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PDA shares update from FIP Chief Executive

The latest update from FIP Chief Executive, Catherine Duggan, highlights some of FIP’s work that will be seen in the next three months.

Thu 6th April 2023 The PDA

The PDA is a proud member of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). Through participation in FIP activity, PDA members not only get to learn from international colleagues but also have the chance to contribute to the international conversation about pharmacy too. The collective views of individual pharmacists can also pass through the PDA and FIP onto international discussions and ultimately to the World Health Organisation, if appropriate. 

Read Catherine Duggan’s message below:

Healthcare workforce

World Health Worker Week runs 2 – 8 April 2023, and campaigns for investment in the health workforce, including in protecting health workers’ physical and mental health. This week, at the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) fifth Global Forum on Human Resources for Health, FIP joins global organisations representing nursing, dentistry, medicine, and physiotherapy at a session organised by the World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA) where healthcare workers’ needs and concerns will be communicated to officials, policy makers, and civil society. The session will present a new WHPA-WHO report on ’What the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed’  according to five global health profession organisations, including FIP.

This publication has been developed under the framework of joint action underlined in the memorandum of understanding signed by the WHO and WHPA members last November and is a synthesis of evidence from organisations’ surveys and reports during the pandemic. This is the first assessment of its kind and will provide useful insights to inform policy responses and priorities to protect, safeguard and invest in the health and care workforce.


Vaccination coverage through pharmacies

At the end of this April, World Immunization Week takes place and our continued work to expand vaccination coverage through pharmacies will include the release of two new resources in coming weeks. First, a vaccination policy toolkit aimed at members will support them to accelerate policies for pharmacy-based vaccination and life-course immunisation, building on our 2019 FIP Global Vaccination Advocacy Toolkit and drawing on lessons from our members around the world.

Secondly, from the FIP Regulators Advisory Group, a self-assessment tool will assist interested organisations in assessing their jurisdiction’s regulatory framework to enable pharmacy teams to play a broad role in improving vaccination coverage, from supply chain management to administration and prescribing.

 

More new resources

Other new resources from FIP in this quarter will include a new series of CPD Bites focusing on the management of common ailments, a handbook on tobacco cessation. Describing key and recent evidence-based interventions by pharmacists in this area, developed in collaboration with other experts and its accompanying knowledge and skills reference guide. There will be a number of digital events, such as a series on health and self-care literacy.

For educators, we will relaunch our digital health in pharmacy education online course to continue to address gaps highlighted by our 2021 report on developing a digitally enabled pharmaceutical workforce.


World Health Assembly

We are proud that for three-quarters of a century this week, pharmacy has been represented in the global health agenda through FIP’s official relations with the WHO. In May, the 76th World Health Assembly will be held in Geneva, Switzerland. It is likely that restrictions on delegate numbers will be lifted and we are planning once more invite our member organisations to be part of the FIP delegation. This will provide opportunities for leaders of these national organisations to meet with their country’s ministers as well as with WHO colleagues. This approach aligns with our plans for future FIP health minister summits.

 

Chief Executive of FIP, Catherine Duggan

Who are the World Health Professions Alliance?

FIP is part of the WHPA, an alliance of global health professional federations that brings together those representing the world’s dentists, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists and physicians and speaks for more than 41 million health care professionals in more than 130 countries. The WHPA works to improve global health and the quality of patient care and facilitates collaboration among the health professions and major stakeholders.

The other professions in WHPA are represented by the equivalent bodies to FIP. They are the World Dental Federation (FDI), the World Medical Association (WMA), the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and World Confederation for Physiotherapy (‘World Physiotherapy’).

Just as employed and locum pharmacists across the UK are represented in FIP by the PDA, so the British Dental Association (BDA), British Medical Association (BMA), Royal College of Nurses (RCN), and Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) are members of their profession’s respective global organisations.

The PDA is proud to work for the benefit of patients and professionals by collaborating with colleagues from other professions at sectoral, national and international levels.

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