EPA Monthly Newsletter-Volume 1 Issue 2, 2014 EC

EPA Conducted its Semi-Annual Meeting

On January 22, 2022 EPA conduct its semi-annual meeting. Welcoming and workshop goals were addressed by deputy president of EPA, Dr Eskinder Eshetu. He forwarded three goals of the workshop:
• Update on key achievements and priorities
• Team building
• Priorities for the next two quarters

Then, the president of the association gave an opening remark by mentioning the new central executive committee has spent over six months on duty; it took a while to get started and set up committees, but every committee has tried to do as much as they can. Openness/transparency and the use of multiple communication channels were among the strengths the EC demonstrated. The president said that the association is a veteran and has a long history. He added we need to get existing members to actively participate; they must provide financial and professional support; we need also to move on to constructing the association building. Finally, the president opened the workshop by mentioning the aim of the meeting as it is to review what we have done in the past six months and to discuss what we plan to do in the next six months.
Following this, chairs/representatives of EPA sub-committees provided updates on their performance during the last six months, challenges faced, and their next quarter 3&4 priorities

• Research, Project, and Professional Development (RPPD),
• Media and Publications Committee (MPC),
• Ethics and Award Committee (EAC),
• Volunteers Coordinating Team (VCT)
• EPA office updates (finance and operations)
• GHSC-PSM and EPA joint plan activities

Questions and discussions were conducted following each update. In addition, EPA presented a list of directives identified from the EPA constitution that require preparation and finalization. Discussions were conducted on this, prioritized, and assignments are given to subcommittees to bring draft directives. Some of the directives were required to be finalized and approved before the upcoming annual conference, as they are bottlenecks for office activity.

Finally, general discussions were conducted with the president. The discussions include:
• How to increase active members, recognize/incentivize members and lifetime members such as by providing free CPD courses, and members profile updates (strategies and responsibilities should be clear)
• How to strengthen the office management and administration (the experience was shared by the midwifery association and structural changes are being evaluated), increasing the number of staff in the EPA office (part-time IT staff is not adequate)
• Branch EPA office’s performance and how to strengthen them
• Building EPA’s office (different options are being assessed)
• Concept note preparation for the upcoming annual conference (follow-up action points will be identified from this year’s annual meeting)
• How to strengthen the Ethiopian pharmaceutical journal and impact assessment of EPA publications (solutions are being explored including secretariat service and associate editors for the editor, introducing additional journals for the pharmaceutical practice sector…)
• Working on CPD issues including arranging courses for the professional and the members, diversifying ways of course delivery,
• Fundraising for the association and saving costs of the association including use of EPA office for meetings
• Quality of education in general and in private colleges in particular; the issue of curriculum (Pharm D vs B. Pharm); pharmaceutical service regulation
• EPA’s responsiveness to national and regional issues on the profession and professional
• Reaching and showing our presence to the media and community (let us move out of the meeting halls); EPA’s support to conflict-affected areas
• EPA’s social media and website management and its public relation should be strengthened
Finally, the following action points were forwarded:
• Regularly continue similar events
• Strengthen the work on increasing the number and participation of the membership
• Finalize selected EPA directives for implementation
• Update member’s profile by the voluntary committee
• Work on CPD course accreditation, course availability to professionals and members
• Finalize CPD coordinators hiring process and working EPA’s organizational changes

Semiannual EPA meeting

EPA sends four volunteers to support the grand homecoming pharmaceutical donations inventory

EPA assigns four volunteers to work in sorting and registration of pharmaceuticals, supplies, and medical devices brought by Ethiopian diasporas. Volunteers work for 24 days at  EPSS central hub. The volunteers said the following when mentioned the experience they found:
“Beyond my expectations and very interesting to aspire more opportunities like this”
“I was very happy to respond to the request from EPA volunteer support for the ‘Diaspora one bag challenge initiative’. It is humanity that should be given priority in the situations like our country is in at this time. That was what diaspora from abroad did. But that was not enough, heartful pharmacists have to be there to facilitate to identify what type of health commodities were imported, to register and prepare for distribution to those who are in need.”
“I feel very grateful for our diaspora for their humanitarian action. During those three weeks’ stay, I understood that helping others with your money, profession, and energy is the best source of happiness. I promised myself to do volunteer action with all my capacity! EPA should work actively and closely with all its stakeholders where our beloved professionals can work so that It can show the importance of the profession in the health sector and the pharmacists’ indispensable role in the development of the country.”
Finally, volunteers mentioned it helped them to understand time management, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities. However, they also recommended EPA follow the volunteer’s daily activity and performance to facilitate logistic service for volunteers, including their lunch and transportation.

EPA volunteers giving volunteer service at EPSS/MOH

EPA conducted two webinar sessions
• A webinar was presented on January 14, 2022, with the title “COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Ethiopian Health Care workers” by Mr. Atalay Mulu from Addis Ababa University, School of Pharmacy.
• A second webinar was presented on February 11, 2022, with the title “Overview of the 3rd edition national one-health AMR prevention and containment strategic plan 2021-2025” by Mr. Yidnekachew Degefaw from the Ministry of Health, Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Management Directorate.

Writer: Bezawit N. Demissie (EPA Media & Publication member/Asst. Lecturer at Addis Ababa University),

Editor: Belete Ayalneh (editor in chief of EPA Media & Publication Committee)