EPSALETTER NEWS

bringing pharmacy, knowledge and students together

ANNUAL
RECEPTION
BRUSSELS
th
6AUTUMN
ASSEMBLY
GENOVA
ITALY
rd

33
ANNUAL
CONGRESS
KRAKOW
POLAND

this newsletter is produced by

EPSA and is distributed to all EPSA
members, national pharmaceutical
students’ organisations, faculties,
official bodies and sponsors

European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association

 Promoting the role of
Pharmacists as providers of
healthcare in the community

Across Europe, Governments and the general public are expecting pharmacists to play a more active role in the
provision of healthcare in the community. More than ever before, pharmacists have a primary care role and
are the first port of call for consumers with a minor health problem.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare is working with pharmacists across Europe to

support their role as primary care experts through its “Ask Your Pharmacist First” initiative.

Ask your Pharmacist First is a unique partnership between GSK and pharmacists currently operating in more than 20
countries in Europe. Its objectives are to:
Help promote pharmacists as experts
Encourage people to visit pharmacies more frequently
Provide training for pharmacists and assistants so they can offer the best professional advice to their customers

This support programme incorporates consumer advertising and extensive pharmacy training materials. The most recent
example of GSKs “Ask Your Pharmacist First” initiative in action can be seen in the area of obesity.
® ®
In January 2009, GSK received a non-prescription licence for alli (orlistat 60mg). alli is the first non-prescription weight
loss aid to receive a licence from the European Commission.

®
What is alli ?
alli® is a weight loss aid for adults who are overweight with a
BMI of 28kg/m2 or more and should be used with a reduced
calorie, lower-fat diet.

alli® can help people lose 50% more weight compared to

®
dieting alone. So for every two kilograms lost by dieting, alli
could help lose one kg more.

Pharmacists are ideally placed to help provide

customers with information and support whilst
they are undertaking a weight-loss programme.

Pharmacy support and training through

“Ask Your Pharmacist First”
GSK offers comprehensive training to ensure that
pharmacists and pharmacy assistants are fully informed
about alli® and the support programme.

To date, more than 200,000 pharmacy staff in over 60,000

pharmacies across Europe have been trained. The training
includes workshops, distance learning and comprehensive
detail aids.

This is a great example of how GSK is working

closely with European pharmacists to help
people to live a healthier and longer life.
References
1
WHO. The challenge of obesity in the WHO European region. Fact sheet Euro/13/05. 2005. Available from: www.euro.who.int/document/mediacentre/fs1305e.pdf
2
Orlistat 60 mg in conjunction with diet provides significant reduction in visceral adipose tissue.
Poster presented at: 1st International Congress on Abdominal Obesity, 2009, Hong Kong.
3
Greenway F, Smith SR, Murray K et al. Orlistat 60 mg demonstrates a significant reduction in visceral adipose tissue at 24 weeks compared with placebo.
Poster presented at: 1st International Congress on Abdominal Obesity, 2009, Hong Kong.
 Table of contents
——————————————————————————————
Presidential words
——————————————————————————————
6th Autumn Assembly
Genova, Italy - October 2009
——————————————————————————————
Annual Reception
European Parliament, Belgium - March 2010
——————————————————————————————
3rd World Health Care
——————————————————————————————
4 EPSA’s first «real» Humanitarian Project
Guinea-Bissau - December 2009 24
6 ——————————————————————————————
Patents, generics and counterfeit
medicines 27
9 ——————————————————————————————
My IMP training in London 30
A truly invaluable experience
——————————————————————————————

Students’ Symposium
10 Tips for team
——————————————————————————————
122nd YFK Anniversary Gala and Training
Helsinki, Finland - February 2010
——————————————————————————————
Quatrino part Portugal
Portugal - Sweden - Bulgaria - Turkey
34
None of us is as smart as all of us!
——————————————————————————————
Interview with Niamh Fitzgerald 36
11 Alumni Corner
——————————————————————————————
Interview with Alexander Rödinger 38
——————————————————————————————

Lisbon, Portugal - March 2010 12 EPSA contacts 39

——————————————————————————————
——————————————————————————————
Our favorite LS 14
——————————————————————————————
Rarity (doesn’t) mean uniqueness
Rare Diseases Day - 22nd February 2010 16
——————————————————————————————
Interview with Commissioner John Dalli
Commissioner of DG SANCO 20
——————————————————————————————
Pharmacists, now and there,
everywhere 22
——————————————————————————————

Dear Reader,
This second edition of the EPSA Newsletter that I had the honor to edit was a real pleasure.  Again, I
focused on collecting different kind of articles so that there is something interesting to read for everyone.
You can find articles about different events that has happened during the autumn and spring. One
interview you definitely should read carefully is the interview with Commissioner John Dalli on page 20,
which gives the insight of the European Commission on some questions regarding our profession and its
future. You can also find an article related to our last Annual Topic «Patents, Generics and Counterfeits -
facing the pharmaceutical challenges of today», an interview with EPSA Alumni Niamh Fitzgerald, an
article about how to improve teamwork, a very interesting article about our new Humanitarian project in
Madrugada - and so much more!
This second edition of the EPSA Newsletter is actually a combination of the second and the third edition of
Volume 17 - and after this edition I give the editing hand to my successor.
The cover of the Newsletter has dramatically changed its look, thank you again António for all your great
ideas and designs.
I hope you will enjoy your reading!
Edited by:
Anette Aaland Krokaas
EPSA Vice President of Communication 2009/2010
epsa.vpc@gmail.com

3
Presidential words

Dear EPSA Friends,

It is a great pleasure for me to have the

possibility to write some words of conclusion
of my mandate. My mandate as President was
the greatest experience of my life and I will
never forget the EPSA people that undertook
this adventure with me.

EPSA is now in the position to make the big

step. During this year we have managed to
improve our network among the professional
organizations and the European institutions,
but at the same time we were able to focus
on the local level since we managed to visit
various EPSA members and increase the
numbers of EPSA memberships.
Each EPSA conference of 2009/2010 were
characterized by first class lectures
performed by distinguished speakers and
professional trainings. The Risky Business
training performed during the Autumn
Assembly 2009 was a milestone in the EPSA
history. It was a resounding success. It was a
super way for students from 26 different
countries to get to know each other and learn
a lot about their current field of studies. I
believe this is the best way of learning and it
should be kept as example for the future.
Another exceptional EPSA meeting was the AR
2010 at the European Parliament. For the
first time in its history EPSA managed to
organize the AR inside a European Institution
and to involve the most important
stakeholders of the Pharmaceutical Field.
That highlighted the trust and popularity that
our Association achieved in Brussels this year.
EPSA is well known at EU level and this will
bring new possibilities of development for the
future.
To conclude I want to wish all the best to the
next team and I hope to see EPSA based in
Brussels in the near future with a full
executive working on full time status for the
association.

Yours in EPSA,

Tomaso Piaggio
EPSA President 2009/2010

4
6th EPSA Autumn Assembly
Genoa, Italy - October 2009

The 6th EPSA Autumn Assembly was held
from 18-23 October 2009 in the beautiful
city of Genoa on the northwestern coast
of Italy. There were 300 pharmacy
students from all over Europe
participating at this event, and the topic of
the congress was ”Personal Career
Development - new to the job or ready for
a change?”. There was amazing
educational program with an EPSA-IPSF
(International Pharmaceutical Students’
Federation) joint workshop along with
collaboration between EPSA and the DIA
(Drug Information Association).
An opening ceremony was held at Hotel Savoy in
the evening of the arrival day, where everyone
were welcomed by notable professors from the
University of Genoa, followed by a mingle with
food and drinks among old and new friends.
moderators from EPSA. In addition an Individual
Mobility Project (IMP) training was held for the
first time for the coordination board within IMP.
Important discussions and decisions will take the
work of IMP further.
The Working Committee director of Mobility, Lígia
Gomes, held one of the workshops. The
participants were divided in two groups with the
assignment to develop a student exchange
between one or more European countries. Each
group had different conditions concerning money
and they all tried to make the best of their
current situation.
The workshop was very instructive and gave the
students more knowledge about arranging an EPSA
mobility project. Other interesting workshops:
Herbal drugs in the modern pharmacotherapy,
Living with HIV/AIDS and lifestyle treatment,
Tuberculosis, Drug counterfeiting and Conflict
management.

The daytime activities with lectures and General

Assemblies were held at the lower floor in the
museum Palazzo Rosso, situates in the heart of
the city just a couple of minutes walk from our
two hotels.

The program for the week started with an early

morning trip to Nice to attend the DIA (Drug
Information Association) Clinical Forum where
interesting lectures were given on the topic of the
event. All the participants were also allowed to
attend the on going fair, a nice opportunity for
the students to get in touch with the professionals
in the pharmaceutical industry.

One of the absolute highlights of the week was

the game called Risky Business about the research
and development phase while launching a new
drug, arranged together with MSD (Merck Sharp &
Dohme).

Workshops and trainings on interesting topics were

held before the event and parallel with the
General Assemblies. The popular Leaders in
Training workshops got very positive response
along with the rest of the workshops with all

6
Participants at the workshops were split into
smaller discussion groups (with students of
different countries). The results were presented
at the end.
The General Assembly (GA) was spread out in
parts during the week, and most of the time
official delegates and interested spectators filled
the hall.
Reports from the EPSA team were presented and
it was interesting to follow the recent work in the
organization. A lot of valuable discussions were
held where the future of the organization and
important issues for the students in Europe were
taken into account.
During the congress EPSA partners Merck Sharp &
Dohme (MSD) and European Medicines Agency
(EMA) held interesting lectures for the
participants. They also had their own stands after
the lectures, which made it possible for the
students to learn more.
Being in beautiful Italy at this event experiencing
different cultures with over 300 participants was
incredible. On top of that there was a fantastic
social program with of course great parties. The
traditional European Night was most appreciated
where the participants experienced local food and
drinks from all different countries in Europe.
Another popular party during the congress was the
Toga party where most of the attendants were
dressed in white.
On the last day, a gala dinner celebrating the past
congress week was held at the Hotel Savoy.
The party continued by the harbour of Genoa at
the Banano Tsunami.
So what can you get out of attending the EPSA
Autumn Assembly?
The reasons going back every year to the
congresses depend upon the will to see your
friends again. It is exciting to meet people from
different cultures and countries all over Europe.
Although we have different background, we have
one thing in common -- pharmacy. That is what
brings us together at both a professional and
social level.
Besides the educational part, you will also get
better knowledge of English through all the
discussions on social and professional topics. In
addition you will be trained in speaking to an
audience. Having good communication skills is
crucial to a pharmacist.
Attending an event for a big organization like
EPSA will give you a good experience and a chance
to get an insight in how everything is driven and
organized. Furthermore, you always get new
friends and valuable contacts all over Europe. If
you are going somewhere in Europe in the future,
you surely will have someone to visit and who
knows? That person might be your future
colleague!
My advice to you all: Get involved and join the
EPSA spirit!
Djanke Bodjang
President of SNAPS (Swedish National Association
of Pharmaceutical Students) 2010
7
EPSA Annual Reception
Brussels, Belgium - March 2010
This year the EPSA Annual Reception
took place in the European Parliament
in Brussels 1st of March 2010. It was
hosted by the MEP Dr. Ioannos
Kasoulides.
Dr. Ioannos Kasoulides opened the Annual Reception
with a speech, congratulating our association for
gathering so many important stakeholders at the
Parliament for the Annual Reception. He also said that
this is a sign that EPSA is developing in the right
direction and that it this year is even closer to the EU
institutions and its stakeholders.
The EPSA projects that were presented was the
Individual Mobility Project (IMP), by Inkatuuli Heikkinen
(EPSA Local IMP Coordinator Helsinki), and the Map of
Competencies, by Jurate Svarcaite (EPSA Honorary Life
Member).
 
The Annual Reception’s aim is to present EPSA’s work
and projects to the Board of Trustees, Partners and
different stakeholders from the health sector. The
presentations were followed by a round table
discussion.
The Annual Topic « Patents, generics and counterfeits -
facing the pharmaceutical challenges of today» was
discussed during a round table session after
presentations on the topic were made by Hugo
Carradinha (EGA, Senior Manager Health Economics
Affairs) and Boris Azais (MSD, Director European
Government Affairs).
The program was followed by a Cocktail, which was a
great opportunity to network. It was a very successful
event, and being located at the European Parliament
was undoubtedly a great touch.
Present at the Annual Reception were EPSA team
members, several LSs, AEGEE, EAFP, EGA, PGEU,
EAEPC, EASGP, ELSA, EPHA, ESTIEM, EIPG, ESN and
several other companies and partners.
Anette Aaland Krokaas
EPSA Vice President of Communication 2009/2010
9
3rd World Healthcare !

Students’ Symposium
«Urgent care»
Alexandria, Egypt - 2009
During 9th-14th of November 2009 the 3rd !
edition of the WorldHSS took place. The
educational program was split in 4 parts:
Education day, Global health day, Ethics
day and IP collaboration day. Students
from EPSA, IPSF, EMSA (European
Medical students’ Association) and IFMSA
(International Federation of Medical
Students’ Association) were present. The
theme of the event was “Urgent care”,
and it was based on multidisciplinary
teamwork.
At the end of each session there were evaluation
! forms gathered by the JWG members, regarding
the quality of the educational session. EPSA’s
evaluation regarding the training had a 4 out a 5
evaluation, which was considered to be very good.

The pharmacists’ delegation was by far the

biggest, split between EPSA and IPSF members.
There were around 100 participants in total, of
which around 80 were pharmacists.

EPSA’s role was very important in both organizing

this event and being part of it. Katja Srpan, the
Joint Working Group Chairperson, did an amazing This is what happened during the day. During the
job in organizing and putting together all the night, as every student’s symposium, it was filled
sessions in this symposium. Three EPSA with parties and social events.
representatives (I, Fokion Sinis – VP of EU affairs,
and Jurij Obreza – Central IMP coordinator) were
asked to conduct a training on Project
management during the Educational day (the 10th
of November). The training lasted for a total of 4 Ana Maria Puia
hours. EPSA Vice President of Education 2009-2010

10
122nd YFK Anniversary Gala
and EPSA training
Helsinki, Finland - February 2010

In February this year EPSA was invited

for the YFK (Yliopiston farmasiakunta)
122nd Anniversary Gala in Helsinki.
YFK is the association for pharmacy
students in Helsinki, and this year they
celebrated 122 years of long traditions
with a fabulous gala evening. I was
present both to represent EPSA and
my local and national association
(Veneficus and NoPSA) and to hold a
presentation about EPSA to the Finnish
students.
The day before the gala Katja, Inka and I held an EPSA
presentation/training session in the venue of the
Finnish Association for Pharmacists, where we gave a
presentation about EPSA, a training about how students
can inflict the desicions in the EU and a presentation
about IMP to Finnish pharmacy students. In the end we
had a brainstorming about why students should attend
EPSA congresses and how EPSA can communicate better
with its members. The session were very interactive and
the students came with good inputs during it.
If your association is interested in arranging something
similar (EPSA presentation, training for example), or to
invite members from the EPSA team to your events,
please do not hesitate to ask!
Thanks to Inkatuuli Heikkinen and Katja-Emilia Lillsunde
for being such great hosts and showing me Helsinki! :)

There were a lot of international guests present at the

gala: Tomaso Piaggio (EPSA President), Fokion Sinis
(EPSA VP of EU affairs), Anne-Marie Vingdal Tessem
(National IMP Coordinator Norway), in addition to some
Swedish students. The other student associations for
pharmacy students were also represented, and other
student associations from other areas of studies were
also there.
The male gala participants spent the morning
competing in field hockey while the female part spent
the hours getting the perfect gala hair.
The gala was held at a fantastic restaurant in the
center of Helsinki. The evening was clearly affected by
YFK’s many traditions, and it was very nice to
experience all of them. The evening was amazing, and Anette Aaland Krokaas
it was a great experience to get to know the Finnish EPSA Vice President of Communication
students. 2009/2010

11
QUATRINO part Portugal
Portugal - Sweden - Turkey - Bulgaria
March 2010
The first week of March became
unforgettable for 60 students who took
part in EPSA’s Quatrino Project – PUSH
Obesity. Turkish, Swedish and Bulgarian
gathered to visit and experience the
wonders of Portugal and its people!
The project
The idea to participate in EPSA’s TWINNET
Program started a year ago and it was with great
pleasure that the Organizing Committee embarked
on this amazing journey: Seven days, three
Portuguese cities, plenty of lectures, cultural
visits and parties, but never too much fun! Oh and
what a result…
12
No one could ever think one could learn so much
and connect so rapidly with people from such
distinctive backgrounds and life stories. No
wonder everyone is already craving for Bulgaria’s
Part!
Future Pharmacists
The educational concern was on Obesity, Healthy
Life Styles and Cardiovascular Diseases and so
there were some students’ and professors’
presentations, a video-debate on today’s need for
“super-sizing” food, public screenings for
glycaemia and blood pressure and a training on
Intercultural  Awareness by Louise Winnecke
Jensen and Riccardo Hesse – EPSA Trainers! It was
indeed a great opportunity to learn with each
other and share points of view, educational
approaches and future professional perspectives!
 Finally we went further north and made our last
stop, Porto. In the city known for its unique
balance of medieval landscape with contemporary
and artistic architecture, we cruised along Douro
River, walked through parks, museums, listened to
Fado and even got to taste the local treats,
‘Francesinha’ and Port Wine! There was held the
international night where one could savor
exquisite delights, such as Bulgarian Rakia,
Turkish coffee and Swedish gums!

Road Trip

It all began in Lisbon where participants had a

chance to visit the historical city centre, the
famous monuments and its breathtaking views
over the river, plus our unique Pharmacy Museum.
The night followed with a lively welcoming dinner
party. Still, the best night in Lisbon was «Noite de
tunas», where the true EPSA’s spirit emerged:
Two musical groups formed by pharmaceutical
students played our own traditional music,
wrapping up with a lavishing by the moon
serenade, which melted every girls’ heart! The
next morning we departed to Coimbra, the most
ancient university city of Portugal, where we were
welcomed amongst its academic traditions, lumpy
streets and even found our way into the football
stadium to experience Portugal beat China 2-0!

The best of this experience was all the people you

get to know and learn from, all the long
conversations you had, all the laughs and singing,
the silly drinking international games and all the
photos and memories that last when borders and
cultural habits are no longer barriers. The best is
the PUSH Family you build! Thank you guys! :D

Ana Rita Tiago

PUSH Obesity Organizing Committee
Porto, Portugal

13
Our favourite LS
The Netherlands grabs the title
The Liaison Secretary awarded to be
the “Favourite LS” in this edition of the
EPSA Newsletter is the LS from
K.N.P.S.V. the Netherlands, Jules
Heuberger. He is a 21 year-old
pharmacy student from Leiden, the
Netherlands, working on his pharmacy
degree at the University of Leiden,
where he has just finished his 2nd year.
His dedication as an LS to the benefit
of our association has been easily
noticeable. And as usual the title
comes with an award: The fabulous
EPSA t-shirt!
Jules has a lot to say about his experience
as an LS for EPSA:
Why did you become the LS for K.N.P.S.V.?
I actually became Commissioner of General Affairs
(CGA) for the executive of the K.N.P.S.V., which
also means being LS for EPSA. I was asked for the
function, and after thinking about it for one week,
I decided it would be a great challenge, and a
unique opportunity for me. One of the important
reasons for this was the fact that one of the tasks
of the CGA is to handle European affairs, as an LS
for EPSA. I thought this would be a great way to
meet students from other European countries,
learn more at a European level, and get the Dutch
students interested in EPSA. As soon as I visited
my first EPSA Event, the Annual Congress in
Reims, I knew I did not make a mistake. EPSA
caught me from the second I arrived in Reims!
What does it mean to you to be an LS?
For me the goal of EPSA is to develop and
maintain a European structure for Pharmacy
students from which these students can learn and
benefit. My main aim as an LS this year was to try
14
to help EPSA achieve this goal. The K.N.P.S.V. has
a lot of experience as a students association,
being 107 years old, and I tried to transfer our
experiences to EPSA.
However, EPSA also has a lot that the K.N.P.S.V.
does not have. For one, the international
character. My second goal therefore was to
promote EPSA to our students and make them feel
what I felt in Reims and all other EPSA events so
far: The EPSA spirit! It isn’t just a saying, the EPSA
spirit exists, and I tried to infect as many Dutch
students as I could.
Have you held any positions earlier in your
local/national association or in EPSA?
I did one committee for my local association,
«Aesculapius», in 2008, before I was asked for the
position in the K.N.P.S.V. executive in 2009.
Is there any particular situation that you
remember from your time as an LS that is
especially worth mentioning?
Too many to summarize.
Why would you recommend someone to become
an LS?
Because EPSA gives you an experience that you
will get only once in a lifetime (every single EPSA
event over and over again!). And once you are
enthusiastic for EPSA, you will be able to make
EPSA grow, and make your students enthusiastic
about it too.
What did you do to promote EPSA to the
students in your country?
We organize an International Night in every local
association where I promoted EPSA through
pictures and stories, and Marisabelle (former EPSA
president) came to speak about EPSA. I also was
mediating person for the K.N.P.S.V. committee
that produces our magazine to get them in
contact with EPSA-people. In every magazine this
year, there was an article from one of the EPSA-
member-states about their curriculum and their
students’ life. I also promoted EPSA events
through emails, and person to person.
 From LS point of view: the great changes we
accomplished in the GA’s in Krakow. It took some
time, but I’m very proud of the result, and I’m
sure EPSA will profit from it!

Are you planning to continue working in EPSA

after your LS mandate, and in that case, what
would you be doing?

I would love to continue working for EPSA. I like

the Training project a lot, and I will try to become
a trainer. But even without having a function in
EPSA at the moment, I will still attend events and
give my thoughts and ideas to take EPSA to the
next level together with all of the other students
that feel the same way about our beautiful
association.

On a scale from 1-10 Jules thinks

the LS position looks:

- Experience: 10

Which event was your favorite EPSA event and

why? - Fun: 10

I participated in three congresses, in Reims, - Time consuming: 5

Genoa and Krakow. They were all amazing and I
have great memories and great friends from each
one of them. But if I have to choose, the congress - Headache: 3 (but there were higher
in Reims was my favorite, because it was my first peaks ;) )
congress, which made it special.
- Responsibility: 7
What is your best experience from being an LS?

Wow… Difficult question. From an educational

point of view: Getting lectures by big speakers
from pharmaceutical companies, associations and
institutes, and of course the Risky Business in
Genoa.

From a social point of view: Every single moment Interview by:

in an EPSA event. Some highlights being le Crit-
party and gala party in Reims, every European Anette Aaland Krokaas
night, and the Auction + party in Krakow. EPSA Vice President of Communication 2009/2010

15
Rarity (doesn’t) mean uniqueness
Rare Diseases Day - 28.02.2010

Rare Diseases Day

(www.rarediseaseday.org) is the day
when attention is brought to people
suffering of rare diseases, in
organization of European Association
of Rare Diseases Unions EURORDIS
(www.eurordis.org). This association
represent more than 400 rare
diseases patients unions, in 40
countries, covering more than 1200
different rare diseases. Therefore,
EURORDIS is the voice of 30 million
patients affected by rare diseases in
Europe.

Despite this obvious problem, we find a general

lack of information and lack of understanding
from the environment, which could be
overcome by joining all patients with rare
diseases in a National association of patients
suffering from rare diseases in Serbia.

National Association of Pharmacy Students -

The world has so far registered 6000 - 8000 rare
diseases (www.orpha.net), and about 80% are
of genetic origin. For people affected by rare
diseases there is a general lack of diagnosis and
there is no proper health care. Most of the rare
disease drugs that prolong life are inaccessible
and/or very expensive, and families of patients
are very engaged and bear the load at the
expense of their own quality of life. Only 56
drugs for rare diseases (orphan drugs) are
currently on the world market, and about 500
potential drugs are in various stages of testing,
the question is whether it will ever be found in
the offer.
Serbia (NAPSer) implemented the initiative
«Rarity (doesn’t) means uniqueness», which is
aimed at pointing out the existence of rare
diseases to the public, the problems in the
diagnosis, treatment, and the psycho-social
problems that people with rare diseases are
followed around with their whole life. During
the February 4 panels were organized with this
topic. The concept of debate included the
introduction of rare diseases, some
representation of life stories of patients from
the patients themselves or their representative
associations, presentation of the state
institutions and at the end of the story orphan

16
drugs. As the lecture ended and the story of
rare diseases presented, the word gets the
audience, and we had a chance to hear many
questions and comments in all cities.
After 2 discussions in Belgrade and one in Novi
Sad and Niš, two days before marking the
European Day of rare diseases, NAPSer held a
press conference at the Media Centre in
Belgrade. Speakers were: Svetlana Vukajlovic,
director of the Republic Institute of health
insurance, Jelena Kotević, a representative of
the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy,
Dragana Koruga, president of patients with
primary immunodeficiency, and Bojan Davinic,
NAPSer Secretary General and Coordinator of
the Initiative. Represented by impressions from
the stands, the preliminary results of the survey
and in general the situation and plans related to
this issue.
Associations of patients with rare diseases have
not had enough strength to fight for their
rights. The initiative «Rarity (doesn’t) means
uniqueness» is a desire for equal life and future
patients suffering from rare diseases and their
families. Given that there is a very positive
attitude of all the associations of patients with
rare diseases to the formation of a national
association, NAPSer will do everything they can
to help achieving that goal.
On the day marking the day of rare diseases - 28
February - NAPSer were present in shopping
centers «Mercator» in Novi Sad and Nis, and in
the Shopping Centre «Delta City» in Belgrade,
and we threw the emphasis on rare diseases.
Volunteers in white T-shirts with the inscription
«Rarity (doesn’t) means uniqueness»
interviewed passers-by filling in the survey.

From the left: Bojan Davinić,  Svetlana Vukajlović (director of the Republic Institute of health insurance),
Maja Đ orđević (leading doctor in rare diseases in Serbia, and chief of the genetic and metabolic sector at
Mother and child institute in Belgrade), Dušan Drenić (regional manager for Genzyme, world market leader in
orphan drugs).

17
 Passers-by were also able to obtrain key
information about rare diseases, as well as the
address where they can find out more.

The internet has established an e-group where

people with rare diseases and associations that
support them will be able to communicate,
share experiences, plans and ideas, in order to
form the National Association of patients with
rare diseases as soon as possible.

Bojan Davinić
Secretary General
National Association of
Pharmacy Students - Serbia
www.napser.org

On the concept of rare diseases information I have received:

Total responses: 552 4%6% 23%
Through the activities of a NAPSer = 23% 15%
Through the media (shows dealing with health) = 43%
Searching content on the Internet = 9%
From conversations with people from the environment (family, friends) = 15% 9%
From a doctor = 4% 43%
From other sources = 6%

Do you think that the public is familiar

Do you know what the definition
with the problems of patients with rare
of a rare disease is?
Total responses: 672 (results are diseases?
expressed as a percentage %) Total responses: 669 (results are expressed as a
percentage %)

0 10 20 30 40 50 0 20 40 60 80
Yes, I am fully aware 43 Yes 6
I am not sure 28 Not enough 18
I don’t know anything No
29 76

18
Interview with
Commissioner John Dalli
Commissioner of DG SANCO
John Dalli was appointed as European
Commissioner responsible for Health
and Consumer Policy in February
2010. The Commission department
under his political responsiblility is the
Health and Consumers Directorate
General (DG SANCO), and therefore it
was natural for EPSA to approach him
and ask him some questions that are
important for our members. These are
the answers he gave us:
How could Pharmacy students and young
pharmacists contribute to the Commission’s
roadmap for the next 5 years regarding
Information to Patients?
We need to ensure that patients have access to
reliable and high quality information. The Internet
is flooded with information on medicinal products,
information that patients consult. We have an
obligation to protect patients and knowledge is
the most powerful tool we can offer our citizens.
New legislation will contribute to empower
patients to make informed decisions when it
comes to their health. This is the underlying
objective of the Commission's proposal of 2008
which attempts to specify the role pharmaceutical
industry should play in this context. At the same
time the relation between healthcare
professionals and patients should in no way be
hampered by the new tools. We will identify in
the course of the ongoing legislative procedure
how to identify the necessary tools, like for
example medicines portals, to help citizens find
useful and independent information. After
adoption we will have to discuss with all
interested parties the best ways to implement the
new policies. I count on your support in this
process.
20
What are the challenges facing the wider use of
Personalised Medicines and how can Pharmacy
students bring their own contribution to the
table?
In the near future personalised medicines will be
more and more used. We can already see the
impact of these new medicines on companies'
business strategies, the design of clinical trials
and, in some cases, in the way medicines are
being prescribed. Although it is too early to know
whether these new medicines will revolutionise
the sector, we do know that they will have an
important impact on the way we all think and
work. The Commission is closely monitoring the
sector and reflecting on how to support its
development. You as future pharmacists will play
a very important role in advising, informing and
supporting patients.
How could Pharmacy students effectively join in
the fight against Counterfeit Drugs, given their
availability for public information campaigns?
In 2008, the Commission adopted a legal proposal
that aims at strengthening existing legislation to
prevent falsified medicines from entering the
legal distribution chain. Unfortunately this alone
is not sufficient to prevent falsified medicines
from entering our home. Awareness-raising is the
key to winning the fight against counterfeit
medicines. Too many people today rely on illegal
Internet sources to buy their medicines, ignoring
the risk this implies. You as students today and
pharmacists tomorrow, can play a very important
role in the battle against such practices. You can
inform people of the risks of buying medicines
over the Internet. You can share your professional
knowledge, give advice, guidance, contribute to
raising awareness and sensitize people around
you. You have the necessary knowledge and
information to help the EU win this fight. I count
on your support.
What could be the nature of a possible
collaboration between DG SANCO and EPSA?
I would welcome collaboration with EPSA. I
encourage all interested parties to contribute to
the development and implementation of EU-wide
health actions and activities, be they on health
promotion, medicines, or initiatives to do with
healthcare and health systems. There are several
ways to contribute. You could participate in the
Open Health Forum taking place this June in
Brussels, and give us feedback on the
implementation of the EU health policy and help
us identify the need for new policy initiatives.
Additionally, as our actions in health are based on
the widest possible consultation process, you can
give your views on any health initiatives in the
pipeline by submitting your comments
electronically. As students, your members may be
particularly interested in the Youth Health
Initiative, launched last year. This initiative -
which aims particularly at involving young people
in the formulation of EU policies to do with their
health - includes a website, a blog where various
health issues are discussed and a Facebook group.
I invite your members to regularly check the
SANCO website to find out what is going on and
how they can participate.
That said, sometimes we need to take medicine,
and with an increasingly ageing population,
prescriptions will surely increase rather than
decrease. I am comforted to know that you aspire
to excellence in your profession and I urge you to
keep learning throughout your career and to keep
abreast of the latest developments. It is essential
that European citizens are confident that they are
receiving the best advice and the correct
medicine at the correct dosage. A recently
published Eurobarometer report on Patient Safety
revealed that nearly half of those surveyed are
worried that they could be harmed by medication
related errors. I count on your generation of
pharmacists to improve the confidence of Europe's
citizens!
Asked by:
Dan Daneasa
EPSA Vice President of Mobility 2009/2010

on behalf of the EPSA Executive 2009/2010

What is your message to Pharmacy students and
young Pharmacy graduates aspiring to become
health professionals of excellence?

"Citizens first, Patients first!" is my motto as

Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy. My
message to young pharmacists is to take
advantage of their close and trusted contact with
the public and relay responsible messages about
health promotion and prevention of avoidable
diseases. I am a big believer in providing people
with information to make informed choices when
it comes to their health.

21
Pharmacists, now and there, everywhere
Pharmacy Awareness Working Committee
Within the community
As the most accessible health care provider,
your community pharmacist is often your first
point of contact with the health care system
and is an excellent source of information
about health: Your community pharmacist
can advise you with just about any doubt you
have about medication or situations relating
to your own or your family’s health,
including:
- helping you find out what your medications
are for and what they will do for you
- reassessing all your medications to make
sure you are not taking drugs that may
interact and cause needless side effects, and
instruct you on how to take your medications
to ensure you are getting the most from them
- choosing the right nonprescription
medicines or herbal and natural health
products, and helping you decide whether it
is safe to treat your symptoms by yourself or
whether you should see a doctor or other
health care professional
- working with other health professionals to
manage chronic conditions such as diabetes,
asthma, high blood pressure or high
cholesterol levels
- making treatment recommendations for
conditions such as coughs and colds, allergies,
athlete’s foot, minor pain, upset stomach,
vaginal yeast infections, dry eyes
- advising on lifestyle changes, such as how
to quit smoking or how to have a better
night’s sleep.
22
At the hospital
Your hospital pharmacist is a crucial element
of the health care team. He or she monitors
your drug therapy to ensure that it is safe and
effective and works with your health care
team and you to ensure you receive the best
results from your medication while you are in
the hospital. During a hospital stay, you might
be prescribed new medications. The dose of
some medications you were already taking
may be changed or the medication may be
stopped. Your hospital pharmacist will work
with you to keep track of all these changes. It
is important that the hospital pharmacist
knows about all the medications you are
taking when you come into the hospital and
that your community pharmacist knows what
medications you are taking when you go back
home. It is also important for you to convey
these changes to your family doctor and any
specialists involved in your care. Ask your
community and hospital pharmacist for help.
A constant basic flow of information ensures
the best care for YOU.
Basic care is an important health care term
that affects you and your family’s health. It
refers to the continuous, uninterrupted care
delivered to you by your pharmacists and
other health care providers wherever you are,
whether at home, in hospital or in a nursing
home, or particularly when you are moving
between any of these settings. For example,
if you take medication regularly and will be
entering hospital for a procedure, ask your
community pharmacists to work with you to
ensure that your health care team in hospital
is aware of all the medication you are taking.
Ask for a complete list of your prescription
medications and add to it any nonprescription
drugs, herbal and natural health products and
vitamins you may be taking.
This works in the reverse too. When you are
discharged from hospital, it is important that
information about your medications be passed
from your caregivers in the hospital back to
your community pharmacist, doctor and other
caregivers in the community. Basic care helps
avoid medication errors, such as “double
dosing”, which can occur if you are
prescribed a drug that is in the same “family”
or “class” of drug you are already taking. This
might happen if you are moving between
hospital and home, or if you are seeing more
than one doctor. With thousands of
medications available, your pharmacist — the
drug expert — is best equipped to determine
if two drugs you are taking are the same or
similar or may interact and can discuss this
with you and your doctor. Ask your
pharmacist — both in the community and in
the hospital — to ensure that your care is
uniform. Don’t let your medication needs,
and your health, slip.

So pharmacy awareness is about all this and

more.

Ruxandra Nicula

EPSA Pharmacy Awareness

Working Committee Director 2009-2010

23
EPSA’s first «real» Humanitarian Project
Guinea-Bissau
It all started back in Genoa during the
Autumn Assembly where Dr. Alberto
Hesse (Riccardo Hesse’s father)
introduced me to a member of the
“Veronese Association for the Base
Development of Guinea-Bissau” (literal
translation from Italian), which also
made a small presentation in the GA
room about a project in Campus
Madrugada, based in Bissau, Guinea-
Bissau. After this first meeting I was
invited to go to Bissau with some other
Italian Volunteers.
By the 23rd of December I was on my way to
Bissau after convincing my family that I would be
away for Christmas! Leaving Lisbon with 9ºC we
arrived at 4.00AM (24th of December) in Bissau’s
airport “Osvaldo Vieira” with 28ºC, being
transported after to Campus Madrugada in the
service Ambulance.
24
After being resting and knowing the Campus which
is composed by the Medical Centre which includes
the Diagnosis Wing and the Pharmacy Wing, the
school facilities with a Kindergarten working since
October and an Elementary School that will begin
the classes this year, and the sport facilities which
includes an already finished football pitch during
the first day, on the Christmas day we (me and
the other Italian Volunteers) started to realise
what were we supposed to do in order to help the
most in the 20 days of our journey.
After this analysis our main objective were to
create and organize 2 stable laboratories, one for
Production of drugs and other for Clinical Analysis,
installing interactive SMART Boards, organize the
pharmacy, eliminate contaminated waste and
resolve some issues in the Campus organization.
My main areas of work were the coordination of
the labs and the pharmacy, however I also took
part in all the other objectives we had.
The production lab was already settled in its
definitive room although it was a real mess. There
were assembled basic instruments for the
production of drugs (distiller, pills machines,
capsules machines, etc.) and it was organized in
order to create a clean and easy to use lab for the
technicians.

While in the first days we found the working
Clinical Analysis lab in a room that was also a
conference room and the administrative room in
the Diagnosis Wing. As you may imagine this is not
the ideal scenery for a place that should have a
minimum of sterility and control of who goes in
this lab that actually is not as bad equipped as you
might think, once that the Italian Association from
Verona that supports the Madrugada Cooperative
tries to gather and send to Bissau equipments with
the same quality we have in most of our labs in
Europe. With this conditions it was mandatory to
do something and we removed all the lab
equipment from the conference room and
installed it in a room near the production lab that
was being used for... let’s see... nothing!
The now officially called conference room was
one of the places where it was assembled an
interactive SMART Board in order to provide help
on the diagnosis via web from doctors from all
around the World.
Other main issue of our help in the Campus was
the improvement of the general sanitation of the
Campus even with the elimination of
contaminated waste from the Medical Centre for
about 7 months that was “storage” in piles near
the incinerator (the only one in Guinea-B.) due to
no one knowing how to turn on the incinerator.
Well, neither did we, but an incinerator with the
door opened is a great oven with “controlled”
fire. The result was 5 days burning waste.
Apart from all the work, that is actually quite
good the sensation of looking back and see what
we achieve and the difference that we were able
to do on some aspects that will influence the well
being of the local population on a daily basis, I
was also able to travel to some places in Guinea
where I saw beautiful landscapes like in
Quinhamel and Cumura, where there was also the
opportunity to visit a Leper Colony from the
beginning of the twentieth century and also a
Hospital that treats Tuberculosis, AIDS and also
Leprosy.
The country in general is very beautiful and the
people are surprisingly authentic and genuine,
something that is almost impossible in our modern
World. Apart from some sellers in the market
(mainly from Nigeria) people treats you very well
and even congratulate you every day for being
helping their country. There is no violence and no
criminality even in Bissau which is a city that for
me there is only one word to describe it:
Amazing!!!
25
I say this even in a good and a bad way once that
you have on one side the complete chaos in
traffic, and the amazing Bandim market that has
everything for you to buy (is a fantastic
experience going there for supplies), cows, pigs,
goats and chickens going freely between the
houses in some residential areas, the smell of
roasted peanuts and cashews, eating watermelon
on Christmas eve, and many other things that I am
sure most of you would like in a completely
different place from what we are used to and
where the life goes without stress and you have
sun all over the year!

One very important thing to refer to is the actual

conditions of Campus Madrugada, for the ones
that might be interested in an amazing experience
like this. The Campus has drinkable water,
internet, rooms that are not worse than the ones
in hostels with one bathroom per room, electric
power in most cases is only turned off during the
night when you are sleeping, all the windows have
nets to stop insects to go inside, fans, some places
with air conditioning and all the basic food
supplies provided.

I must say to you that if I was able to write all the

events between the 23rd of December and the 9th
of January, I would take all the pages in this
newsletter and that even in that situation some
things I was not able to write it down, some things
really need to be experienced!
Yours in EPSA,
I am glad to say that this experience was very
Guilherme Monteiro Ferreira
likely the best one in my life and I also hope that
EPSA Humanitarian Affairs
this is the first from several EPSA’s participation Working Committee Director 2009-2010
and collaboration with Madrugada Cooperative,
doing this project a continuous contribute from us
students to the poor people of the third World,
especially the people from Bissau where we can
help directly via this newborn EPSA’s project. I am
only the first volunteer from EPSA in Africa and I
hope that at least some of you will be interested
on following this project and also you become a
volunteer in Campus Madrugada, Bissau, Guinea-
Bissau.

26
Patents, Generics and
Counterfeit Medicines
How Pharmaceutical Policy shapes the future of
medical innovation to bring safer, better medicines
In the last hundred years, since the
outset of modern pharmacology, it is
striking to see that only a handful of
highly developed nations have seen the
rise of research-based pharmaceutical
companies. In effect, the world still
relies on thesefew countries, and their
pharmaceutical companies, for the
development of innovative medicines
that will treat patients. This simple
observation shows that, as
pharmaceutical innovation becomes a
global endeavor, we are still at an early
historical stage of pharmaceutical
innovation and that the future still holds
immense promises of better
treatments, targeted therapies and
better health outcomes, as hopefully
more countries will join the ranks of
global pharmaceutical innovators.
Public Health Science
Health care system Education
Financing mechanisms Research institutions
Industry
Rule of law
Incentives
There are three important reasons why
pharmaceutical innovation first took root in only a
handful of countries: The development of modern
health care systems, a large and systematic
investment in science and the enforcement of
intellectual property rights. These three
conditions help illustrate how pharmaceutical
innovation is at the crossroad of public health,
science and industrial policies. The research-
based pharmaceutical industry, as we know it, has
been developed thanks to these enlightened
government policies.
The Role of Patents
Intellectual property rights, such as patents, are a
key incentive mechanism to attract private
investments. In exchange for publishing its
invention (through the Patent Office) thus
allowing others to innovate further, an innovator
will be granted a limited period of exclusivity,
during which he can exploit his invention. This
doesn't preclude competition from other
innovators or from older, well established
technologies, but rather provides some level of
confidence that the significant investment made
in the discovery and development of a new
medicine will not be lost through immediate,
systematic copying. As for any other industry,
patents for medicines can be granted only if three
conditions are met: novelty, industrial
applicability and inventive step, which, in the
case of a patented medicine, means therapeutic
progress.
The investments made by pharmaceutical
companies help translate basic science into
medicines. Therefore, patents play a key role in
the development of innovative pharmaceutical
products and, as such, are a key policy for the
improvement of health care.
Pharmaceutical research and development (R&D)
is an extremely complex and difficult process:
starting in the laboratory, only one out of 10,000
compounds screened will eventually become an
approved medicine. Pharmaceutical R&D is also a
very long process: every drug prescribed has been
researched and studied for more than ten years on
average.
27
Pharmaceutical research and development (R&D)
is an extremely complex and difficult process:
starting in the laboratory, only one out of 10,000
compounds screened will eventually become an
approved medicine. Pharmaceutical R&D is also a
very long process: every drug prescribed has been
researched and studied for more than ten years on
average.
Finally, pharmaceutical R&D is extremely costly,
especially because of the high cost of failures: the
average R&D investment for a new chemical entity
has now crossed the one billion dollar bar.
28
On average, pharmaceutical companies invest
about 20% of their revenue into R&D. Such a level
of investment is much higher than any other
innovation based industrial sector, such as
electronics, the automotive sector or
telecommunication (which on average invest
about 5% of revenues).
Generics at the Right Price
Generic medicines play a key role in our health
care systems. Once the innovative company loses
its patent right with respect to a particular
chemical entity, generic companies can step in
and produce the same compound. As a compound
becomes generic, it can be compared to a basic
commodity, in which market manufacturers can
compete on the basis of price.
As the value of a generic product only rests in the
lower price they can demand, it is extremely
important that policy makers and health
authorities ensure that the appropriate
mechanisms are in place in order to ensure that
generic manufacturers truly compete and bring
the price of their products down to the lowest
cost possible for the health care systems. This is
not always the case, as we see a great variance in
the price of generic products between European
countries. This is mostly due to differences
between pricing cultures, as some countries do
not fear full, market-based competition (thus
reaping the benefits of lower prices), while other
countries prefer to control prices (which results in
less competition between generic manufacturers).
A spectacular example of how competition can
lower prices for patients can be found in the Wal
Mart 4$ Prescriptions Program, which offers
hundreds of generic prescription products at 4$
for a month of supply (or 10$ for 90 days).
[http://i.walmartimages.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/
customer_list.pdf]
Zero tolerance for counterfeit medicines
A counterfeit medicinal product is a medicinal
product, an ingredient, an excipient or a
component thereof which is deliberately and/or
fraudulently misrepresented with respect to its
identity, its source or its history. Counterfeit
medicines can contain toxic substances, no active
ingredient, or the wrong amount of it. As such,
counterfeit medicines are not only damaging to
any medical treatment, but also dangerous when
patients are being treated for serious illness.
Counterfeit medicines, already widespread in the
developing world, are now being found
increasingly in the EU. While Internet-based sales
are the main source of counterfeit medicines,
these products are also appearing in the
traditional supply chain. Urgent measures are
required to protect European patients, including a
ban on medicine repackaging.
According to the World Health Organization, sales
of counterfeit medicines represent 1% of the
market in developed countries, 10% in developing
countries and above 50% of internet sales.
EU statistics report the continuous increase of
fake medicines seized at EU customs borders. At
the end of 2008, the European Commission
conducted a two-month joint initiative focusing
customs authorities on counterfeit medicines.
During this operation, called "MediFake", over 34
million illegal drugs were detained, including life-
saving medicines, pain killers and anti-malarials.
Such safety measures can help ascertain the
identification, authenticity and traceability of
medicines and thus ensure the safety of patients.
One area of particular concern in the European
Union is the existence of a grey market, where
various intermediaries move medicines from one
country to another in order to take benefit of
price differentials (due to government price
controls). In the course of such arbitraging
activity, medicines are often repackaged, thus
creating the risk of counterfeit medicines entering
into the supply chain. Therefore, it is important
that the original package remain intact so that
effectiveness of any anti-counterfeit features are
maintained.
One key area for improvement in the future is the
absolute penalization of counterfeit activities in
the field of pharmaceuticals. While the trade in
illegal street drugs is heavily penalized,
manufacturing and selling counterfeit medicines
does not necessarily lead to heavy fines. Faced
with an odious criminal activity, it is crucial for
the safety of patients and the public trust in the
pharmaceutical supply chain that perpetrators be
subjected to heavy fines and jail time.
Production in the Pharmaceutical Industry

UK Authorities have reported an increase in the

number of counterfeit medicines entering the
regulated supply chain and reaching patients.
Such incidents have led to recall campaigns.
Securing the pharmaceutical supply chain is thus
extremely important and pharmacists should be
given a key role in ensuring that patients receive
genuine medicines.
Counterfeit Medicines Operations
This should be based on three core elements:

− Use of tamper-evident packaging or

tamper-resistant closures for all
medicines;

− Use of overt, covert and forensic

authentication features;
Boris Azais
− Strengthening product identification at
individual pack level through a Merck Sharp & Dohme
harmonised coding standard (2D data
matrix) (the content of this article represents the view of the author
and not necessarily that of Merck & Co. or its affiliates)

29
My IMP training in London
A truly invaluable experience

Asking me exactly 2 years ago about

how I thought the whole EPSA Individual
Mobility Project will turn out to be
today, I'd most probably be saying: «If
everything goes according to plan,
EPSA may have 2 or 3 available
placements secured with our new IMP
partners by then.» And here we are
today, exactly 2 years later, with 12
IMP training placements secured so
far in various fields of our profession
and with our EPSA member
associations currently doing their
utmost to establish the project in 17
European countries. Thanks to the IMP
Coordination Board along with National
and Local IMP Coordinators, doing
The famous houses of parliament
their best to bring the project to all
European pharmacy students, we have As the IMP concept was still fresh, not yet proven
and relatively unknown to majority of the
so far managed to come further than European pharmacy students, not a lot of them
anticipated. decided to run for the offered placement. After
successfully filling in the application and sending
In beginning of May 2009, right after listening to it along with my CV and cover letter to the
official representative of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Central IMP Coordinator (who at the time, had
Consumer Healthcare announcing the been taking care of this first placement along with
collaboration with EPSA and offering the first IMP the National IMP Coordinator for BPSA, U.K.), I
training placement to students during the EPSA had to undergo a written English examination. I
congress in Reims, France, I decided to go for it passed and then did an oral English exam via
and apply for the newly established IMP training. »Skype« and apparently performed very well. As
GSK offered a placement within their European only five candidates applied for the offered
Sales team located at GSK Consumer Healthcare placement, GSK decided to pre-select only two
Europe Headquarters in Brentford, London, U.K. final candidates for the over-the-phone interview,
Considering this was one of the first IMP training after which they were going to decide who of the
placement offers provided by the pharmaceutical two candidates would secure the offered IMP
industry at the time, this was exactly something I placement. Only in the 2nd half of June, I was
wished to experience in order to gain a better informed that GSK decided to accept me to
insight and learn about the work within the become an industrial placement trainee at their
«pharma» industry. premises in London.

30
I was overjoyed when I received the news, having
high expectations and knowing that I am going to
work for one of the world's biggest pharmaceutical
companies and on top of all, in London, Europe's
biggest business and cultural centre.
The experience started on the 11th of July 2009,
just two days before my first day at work in GSK,
when I actually flew to London from Ljubljana,
Slovenia. The National IMP Coordinator for BPSA in
the U.K. at the time was by chance out of the
country, so thanks to my old EPSA and IPSF
friends, Jurate and Andreia, they offered a place
to stay. And there I finally was, in the vast city of
different opportunities, diverse cultures and
colourful faces – London.
If this looks unfamiliar to you, then you really
should visit London!
When I first walked into the GSK Headquarters on
Monday, 13th July 2009 I was astonished. The
building was enormous, hosting up to 3000
employees and it all looked perfectly organised.
As I have been working in GSK Consumer
Healthcare, presenting some of its world's leading
brands in the field of OTC medicines and oral care
products, I started with a slight scepticism
knowing that dealing with prescription medicines
will be out of my reach, since this area of
products are dealt with by some other company’s
department called GSK Pharmaceuticals. It took
me more than a month to learn roughly about how
things work and to figure out how the internal
GSK's administrative system operates and even
after that there were always new things to learn.
However after some time, I soon realized that due
to different regulations for the niche of products
in this department, there was much more
creativity and more “space” for open thinking
available in the field of marketing and sales.
Working environment GSK offices from inside
I had to undergo all kinds of trainings in order to
know the environment I was working in and
understand the tools I would be using to perform
as efficiently as possible. There were a lot of
other trainees from all across the U.K. working in
different departments in the building, so we
always had time to exchange experience and talk
about leisure activities during lunch time.
After 4 weeks of experience in the company I
already assumed responsibility for assisting the
whole European Sales team (consisting of 6
members of staff). My tasks mainly included
writing daily sales reports, preparing presentation
material, updating different material for external
accounts and customers and partially taking care
of the IT databases where constant updates were
necessary. As this was going well, after 3 months I
received more tasks that involved lots of daily
meetings and internal discussions as well as
collating information from different markets and
national GSK representative offices across the
whole of Europe. All these tasks forced me to
learn and organise myself in a way. I have learned
31
about the corporative thinking in the company and
got to know the complexity of interactions and
responsibilities that each individual in such a
working environment has to assume. In spite of all
the experience I gained through my associative
work over the past 5 years in the faculty, things I
had to do in the company were very different and
therefore I had to reorganise myself in a way in
order to adapt properly to the existing working
environment. The nature of my IMP placement
offered a great opportunity to learn how to
communicate internally as well externally using
all kinds of tools and behave professionally in the
working environment. All this is extremely
important and vital when you work in a team in
collaboration with different people, trying to
adapt and understand their views and opinions.
GSK Headquarters in Brentford (west part of London)
Putting aside the professional experience,
definitely an extremely valuable gain out of the
IMP experience as a whole was the sociable and
cultural experience. And if there is a place in
Europe that can offer such thing, then it must be
London. There is absolutely nothing you cannot do
or experience in this city, and this is definitely not
the place where you get bored. With its
alternative Sunday markets and fairs, music
concerts, festivals, stand-up comedies, great
clubs and pubs, green parks and never-ending
museums and exhibitions, this city never sleeps. I
personally preferred the amazing night life of the
Old Street and a colourful and creative Camden
and Spitafield market, where solo-fashion-
designers sell their master pieces every Sunday.
The beat of the city is amazing;
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however this is the city to live in while you are
young and not bothered by the noise of traffic and
by the hours you spend on your way to and back
from work every morning. For its size London
seems a fairly safe place to be and I must say, I
felt really great living there.
You just cannot miss the Piccadilly Circus and its
sparkling advertising
IMP experience as a whole helped me understand
which professional path to consider in my future
career and profoundly influenced my overall
professional experience, which without any doubt
had left a very positive impression for my future
career. Living in London had also been an amazing
experience. Experiencing some negative sides of
the people living in the city and getting to know
the glamour of this European capital made me
realise how diverse and vast this city really is.
This truly was a personal school of my own.
So, if you ever thought of getting any kind of
professional experience in a similar or very
different field of profession, I suggest you go to
www.epsa-online.org/imp and look for new IMP
opportunities and placements that may be
available for you right at this very moment. Good
luck with your own future and your own
pharmaceutical career.
Boštjan Čeh
EPSA Honorary Life Member
EPSA Central IMP Coordinator 2008/2009
EPSA Student Mobility Officer 2007/2008
EPSA Liaison Secretary 2005 - 2007
 SOFT S
KILL C
Tips for team ORNER
None of us is as smart as all of us!
(Japanese proverb)

Were you ever part of a team? Most likely

the answer is yes. And for sure you will
have lots of hours of teamwork ahead of
you in your career as well as in your
personal life – it is everywhere! Therefore
it can be good to have an idea about some
theory behind teamwork, as this
knowledge might help you improve your
contributions and thus the outcomes of
the team.
Groups versus teams
In general terms a group is an informal version of
a team. A group might consist of people with a
common interest, but not necessarily a common
goal, often the group has no clear roles, and thus
has no leader. In a group people are more focused
on their personal interests, because they put their
individual achievements higher than the success of
the group.
Now it might seem like a team is always to prefer
over a group, but this is not the case; it takes
time to form a team, and sometimes there is no
need for putting an effort into team building.
HINT: Formulate some ground rules,
like «We work every Tuesday», «If
someone’s phone rings, they should
answer it outside» or who should
bring cake!
The forming phase is followed by “Storming” – and
this phase might not be as peaceful! It's like when
the honeymoon is over, now the team realises its
challenges, different opinions and maybe a lack of
trust to the other members. Obviously the level of
motivation might drop, though the efficiency of
the team is rising. In this phase it is important
that the members appreciate each other’s
differences, acknowledge all efforts and
encourage each other.
HINT: Be openminded and stay cool!
This phase might be challenging, but
its an important step!

Though it can be useful to distinguish between

groups and teams, in practice there is often no
clear division between them, and the information
presented below can be useful on many levels.
Phases in teamwork
Maybe you noticed this: When a team initially
forms, the members come together with a high
motivation and lots of energy, but might not be so
productive. It is due to the fact that the team
members are enthusiastic and believe in the
strength of the team. This phase is called the
“Forming”, and it is where the members get to
know each other and what their task is. It is a
peaceful time, as everybody wants to be accepted
in the team and tries to avoid conflicts. Here the
team needs to establish its values, structure and
limits.
The third phase is where the team regains its self-
esteem and efficiency increases even more, as
possible solutions to the challenges are appearing.
This phase is called “Norming”. The team
members have gained knowledge of each other’s
strengths and weakness, and with that mutual
understanding and respect. The team roles are
clearly defined, and the team is learning to make
democratic decision.
HINT: Be open to different ideas, and
remember that you are working
towards a common goal.

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The team reaches its full potential in the
“Performing” phase, where motivation and
productivity are high. Tasks can be delegated to
the members for minor decisions, while more
important choices are made in the team. Often
the team will set high standards, and challenge
each other to reach new levels.
It happens that a team moves back through the
phases, e.g. in case of a new challenge or new
members joining the team. In this case it can be
useful to remember the characteristics and needs
of a team in this phase, instead of expecting a
continuation of the way the team used to
perform. Accept the changes, and facilitate the
team back to the performing phase!
HINT: Spend some social time with
your team! Have dinner together, go
bowling or something else, which can
contribute to the team spirit.
Communication, responsibility and decision-
making
As can be seen from above, there is a requirement
for a feeling of responsibility among the team
members. They must all contribute, otherwise the
members will loose trust in each other, and the
team will not be as efficient as
possible. Therefore it is important that the team
is open in its internal communication, sharing
their concerns and challenged.
Who is in charge of a team? In many cases there
will be a leader appointed, who in the first phases
of the teamwork can direct and instruct the team.
Also the leader can make decisions after listening
to the inputs of the members. In the later phases
however, the role of the leader changes into being
more supportive than directing, this facilitating
the democratic decision-making. Here it is of
utmost importance that the members focus on
listening actively to each other, trying to
understand other perspectives, and not stubbornly
cling to their own opinions.
The team provides an opportunity for synergy,
making 1+1 > 2. Benefitting from each other’s
strengths, the team can reach further, be more
creative, and achieve more than people working
individually or in a group. Though it takes extra
effort to form a strong team, the feeling of team
spirit will contribute to more pleasure and better
results. Try to consider what teams you are in at
the moment, which phase it might be in, and what
you can do to improve the teamwork. Good luck!
Acknowledging success
Every personal effort should be
acknowledged, contributed to the feeling
of importance of each team member.
Similarly, the team should always
celebrate its victories; set milestones for
the process, and acknowledge each step
of the way towards the major goal.
HINT: What about an EPSA training
for your local association? www.epsa-
online.org/projects/training
Wanna know more?
Ken Blanchard: The One Minute Manager
builds high performance teams
Peter Levin: Successful Teamwork!
Michael A. West: Effective Teamwork
Esther Cameron: Facilitation made easy
Louise Winnecke Jensen
EPSA Training Officer 2009-2010
35
Alumni Corner
Interview with Niamh Fitzgerald
In which year did you get involved in EPSA and
what was the nature of your involvement?
I first attended an EPSA congress in 1995 in
Bordeaux and spent most of my time partying hard
with only a little working hard. But I was very
exciting about the kind of experience the EPSA
board members seemed to have had and I knew I
wanted a piece of the action! I became LS for
Ireland and went to the next conferences Krakow
1996 and Basel 1997 where I was elected
President of EPSA for 1997/98. It was a great
honour and I was determined to work really hard
and particularly not to let down the others who
had agreed to work with me that year – in
particular Evy Stavik of Norway who, after some
discussion, agreed to be my Vice President.
 
What did you like about being involved in EPSA
and your EPSA Experience?
There is so much to say in answer to this – it was
probably one of the most amazing experiences of
my life still. It was the most fantastic combination
of feeling passionate about a cause, working really
hard to try to improve EPSA and having a great
time and great travel experiences while doing so.
Of course, as with most things, the best part was
not the important speeches, or the achievements
or exciting events but the people that I got to
know at that time. The spirit of EPSA was one of
acceptance of all who were involved, including
people who might have been excluded in other
settings. The people with whom I worked taught
me a lot about myself and I continue to feel as
though they know me perhaps better than many of
my other friends as we worked so intensely
together for so long.
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What are you doing now doing now?
Now I am running a health improvement
consultancy business called Create Consultancy
(see www.createconsultancy.com). I have no
doubt that this is inspired by my EPSA
experiences. Create provides training, research
and consultancy services to councils and health
boards on health improvement/health promotion
issues such as alcohol, drugs and sexual health. I
love my work and although it is hard to run a
business and have kids - I am supposed to be on
maternity leave just now but am having to do
some work of course – loving what I do makes it all
worthwhile.
 
When not working I am married to Leon and have
two lovely little sons Lewis and Cormac.
How has EPSA contributed to your life and to
your professional career?
Massively! Career-wise, I can honestly say I do not
know what I would be doing or how I would have
found my way if it were not for EPSA.  It is the
reason I did my PhD, and without that I wouldn’t
have ended up doing what I do. So EPSA gave me a
knowledge of what I enjoyed doing and I was able
to seek that out in my later career e.g. managing
an enthusiastic team to do worthwhile work.
Equally importantly are the skills and confidence
EPSA gave me – I learned how to type faster, how
to speak confidently, write reports, give
presentations, manage difficult situations and
most of all learned about myself. It was an
amazing grounding in so many transferable skills
that I have continued to develop and use to this
day.
For my life, EPSA has given me some lifelong
friends, a continuing love of travel and countries/
cultures abroad particularly in Europe and
wonderful friends who I still keep in touch with to
this day. And also a sense that human beings can
work together in an atmosphere of acceptance
and love where there is no room for everyone.
 
If you had the opportunity to do it over again
would you?
I think it is clear that I would not change it for the
world. In fact, I am still trying to find my place in
the world of my new career in health
improvement and addiction prevention so that one
day I will be invited to international conferences
and do it all again!
What is your fondest memory from the years of
your involvement?
Just one?!! So hard. I could give you one for every
page of the newsletter I’m sure! ....I think it was
probably very long boring for everyone there but I
think my proudest moment was delivering my
annual report in Madrid in 1998 because I knew
then I had done a pretty good job. I had a bad
cold and so had to keep stopping to blow my nose
and also got quite upset at times – its hard not to
be emotional when you’ve worked so hard and
you’re physically very tired!  Other than that, we
had so many great parties...
Do you have any last words for the current and
future EPSA generations?
EPSA is like most things in life – you get out what
you put in.  So if you are prepared to work hard
and give of yourself to EPSA, you will get so much
back. You have to love it and be prepared to make
other sacrifices to be on the EPSA team but it is so
worth it not just at the time but for many years to
come.
Finally, in case they see this, I would like to say hi
to Evy, Bregje, Trude, Nina, Anne-Lise, Oriol and
Anna and Per with whom I still keep in touch from
time to time and all the others.  You guys are
great – and you know what we say – our door is
always open to you (now in Glasgow, Scotland!).
Yours in EPSA always,
Marisabelle Bonnici
EPSA Immediate Past President 2009 - 2010
37
Interview with Alexander Rödinger

During the Annual Reception I had the
pleasure to interview Alexander
Rödinger from MSD, one of EPSA’s
sponsors.
What is your first impression of the Annual
Reception?
It was a gritty decision to  chose such a complex
topic as  Patents, Generics and Counterfeits. But
EPSA  achieved to have a lively discussion
w h i c h  w a s v e r y  i n s t r u c t i v e , a l s o  f o r
me. Furthermore, it is important that EPSA makes
itself visible  in Brussels, particularly  at the
European Parliament. And it is necessary for
the  pharmaceutical students to  touch base with
the European  policy playground which will
certainly impact their future professional life.
How do you think companies like MSD benefit
from attending such events?
to form an opinion. Counterfeits for example are a
serious problem and cannot just be compared to
fake handbags or t-shirts. The event made clear
that  fake medicines can seriously harm. And it
made also clear, to exclude certain medicines
from safety standards would be the wrong
approach.
Why do you think it is important for companies
like MSD to participate at such events?
MSD  as a healthcare company is interested in the
future healthcare. We attend such events because
we want to listen to all the stakeholders but also
because we want to  participate actively  in the
healthcare debate.
Anette Aaland Krokaas
EPSA Vice-President of Communication

European policy is often dominated by well 2009-2010

established policy makers. The exchange with
students gives us the opportunity to  listen
to different voices and to be confronted with new
ways of thinking. This can be challenging because
you cannot presume that everybody understands
why - for example - patents are necessary for
innovation. On the other hand this gives us the
opportunity to start a dialogue.

In which way did you feel that you could

contribute to and gain from the topics that was
presented and discussed?

Brussels can be compared to the ancient "agora" in

Athens which was a platform for a true contest of
arguments. Therefore, I appreciated the
controversial setting of the event where both
sides could be heard so that the audience got the
full picture of the topic and was enabled

38
Executive Contacts
EPSA President
Tomaso Piaggio
E-mail: epsa.president@gmail.com

EPSA VP of Education
Ana Maria Puia
E-mail: epsa.vp.edu@gmail.com

EPSA Secretary General

Charalampos Nakos
E-mail: epsasecgen@gmail.com

EPSA Treasurer
Lionel Vidoudez
E-mail: epsa.treasurer@gmail.com

EPSA VP of Partnership
Development
Riccardo Hesse
E-mail: epsa.partners@gmail.com

EPSA VP of Mobility
Dan Daneasa
E-mail: epsa.smo@gmail.com

EPSA VP of Communication
Anette Aaland Krokaas
E-mail: epsa.vpc@gmail.com

EPSA VP of EU Affairs
Fokion Sinis
E-mail: epsa.vpeu@gmail.com

EPSA Office By change of address, please send your

new contact details to:
Rue du Luxembourg 19-21,
1000 Bruxelles, EPSA Vice President of Communication
BELGIUM epsa.vpc@gmail.com
info@epsa-online.org
www.epsa-online.org

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