New FIP resources to advance Pharmacy education and early career development

ABSTRACT

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, FIP Education (FIPEd) continued to produce reports, guidance documents, toolkits and virtual programmes to advance pharmacy education and early career development. Method(s) FIPEd, consisting of academic pharmacy section (AcPS), academic institutional membership (AIM), workforce development hub (WDH), university twinning and networking scheme (UNITWIN) - collaborating with Board Pharmaceutical Sciences (BPS), Board Pharmaceutical Practice (BPP), Young Pharmacists Group (YPG), and International Pharmaceutical Students' Federation (IPSF), developed resources, through consultation and validation, to advance pharmacy education and training programmes. Result(s) FIPEd resources 2020 - 2022 span a wide perspective of areas 1) Global Competency Framework v2 (2020) - competencies for early career development;2) Digital Health in Pharmacy Education report (2020) and Train the Trainer Course (2022) - current status and development of digital health education programmes;3) UNITWIN Pharmacy Education in Sub-Saharan Africa report (2020) and 4) UNITWIN Pathfinder Toolkit (2021) - led to UNITWIN Regional Workshops and Global Summit 2021, subject of the FIP Workshop at EAFP 2022 with a regional specific roadmap for the European region;5) FIP WiSE - Women in Science and Education toolkit (2021) - promote positive practice environments for women in science and education;6) FIP AIM Enhancing academic leadership horizons in trying times virtual course (2021) - academic leadership skills development;7) Global Humanitarian Competency Framework (2021) - competencies for pharmacists working in humanitarian arenas;8) Curriculum for pharmacy students on substandard and falsified medicines (2021) - collaboration with WHO;9) FIP handbooks for accreditors and providers of programmes supporting the FIP platform for provision through partnerships (2022) - a new FIP programme whereby the FIP Seal assures programme providers align with the FIP mission and meet quality criteria. Upcoming resources for 2022 include Competency Framework for Pharmaceutical Educators;Competency Based Education Handbook;Quality Assurance education tool;Impact of pharmaceutical workforce on health improvement and outcomes tool;Interprofessional Education Readiness tool. Conclusion(s) FIP resources have been used effectively by educators globally as guides to advancing pharmacy education. These new resources provide further guidance to assure pharmacy education programmes prepare graduates for contemporary and future-oriented careers to meet societal needs.