FIP Education (FIPEd) is the part of FIP that coordinates all the activities related to pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences education and workforce development. Our vision is equitable access to transformational change in pharmaceutical education and training that advances pharmaceutical practice and sciences to improve global health and wellbeing. Our mission is to bring together educational institutions, leaders, educators, and stakeholders to improve health through advancing pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences education and training. In essence, the convener of all units in FIP that have an education component in their mission.
FIPEd integrates constituencies and leaders of FIP, who are working to improve health through advancing pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences education. It comprises:
- Academic institutional members (AIMs): Deans of schools of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
- Academic Pharmacy Section (AcPS): FIP individual members who are interested and engaged in teaching pharmacy or pharmaceutical science students or professionals, promoting the provision of quality education and training, and engaging in research at faculties or schools of pharmacy or pharmaceutical sciences
- FIP-UNESCO-UNITWIN: A network that leads global transformation of pharmacy and pharmaceutical education through six regional centres
- FIP Hub: Experts who undertake projects to generate intelligence and provide evidence-based resources and tools to inform and support global goals development.
- Pharmacy Technicians Advisory Committee (PTAC): A group of stakeholders committed to providing guidance towards the mutual and continued development of the global pharmacy technician workforce, led by FIP
- Board of Pharmaceutical Practice (BPP) professional secretary and Board of Pharmaceutical Sciences (BPS) scientific secretary
- Early Career Pharmaceutical Group (ECPG): An observer organisation of FIPEd Executive Committee
- International Pharmaceutical Students Federation (IPSF): An observer organisation of FIPEd Executive Committee
We work in collaboration with FIP member organisations, the BPS, the BPP, FIP regional pharmaceutical forums and pharmacy education associations around the world that may not be formal units within FIP.
As the global leadership body in pharmaceutical education, we ensure that high-quality education and training provide the foundation for workforce development, professional and scientific advancement, to meet present and future healthcare needs around the world.
FIPEd advocates the use of needs-based strategies where pharmaceutical education is socially accountable, practice and science are evidence-based, and pharmacy practitioners have the required competencies to provide the needed services to their communities.
FIPEd works to transform and scale up pharmaceutical education to build a capable workforce.
The strategic objectives of FIPEd are to:
- Provide a global platform for exchange, mentoring and learning for all professional leaders, focusing on the development of leadership skills, academic provision and pedagogic skills.
- Build, advocate for, and disseminate evidence-based frameworks, consensus-based standards, tools and resources for educational development and support for members.
- Develop and facilitate education-related policy that supports advancement of pharmacy and pharmaceutical science professions; these policies will be advocated and implemented with, and by, our stakeholders at global, regional and local levels.
- Foster innovation that will advance professional pharmacy and pharmaceutical science education, which will lead to improved global health services quality, delivery and productivity.
Next 10 years for pharmacy education and workforce development
FIPEd developed the Global Vision for Education, Nanjing Statements on Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Education and Pharmaceutical Workforce Development Goals as a roadmap to well-educated, competent, sufficient and well-distributed pharmaceutical workforce. Pharmaceutical leaders can rely on these to develop and advocate for local transformational education and workforce strategies.
Structure of FIPEd
FIPEd Executive Committee
- Chair: Dr John Pieper
- Interim FIP education secretary: Dr Naoko Arakawa
- FIP professional secretary: Mr Luís Lourenço
- FIP scientific secretary: Dr Rebecka Isaksson
- President of AcPS: Prof. Toyin Tofade
- Vice president of AcPS: Doc.dr.sc. Arijana Mestrovic
- Secretary of AcPS: Dr Carl R. Schneider
- Chair of AIM: Prof. Lilian Azzopardi
- Immediate Past Chair of AIM: Prof. Pierre Moreau
- FIP CEO: Dr Catherine Duggan (ex-officio)
Observers
- Pharmacy Technicians Advisory Committee: Ms Susan James
- FIP ECPG representative: Ms Godsgift Iwendi
- IPSF president: Ms Yifan Zhou
FIP staff
- Practice Development and Transformation Projects Manager: Dr Inês Nunes da Cunha (PTAC)
- UNITWIN and Provision Manager: Mr Genuine Desireh (UNITWIN)
- Board Support and Coordinator: Ms Paula Cohen
- Global Leadership in Pharmacy Education and Training: The only truly global pharmaceutical education organisation
- Outcomes, impact, value, scholarship of teaching/education: To assure we focus on measuring outcomes, impact and value of our work and publishing the work of all FIPEd constituents as journal articles or FIP reports, toolkits, guidance documents and more
- ONE FIPEd within ONE FIP: To strengthen partnerships and integration within FIPEd and across FIP to advance education, practice and science
- Next generations: To develop stronger partnerships with ECPG and IPSF to foster their input into the future of pharmacy education and develop the next generations to become educators
- Contemporary resources: To assure FIPEd statements, reports and toolkits remain up to date under the direction of the FIP Bureau
- Enhance representation from regions of the world where gaps exist within FIPEd: To assure we have global perspectives on our work
- Global outreach: To proactively engage with FIP member organisations, regional forums, countries and regional education associations to assure we are meeting the needs of various regions of the world in advancing pharmacy education
- Fundraising: In partnership with FIP Foundation
- FIP organisation and structure: Given all the changes that have occurred in the world and FIP since 2019, assure it remains fit for purpose
- Collection of session proposals from education-focused FIP members for the annual World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, which contributes to shaping the congress programme every year. FIPEd is hosting the inaugural Celebrate Educator’s Day at the Brisbane congress 2023
- Organisation of the Global Academic Leaders Forum during the annual congress. This connects global leaders of pharmacy schools and faculties around the world so that they can expand their networks and develop partnerships, as well as join sessions and workshops from highly regarded speakers. The forum is open to academic leaders (e.g., deans, vice deans, department heads, educational programme managers, etc.) and leadership teams. FIP AIM benefit from one free registration to the forum as well as a discounted congress registration fee. If you are a dean and would like your institution to become an AIM, please get in touch (education@fip.org)
- Unification of the pharmacy support workforce at the Pharmacy Technician’s Symposium during FIP’s annual congress. The symposium acts as a global platform for this workforce to discuss their challenges, learn from each other, expand network and develop new skills
- FIPEd is a proud partner of the UNESCO’s UNITWIN scheme, with a special programme for pharmacy: the Global Pharmacy Education Development Network
- Leading revision of the Nanjing Statements guidance for pharmacy and pharmaceutical education to assure it remains contemporary
Resources
FIPEd publications
- The Education Transformation Digital Toolkit is a one-stop collection of globally relevant resources from FIP for professional associations, schools and educators to support addressing needs and priorities in education and professional development. Other resources include:
• Competency-based education in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences
• FIP global competency framework for educators and trainers in pharmacy
• Sports pharmacy practice and education
• FIP toolkit for addressing inequities in pharmaceutical education
• FIP digital health in pharmacy education: Developing a digitally enabled pharmaceutical workforce
• Curriculum for pharmacy students on substandard and falsified medicines: Curriculum guide and competency framework - The Pharmacy Education journal provides a platform for publication to academic teachers and practitioners in professional education, with an emphasis on new and established teaching and learning methods, new curriculum and syllabus directions, guidance on structuring courses and assessing achievement, as well as the dissemination of new ideas on policy issues and current trends in the context of education and professional development.
Contact us at education@fip.org