01 June 2016

The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) has today (1st June) launched a recruitment call to hospital pharmacies across Europe encouraging them to sign up to the EAHP-EPSA Internship Platform. The platform enables hospital pharmacies to offer students and young pharmacists from other European countries the opportunity of gaining cross-border practice experience.

The platform is a unique collaboration between EAHP and the European Pharmaceutical Students' Association (EPSA). Operating for 3 years, both organisations are now enthusiastic to see its reach expanded through the recruitment of more hospitals to the platform.

Through the platform, students and young pharmacists can take up periods of internship from a current choice of 19 hospital pharmacies in 7 countries. The platform has proved sufficiently popular with applicants that a need has been identified to grow the number of pharmacy sites offering placements.

Any hospital pharmacy located in one of the member states of the Council of Europe may get involved via the completion of a short application form available on the EAHP website.

Encouraging hospital pharmacies to sign up, Aida Batista, EAHP Director of Professional Development, and chief student liaison, said:

"Providing students and young pharmacists with placement opportunities in hospital pharmacy doesn't just benefit the intern. The hospital benefits too from the enthusiasm and exchange of international practice experience brought from the participant. The positive feedback we receive from participating hospital pharmacies gives us great confidence to recommend other hospitals get involved. Providing this kind of opportunity to young people is most of all, a wise investment in the future of our profession."

Supporting the call, Katarzyna Świderek, President of the European Pharmaceutical Students' Association (EPSA) said:

"EAHP and EPSA have a shared interest in developing the future of the pharmacy profession in Europe, and in encouraging the spread of practice ideas and innovations across borders. That is why the internship platform collaboration makes so much sense. It is now time to spread the benefits wider. I hope more hospital pharmacies will recognise the opportunities available from providing placements to talented young pharmacists and pharmacists-to-be."

Sign up your hospital today here: http://www.eahp.eu/students/eahp-epsa-internship-platform/how-can-your-h...

Contact intern[at]eahp[dot]eu for any personal queries about the platform.

ENDS

For further information contact info[at]eahp[dot]eu | 00 322 741 6835

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) is an association of national organisations across 34 countries representing hospital pharmacists at European and international levels. More information about the EAHP and its history here: http://www.eahp.eu/about-us

2. More information about the EAHP-EPSA Internship Platform is available here.

3. The full database of hospital pharmacies offering placements is available here.

4. Information about how your hospital can participate is available here.

5. Testimonies of the experiences that hospital pharmacies have had in hosting international placements are available here. 

6. Requests for interviews with Aida Batista and/or Katarzyna Świderek can be made by contacting info[at]eahp[dot]eu | 00 322 741 2436