international friends. 

However, when I was a student, EPSA was so much 

more – it was a network, which provided me with 

friends, fun, learning and working opportunities, 

just to name a few advantages. Without a doubt, 

my involvement in EPSA played a significant part 

in getting my current job. EPSA opportunities 

especially helped me in developing my intercultural 

competences and social skills.” 

Sandra 

Hočevar 


ŠS SFD 2011-2012, 

Training Coordinator 

2012-2013, 

Vice President of 

Education 

2014-2015 


35 

"EPSA is one of the best student environments 

one could be a part of. EPSA is a multicultural family, 

where you learn a lot and network easily. I was involved 

in EPSA as a participant and as an LS for my national 

association. It helped me enormously by improving my 

soft skills, which in the end, is what helps to differentiate 

you from the other pharmacist colleagues. The 

probability of an interviewer knowing about EPSA, being 

involved with EPSA or a National/Local association 

connected to EPSA is huge, at least on an international 

level. Therefore, having the chance to exchange ideas 

about what you have learned at the congresses and 

through your involvement with EPSA helps to provide 

a more relaxed and confident environment during a job 

interview." 

Margarida 

Costa 


APEF 2013-2014, 

NIMP , APEF 

2013-2014 

“To me, EPSA is a cherished part of my past which 

gave me lots of fun, stress, career opportunities and 

a professional network of friends I could only dream 

about. I am continually impressed when I learn what 

my former EPSA Team, LSs and members are getting 

up to. EPSA helped me work abroad, get a wider 

perspective on the role of the pharmacist and also 

develop skills needed to work as part of a multicultural 

team. Whilst it tested me personally and professionally, 

I am a better person and healthcare professional 

because of it – that is a great outcome from making 

friends and travelling around Europe, right?” 

David Preece 

Secretary General 

2012-2013, 

Alumni Coordinator 

2013-2014 

“I had an absolutely splendid time during my three years 

in EPSA. I started out in the Editorial Board and went 

on to become Publications Coordinator. For me, it was 

all about stepping out of my comfort zone and finding 

places to be creative. Something, which has proven to 

be invaluable for my work as a medical representative, 

as I have to practice this on a daily basis. In an extremely 

competitive world it is important to find channels that 

make you distinct. And EPSA has really helped me find 

ways to achieve this.” 

Maria Pace 

Publications 

Coordinator 

2013-2014 

and 2014-2015 


Map of Europe 

36 

WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY 

31 st May 2016 

AFÖP & IPSF 

#ByeByeCigarettes 

#PutTheLighterDown 

Flyers were handed out 

at the University of Vienna 

Campus and a “Graffiti Wall” 

was created where students 

wrote their opinions about 

smoking. Apples and bananas 

were also exchanged for each 

cigarette that smokers handed 

in. There was also a Facebook 

Photo Contest where students 

supported the cause by 

taking pictures with broken 

cigarettes. 

ŠS SFD, Slovenia 

ŠS SFD's largest project, the International Pharmaceutical 

Summer Camp (IPSC), had its 20th 

event from 11 th to 17 th July this year and gathered 

47 participants from 10 European countries. The 

diverse educational programme on the topic 

“Pharmaceutical marketing, agency and regulatory 

affairs” was mixed with amazing themed parties, 

whilst making new friendships at the beautiful 

Slovenian coast. Definitely a week to remember! 

CPSA, Croatia 

ASEF, Spain 

Between the 4 th and 6 th May FEEF’s local 

association, ASEF, organised their fourth 

Annual Congress "FarmaForum 2016". The 

topic was "Beyond dispensation: multiple roles 

of a pharmacist". It had a wide participation 

with 214 students attending, including 30 

from other universities. Afterwards, on the 

7 th May, ASEF hosted an extraordinary FEEF 

General Assembly. 

In the beginning of June, 

just before the exam 

season, CPSA organised 

its traditional Humanitarian 

Summer Pancake Day. It 

was a chance for CPSA 

members to get together for 

a good cause! This year the 

funds were donated to the 

Down Zagreb association. 


37 

FASFR, Romania 

From 25 th July to 8 th August 2016 pharmacy students 

from FASFR had the chance to broaden their professional 

skills and increase their knowledge by taking part 

in a project called “interPRACTIS”. This project was 

organised by FASFR on a national level and gave an 

opportunity for students to practice the field of pharmacy 

in several cities, bringing together students from different 

universities in Romania. 

It is the only project of its kind in Romania which offers 

the opportunity to carry out summer internships in other 

fields than community pharmacy. This year there were 58 

students who carried out internships in four pharmacy 

areas, such as hospital pharmacy, industry, research 

and warehouse from 8 cities of their choice. 

MUPSA, Turkey 

MUPSA co-organised the 

celebration of National 

Pharmacy Day in collaboration 

with the faculty administration. 

The programme started 

with academics’ speeches and 

an exclusive, inspirational and 

guiding video interview with 

Aziz Sancar, winner of the 

Nobel Prize in Chemistry. To 

raise the awareness of World 

Hypertension Day, students’ 

blood pressures were measured 

during the Spring Games and 

concert, which were organised 

at the university campus.. 

CIUPSA, Cyprus 

The first part of the Twinnet between AFÖP 

Austria and CIUPSA Cyprus took place in 

Nicosia, Cyprus, from 16 th to 21 st May. This 

project was the beginning of many fruitful 

events for CIUPSA and they were very 

honoured to organise it with AFÖP. The topic 

was "Cancer Pathophysiology, Psychology of 

Patients with Cancer and Therapy" . CIUPSA 

is looking forward to meeting their friends again 

in October in Vienna.

38 

Events Calendar 

Stay tuned! 

EAHP-EPSA Student Science Award 

2016 

When: Deadline for abstracts 15 th November, 2016 

What: If you are a pharmacy student who has been 

involved in interesting research, don't miss this 

golden opportunity to present your research at an 

international conference for hospital pharmacy, to be 

published in a peer-reviewed journal and potentially 

succeed in winning a prestigious award. 

More Info: http://www.eahp.eu/students/eahp-epsa-student-science-award 

EPSA Annual Congress 

When: 17 th - 23 th March, 2017 

What: Under the topic "Healthcare, an innovative 

approach Join EPSA's biggest event where you 

can learn during the Educational Symposium and 

Science Day, interact during Workshops, enrich your 

knowledge during Soft Skill Trainings, debate in the 

General Assembly, enjoy the sights and get to know 

new people from different countries. 

More Info: http://epsaac2017.si/ 

EAFP Annual Conference 

When: 17 th - 19 th May, 2017 

Where: Helsinki, Finland 

What: EAFP's - European Association of Faculties of 

Pharmacy, Annual Conference brings together deans 

and professors from faculties of pharmacy around 

Europe. Join us in order to hear more about this 

year's topic "Multidisciplinary Learning in Pharmaceutical 

Education". 

More Info: http://eafponline.eu/eafp_conferences/ 

next-annual-conference/ 

2017 

Ball of Pharmacy 

When: 21 st January, 2017 

Where: Vienna, Austria 

What: At the 75. Ball of Pharmacy in Vienna you have the 

chance to meet pharmacy students and professionals 

while experiencing a traditional ball dancing the waltz 

(and feeling like cinderella). In the last years a programme 

for international students (including a dancing lesson, 

ice skating and a traditional Austrian dinner) before the 

ball was organised. 

More Info: www.pharmacieball.at 

22nd Congress of the EAHP 


Where: Cannes, France 

What: Under the topic "Hospital pharmacists– 

catalysts for change" EAHP offers a Special Student 

Package for students to be able to take part in its 22nd 

Annual Congress in Cannes, France, from 22 to 24 

March, 2017. The Basic Student Package (110 Euro) 

includes access to all sessions, the opening reception, 

the exhibition, lunches on Wednesday and Thursday, as 

well as coffee/tea during official breaks. 

More Info: http://www.eahp.eu/students/eahp-annual-congress-special-student-package 

29th Annual DIA EuroMeeting 


Where: Glasgow, UK 

What: The EuroMeeting provides experts from all 

disciplines of healthcare product development a 

platform to debate and find solutions to the challenges 

of an ever-evolving healthcare system. 

More Info: http://www.diaglobal.org/en/conferencelisting/meetings/2017/03/29th-annual-euromeeting 

Get to know more about these events via the 

Event Calendar on www.epsa-online.org. 

Would you like for your event to appear here? 

Let us know! events@epsa-online.org 


EPSA Executive contacts 

Don't hesitate to contact us 

39 



president@epsa-online.org 

EPSA VP of Education 

Raluca Radu 

vp.education@epsa-online.org 

EPSA VP of Internal Affairs 

Črtomir Fleisinger 

vp.ia@epsa-online.org 

EPSA VP of Public Relations 

Charlotte Jacobs 

vp.pr@epsa-online.org 

EPSA Secretary General 

Eva Shannon Schiffrer 

secgen@epsa-online.org 

EPSA VP of External Relations 

Ana Marcelino 

vp.er@epsa-online.org 

EPSA Treasurer 

Patrick Jongeleen 

treasurer@epsa-online.org 

EPSA Office 

Rue du Luxembourg 19 bte. 6 

B-1000 Brussels, Belgium 

www.epsa-online.org 

EPSA VP of European Affairs 

Jan De Belie 

vp.ea@epsa-online.org 

EPSA Immediate Past President 

Katarzyna Šwiderek 

ipp@epsa-online.org 

This newsletter is produced by EPSA and is distributed to all EPSA members, national pharmaceutical 

student organisations, faculties, official bodies and partners. 

Have you enjoyed reading this EPSA Newsletter? 

Now you can subscribe the EPSA Newsletter and receive it, 

three times per year, at your home, as an Individual Member! 

How to do it? 

Go to www.epsa-online.org, the tab "Members" and check out the 

page about the Individual Membership. Fill in the application form 

and send it to the EPSA Vice President of Internal 

Affairs, together with your name, address and 

proof of either student status or graduation. 

Keep yourself updated! 


MSD Advert 

BE WELL. 

NOT A WISH. A PROMISE. 

For more than 150 years, a very special passion has driven the people of MSD. Our goal is 

to develop medicines, vaccines, and animal health innovations that will improve the 

lives of millions. Still, we know there is much more to be done. And we’re doing it, with a 

long-standing commitment to research and development. We’re just as committed to expanding 

access to healthcare and working with others who share our passion to create a healthier world. 

Together, we’ll meet that challenge. Promise. 

Copyright © 2014 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA All Rights Reserved.

EPSA NWL_November

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template ?