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The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) launched a new UNITWIN Centre for Excellence in Europe, under its renewed agreement with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This centre will provide a platform to share learnings on curricula, advance competencies, and support research-driven learning across schools of pharmacy in the European region.
The launch comes at a pivotal time for pharmacy education in the region. Key challenges identified during a recent regional strategic roadmap meeting include misalignment of study programmes with national and EU competency frameworks, gaps in digital health, artificial intelligence (AI), and advocacy training, inconsistent experiential learning, limited academia–clinical practice collaboration, and a decline in pharmaceutical production skills.
The meeting also highlighted opportunities to share modernisations in education and training. These include integrating research-led and case-driven learning, preparing students for expanded roles in primary care, embedding AI and digital health in curricula, introducing early interprofessional collaboration and leadership training, strengthening student engagement in research, and enhancing regional and national networking.
The Centre’s priorities align with FIP Development Goals 13 (policy development), 5 (competency development), and 20 (digital health). In addition, the centre is actively engaging with the European Association of Faculties of Pharmacy (EAFP) and seeks to collaborate with other stakeholders in pharmacy education and science to ensure synergies in initiatives and long-term sustainable impact.
“By fostering collaboration, innovation, and leadership, the Centre will help equip the next generation of pharmacists across Europe with the skills and knowledge they need to meet the demands of modern healthcare systems and deliver better outcomes for communities,” said Dr Catherine Duggan, CEO, FIP.
FIP now has Centres for Excellence across all six World Health Organization regions.
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