About us and our objectives

The Social and Administrative Pharmacy Section (SAPS) brings together FIP members from diverse practice settings and backgrounds. Our members work in a number of roles, including  government departments of health, pharmaceutical companies, professional societies, chain pharmacies, wholesalers or with private healthcare providers such as health maintenance organisations. Others work as researchers in social pharmacy, academic administrators or consultants in various fields of health care. Our uniting interest is the organisation of pharmacy practice and the provision of evidence for decision-making in all areas related to pharmacy policy and advocacy.

Collectively, SAPS members have special interest and expertise in the following areas:

• Qualitative and quantitative health services research
• Outcomes research – including economic, clinical and humanistic outcomes
• Instrument development and testing
• PROMS, PREMS and patient satisfaction
• Pharmacoeconomics – health economics
• Pharmacoepidemiology - epidemiology
• Quality improvement in health care
• Health and pharmaceutical policy development and investigations
• Research administration and clinical governance 
• Professional society management
• Professional standards and guidelines
• Evidence-based practice
• Health planning and promotion
• Regulatory affairs

We invite all new FIP members to take the opportunity to join SAPS, and current FIP members to choose SAPS as a second or third membership option. We would welcome your involvement in our section.

Who we are

Our Executive Committee currently consists of:

The current statutes of the Social and Administrative Pharmacy Section were adopted by the Bureau on 22 April 2020.

FIP Social and Administrative Pharmacy Section (SAPS) Research Award 

The FIP SAPS Research Award was established in 2020 to help encourage research into areas of interest for SAPS.  Projects should be relevant to SAPS or to FIP more broadly. The uniting interest for SAPS is the organisation of pharmacy practice and the provision of evidence for decision-making in all areas related to pharmacy policy and advocacy.

SAPS has also built up special expertise in Pharmacoeconomics, Outcomes research, Research administration, Quality assurance, Pharmacoepidemiology, Quality-of-life studies, Epidemiology, Patient satisfaction, Professional society management, Evaluation research, Evidence-based practice, Health planning, Regulatory affairs and Health policy investigations.

SAPS offers a €1,500 annual award to cover costs for the selected project. Awardees must submit an invoice and paid receipt of expenses incurred to be reimbursed the €1500 research grant award.  

Applicants must be members in good standing of the SAPS Section of FIP. Individual members are permitted to submit multiple project applications (e.g. on behalf of students), but that individual may only be the holder of 1 successful award at any one time.

The next call for applications for the SAPS Research Award will be in March 2025.

Research Award winners

2020- Caterina Bernardo - “Exploring medication adherence in breast cancer patients shifted from IV to oral forms according to the ABC taxonomy”

2021- Certina Ho – “A Quality Improvement Community of Practice for Pharmacy Professionals”

2021- Nebojša Pavlović – “Overcoming barriers to the involvement of community pharmacists in smoking cessation programs in Serbia: time for action”

2022- Sylvester Adeyemi – “Community Pharmacist-Administered COVID-19 Vaccinations in Abuja, Nigeria: A Patient Survey on Satisfaction and Motivation to Get Vaccinated”

2023- Kaitlyn Watson – "An international portrait of pharmacists’ professional role identities: A Q-Methodology innovative study (The FIPP-Q Study)"

2024- Anu Bompelli – “Investigating Postpartum Depression in First-time Mothers: Racial and Geographical Disparities, Social Determinants, and Healthcare Utilization Patterns in the United States”

At the FIP congress

During FIP congresses, the SAPS section participated in sessions s and organises sessions  and social events for our pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences members, often in cooperation with other FIP sections or working groups.

In the recent 82^nd FIP World Congress in Cape Town, SAPS was involved in the following sessions:

• Addressing antimicrobial resistance – using innovative approaches to drug development and diagnostics as an alternative to existing treatments.

• Adapting pharmacy practice: Navigating patient behaviour and AI use – the dynamic intersection of patient behaviour and the integration of AI in pharmacy practice.

• Digital technologies for non-communicable diseases (NCD) prevention and control - the role of digital technologies in improving health promotion and literacy.  

• Pharmacovigilance: Redefining medicine and vaccine safety using technological innovations - Automation, cognitive technologies, artificial intelligence and advanced analytics provide opportunities to transform pharmacovigilance to increase product quality and patient safety. 

SAPS also offered the opportunities for members to present research via a poster or a short oral presentation. at the congress

• 7 researchers presented a short oral presentation.
• 81 posters were presented by members at the congress.

SAPS also held a strategic planning meeting during the congress- this was attended by a number of highly engaged members, who provided valuable contributions to the future planning and direction of the section. Members who wish to participate in the SAPS strategic plan may reach out to the SAPS Exco- saps@fip.org

Indigenous Pharmacists Working group- The inaugural meeting was held during the congress. Led by a group of Indigenous pharmacist educators, this first meeting allowed for interested FIP members to meet and engage.  We invite any members who have a interest in this group and their work to reach out to SAPS for contact details of the leaders – email saps@fip.org

Member Engagement

Over the last 4 years, SAPS has held its annual Business Meeting virtually, usually 2-3 weeks prior to congress. This allows for all SAPS members to participate, regardless of their ability to attend the annual congress. This also allows for all members to participate, and to run for Exco positions, where previously this was restricted to members who were in attendance at the in-person business meeting at congresses.  

We encourage all our members to engage and make contact with the Exco, contribute their thoughts, newsletter articles, and participate in all he member benefits we offer.

Our current focus is developing the strategic plan for the future direction of SAPS, and we welcome members to contribute and influence the future direction and development of the section.

SAPS publishes our section newsletter four times a year to keep members informed about SAPS activities between congresses. Contributions are always welcome from members.

SAPS also sends shorter information mail outs, on topics or activities of interest to members.

If you wish to participate in any of the above activities, or you have a suggestion for further activities or member benefits SAPS could offer- saps@fip.org is our email, and we would love to hear from you.

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 Last update 1 September 2022