The Academic Pharmacy Section (AcPS) of FIP was founded in 1972. In the 50 years since its inception, the AcPS has provided a global platform for leaders in academia and educators in practice and science. With opportunity for every educator and trainer to be engaged, the section enables sharing expertise and experience in pedagogy and the science of teaching of pharmacy and collaborations for the advancement of pharmacy.
One of the largest sections of FIP, the Academic Pharmacy Section has constantly encouraged member engagement. The AcPS celebrated 50 years with a member recognition at the FIP world congress in Seville, Spain, in 2022, and with publication of the first special supplement of the Pharmacy Education Journal, result of the vision of AcPS leadership with significant contributions by members.
Strategic plan
The Academic Pharmacy Section’s Strategic Implementation Plan 2022-27 was approved by the AcPS membership on the 7th of October 2022 at the virtual Annual Business Meeting. This updated plan incorporated restructuring goals and objectives, and revisiting the vision and mission statement of the Section.
Mission
To create high quality, accessible, inclusive pharmaceutical education and training based upon scholarship and best practice in teaching and research that meets the needs of patients and societies around the world.
Vision
To provide opportunities for international networking, exchange, collaboration, scholarship, policy formulation, the development of expertise and innovation, and to inspire all those involved in pharmaceutical education, scholarship and training to excellence.
Statutes and structure
The current statutes were adopted by the FIP Bureau in April 2020. We support the vision of FIP and FIP Education by advancing pharmacy education and training to meet societal needs for improved health through medicines expertise.
The AcPS Executive Committee encourages engagement of members in section activities and works with members to identify opportunities and avenues to achieve the goals and objectives of the section’s strategic plan.
Executive Committee
President Prof. Toyin Tofade, FFIP (USA)
Immediate past president Prof. John Pieper, FFIP (USA)
Vice president Dr Arijana Mestrovic, FFIP (Croatia)
Secretary Dr Carl Schneider, FFIP (Australia)
Treasurer Dr Abdikarim Mohamed Abdi (Turkey/Cyprus)
Newsletter editor Ms Mansi Doshi (India)
Member Dr Martin Henman, FFIP (Ireland)
Member Prof. Aukje Mantel-Teeuwisse, FFIP (Netherlands)
Member Prof. Rula Darwish, FFIP (Jordan)
Member Dr Arinola Eniola Joda (Nigeria)
Member Ms Jeanine Abrons (USA)
ECPG AcPS liaison Dr Kate Wang (Australia)
Working groups
The Academic Pharmacy Section’s vision, mission, strategic plan and members form the foundation for innovative and extensive section activities led by the executive committee. AcPS working groups are structured to align with the goals and objectives of the AcPS strategic plan and include:
- Advocacy, Policy and Global Influence
- Collaboration and Communication
- Educational Programme Design and Assessment
- Educator Development
- Finance and Section Policies
- Membership
- Research and Scholarship
- Strategic Implementation Monitoring
- World Congress and Webinar Planning
If you are an AcPS member, please look out for the call to join our working groups each year via our newsletter, the Mortar Board, and our Annual Business Meeting booklet.
In the 2023-24 business year, the AcPS Executive Committee adopted a novel approach for the section by nominating a non-executive committee co-lead for each working group. This aims to increase member visibility, responsibility and leadership pathways within each working group, providing the opportunity to actively contribute in a leadership role within the section.
Section highlights
Annual business meeting and elections
The AcPS holds its annual business meeting at the FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences each year. Section elections are held at this meeting, which is followed by a section dinner, which is an opportunity for networking, exchanging ideas and celebrating membership and section achievements. The call for nominations for section elections is shared with members early in the business year through email and the section newsletter, the Mortar Board.
AcPS Executive Committee and FIP fellowship awardees at the FIP world congress 2023 in Brisbane, Australia
Join us for the FIP world congress 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa!
Partnerships and projects
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FIP-UNESCO UNITWIN Centre of Excellence (CfE) Africa Region
Among the different AcPS and collaborative projects with other FIP constituencies and/or member organisations, more recent deliverables and resources include:
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FIP Online Course on Digital Health in Pharmacy for Educators and Practitioners, the first online course for members on FIPx
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Nanjing Statements are undergoing consultation for update
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FIP Global Competency Framework for Educators & Trainers in Pharmacy
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FIP-IPA Vaccination Project, a hybrid course with an online component on FIPx and a face-to-face session for competency attainment
Join us on the 4th of September at the FIP world congress!
Activities and communication
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First ever Pharmacy Education Journal supplement published in 2022
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RxWriting Challenge
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Digital events and webinars
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Social Media-LinkedIn, Facebook, X
- Meet an academic (FIP member) on FIP social media
- Uniform posting across AcPS social media: LinkedIn, Facebook and X
- Additional information only for members is shared on the AcPS LinkedIn group and in the newsletter
▪ AcPS LinkedIn group membership is in itself a networking opportunity for members
▪ FIP AcPS members are requested to join the FIP AcPS LinkedIn group
- Live X Chats with
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Newsletter, the Mortar Board
Newsletter, the “Mortar Board”
AcPS members receive our quarterly newsletter, “The Mortar Board”.
The Mortar Board reports on the current state and history of pharmacy education in different countries, and has sections for Academic Institutional Membership (AIM) and the FIP Hub. The newsletter also incorporates activities of the section and those in collaboration with other FIP constituencies, member organisations and the UNITWIN network, global pharmacy advancement initiatives, FIPWiSE activities and upcoming events including congresses, webinars and digital events. In February 2022, a section called “Know Your FIP” was added to the Mortar Board to familiarise members with different aspects of FIP and provide an additional point of access to information.
The Mortar Board is shared with members as email at the time of publication. It is also accessible in the FIP library, to members, under two categories:
Special issues of the newsletter are also published to share updates and information with members between scheduled issues.
Digital events
Our section offers digital events like Town Hall meetings, webinars and Live X Chats. Some recent digital events are listed below.
Webinars
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Ethics of Sustainable Healthcare
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Mastering Writing Productivity: Tips and Tricks from Pharmacy Faculty
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Culturally and Linguistic Considerations in Development of Collaborative Services in Pharmacy
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Digital Event Series on Advocacy and Policy by Region: Learnings from Policy Leaders in Pharmacy around the World
If you’d like to suggest a webinar topic or speaker, email acps@fip.org.
Town Hall
Town Hall is planned by the section’s executive committee with the support of working group members. The aim of town hall meetings is to collate and integrate members’ views in section activities and constantly enhance member engagement. An AcPS Town Hall meeting held in April 2024 was led by the Academic Section Policy and Advocacy working group.
Live X Chats
2022: Joseph DiPiro
2023: Late FIP President Dominique Jordan
2024: FIP membership coordinator Sarra Khadir & AcPS membership lead, Abdikarim Abdi
Follow @FIP_AcPS on X and join us in conversation
Contact, follow & join us
Contact us at acps@fip.org
Follow us and our activities on social media:
Join the FIP and AcPS
Join the FIP and AcPS, get access to the AcPS newsletter and collaborate with members on the Section’s LinkedIn group, during section activities and through our working groups and other networking opportunities.
Select Academic Pharmacy Section at the time of enrolling for FIP membership:
https://www.fip.org/join-fip
Annual report
The AcPS annual report is available here.
Some FIP Links
FIP Development Goals
https://developmentgoals.fip.org/
FIP Education
https://www.fip.org/pharmacy-education
FIP AIM
https://www.fip.org/academic-institutional-membership
FIP World List of Pharmacy Schools
https://www.fip.org/world-list-of-pharmacy-schools
UNITWIN Programme
FIP Education Transformation Toolkit: https://www.fip.org/educationtransformation
FIP Toolkit Inequities in Pharmacy Education: https://www.fip.org/inequitiesineducation
FIP UNITWIN Pathfinder Toolkit: https://www.fip.org/fip-unitwin-pathfinder-toolkit
FIP Library
https://www.fip.org/publications