Pharmacists, as primary health care professionals with medicines expertise, are at the forefront of the fight against substandard and falsified (SF) medicines, FIP told the World Health Organization Executive Board in Geneva, Switzerland, today. The FIP statement drew attention to a collaboration with the WHO to create a university course on fake medicines that has been successfully piloted and called for further implementation beyond the pilot. Find out more about the project, funded by the European Commission here. Click here for the full FIP statement, given on behalf of FIP by Yifan Zhou, chairperson of external relations for the International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation.

Statements were also made yesterday in collaboration with World Health Professions Alliance members on strengthening the global architecture for health emergency preparedness, response and resilience (supporting the development of a cohesive multidisciplinary and professionalised health emergency workforce and emphasising the need for decent working conditions for healthcare professionals) and reorienting health systems to primary health care as a resilient foundation for universal health coverage. The 152nd WHO Executive Board is being held from 30 January to 7 February.