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Refereed/Peer-reviewed Background: Early career pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientist groups (ECPGs) can make valuable contributions to addressing global health challenges and policy development. There is limited information describing their contribution to this topic. This study describes initiatives and activities related to global health and policy development led by ECPGs. Methods: An online questionnaire was disseminated between July and October 2020 through the International Pharmaceutical Federation Young Pharmacists Group (FIP YPG) mailing list and its social media network. The survey consisted of questions about ECPGs' involvement in global health and policy development activities. In addition to groups or organisations, the FIP YPG also invited individual pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists to explore their needs and views on the role of the ECPGs, and themselves as individuals in global health. Data were analysed descriptively. Results: Thirty national ECPGs across six regions of the World Health Organisation (WHO) participated in the survey. Most of the initiatives led by ECPGs focused on health and wellbeing, quality of education and partnership. The most common activities were webinars, social events and partnerships with other organisations. In terms of global health challenges listed by the WHO, the most common initiatives led by ECPGs were related to medicines access and medicines safety. There was some involvement of early career pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, and ECPGs in the policy and regulation in their countries across various topics. Conclusion: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first global study exploring initiatives conducted by ECPGs. This study informed initiatives that have been implemented across regions, which could be useful for other ECPGs to initiate in their country according to their needs and priorities. Fostering engagement and collaboration between ECPGs is encouraged to provide opportunities and share learning across ECPGs, which could accelerate progress towards tackling global health challenges.

Deproteinized hemodialysate obtained from calf blood is the component of some biological medicines registered in selected countries in Europe and Asia e.g. Actovegin, Solcoseryl. However, these drugs are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The use of deproteinized calf blood hemodialysate by elite athletes could be the reason for some discrepancies in sport events. To some extent, the effects of protein-free calf blood hemodialysate resemble the regenerative activity of peptides, such as BPC-157 which in last time was included in World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List in group S0 (Non-Approved Substances). Protein-free calf blood hemodialysate contains amino acids, peptides, nucleosides, glycosphingolipids, and inositol-phospho-oligosaccharides. It has been shown that these mixture aforementioned components showed antioxidant activities, increased mitochondrial oxidative capacity, activation of macrophages and stimulation of expression NF-kB. The aim of this review was to analyze the current knowledge about deproteinized calf blood hemodialysate in relation to the anti-doping regulations of sports organizations, and some discrepancies in the fields of sports pharmacy and sports medicine.

Positive practice environments (PPEs) support the recruitment and retention of employees, enable the delivery of high-quality work outcomes, and benefit society as a whole. It is necessary to provide equal rights, obligations, equal treatment, and opportunities for all genders according to their needs to achieve gender equity and PPEs in workplaces. FIP developed the FIPWiSE (the FIP women in science and education initiative) toolkit for positive practice environments for women in science and education to support and enable them by building on the World Health Professional Alliances (WHPA) PPE campaign. FIP is a founding member of the WHPA and used the toolkit as a basis to describe and identify factors that enable PPEs from a pharmaceutical science and pharmacy education perspective. The toolkit provides a set of possible solutions related to women in science and education for individuals, employers, institutions, and policymakers, as well as real-life examples, perspectives, and good practice implementations and suggestions from women from all around the world.

The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), as the global leadership body for pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists and pharmaceutical educators, coordinated and produced as of January 2020 an international response to the COVID-19 pandemic. FIP's response included professional guidance, a programme of digital events and other resources, as well as advocacy and policy tools to support national pharmacists' associations and academic institutions, as well as individual practitioners, in their response at country level. This article describes the strategy adopted by FIP in collaboration with an international group of experts to support the valuable service that pharmacists and their teams provide to communities throughout the pandemic, and their important contribution to easing the huge strain being placed on health systems around the world.

Background: Engaging the youth in the activities of health organizations is an imperative to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The International Pharmaceutical Federation Young Pharmacists Group (FIP YPG) was formally launched in 2001 to increase the engagement of young pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists. Additionally, this was set up to foster their potential for leadership within the various Sections and Special Interest Groups of FIP in the areas of pharmacy practice, pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy education. With the new ONE FIP strategy, achieving the goal of advancing pharmacy together as ONE organization, FIP and FIP YPG looked into the needs and expectations of its members in order to better align with FIP's goals and its members' needs to achieve synergy and amplify outcomes. Objectives: FIP YPG carried out a needs-assessment survey to explore the needs and expectations of its members in order to better align FIP's goals and its members' needs. Methods: An online survey was conducted between 1 May 2019 and 2 June 2019 to the members of FIP YPG. Invitations to complete the questionnaire were sent out by email to all FIP YPG members. The questionnaire included participant demographics; satisfaction on current FIP YPG activities, participation in FIP YPG activities; preferred activities of FIP YPG; expectations from FIP YPG and presence of national/regional YPG in the members’ respective geographies. Results: The survey elicited a response rate of 37.25%. Sixty-seven percent of members were satisfied with current FIP YPG activities. The most preferred activity and the main reason for joining the organization was ‘networking opportunities.’ ‘Newsletter’ (as a reader) was the most common resource selected by participants (71%). Newsletters were also the preferred platform for communication (75.32%). ‘International YPG conference’ was found to be the focus of members' preference (59.49%). Nearly a majority FIP YPG members preferred webinars focused on ‘Career development’ (44.94%). The preferred type of project to be involved in were ‘Inter-professional collaboration projects’ (45.57%). ‘Exploration of opportunities and incentives for implementing new professional services’ was found to be the preferred topic for research survey (33.54%). Conclusion: FIP YPG members' needs were descriptively analysed for the purpose of better alignment of the organization's goals with members' goals. Networking, collaborations, career and leadership development and effective communication, among other aspects, were found to be the main interests of the members surveyed. The survey findings have been employed in the development of strategic plans for FIP YPG members and how FIP YPG can be an effective launching platform for the future roles in FIP. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

The realization of a competent, versatile and adaptable Pharmaceutical workforce which is a key component in achieving the World Health Organization Universal Health Coverage agenda in 2030 depends on the supply of adequately trained pharmacy workforce who can improve access to quality medicines while delivering quality pharmaceutical services. Despite the rise in the density of pharmacists across all World Health Organization regions, African countries still stay considerably behind in terms of absolute capacity per capita which means that the pharmacy workforce in Africa continues to be very low and not adequate to deliver the pharmaceutical services needs of the region. The International Pharmaceutical Federation is leading the transformation of pharmacy education in Sub-Saharan African countries to bridge this gap with a spotlight on increasing academic capacity, establishing needs-based education strategies and creating an enabling practice environment through advocacy. This commentary paper seeks to discuss the strategies such as the FIP-UNITWIN Programme and the Kenya-Nottingham Partnership utilized in transforming the pharmacy education and therefore the pharmaceutical workforce within the Sub-Saharan African Countries. This paper also gives a clue on subsequent steps which can advance pharmaceutical practice and science in the region.

The quality assurance of pharmacy education is a global goal and indicator of transformative pharmacy workforce development. FIP has published a number of tools, guidelines and resources to support individuals, institutions, nations and regions advance pharmacy education - especially as the state of pharmacy education varies widely in countries around the world. The Nanjing Statements offer a potential additional tool aimed primarily at institutions to evaluate, monitor and advance their educational standards. The upcoming assessment tool being developed by FIP in partnership with Howard University will facilitate its utilization by educators and institutions worldwide and provides a global, practical mechanism of advancing the education of the pharmacy workforce worldwide.

INTRODUCTION:In the past decades the cost-effectiveness of new effective disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) form was assessed through decision analytical models. Recently, new treatment option for the Primary Progressive (PPMS) form was developed. Aim of this work was assessing the similarities and differences of PPMS and RRMS and their impact in the development of decision analytical model for PPMS.METHODS:Literature review was performed to retrieve information on natural history of PPMS and RRMS and impact of DMTs agents on the progression of these conditions. Further, a review of the published cost-effectiveness models for RRMS was performed. Based on these data, an analysis on the difference and similarities between the two MS forms that could have an impact on the development of decision analytical model for PPMS was performed.RESULTS:Based on the analysis, similar structure model used for RRMS could be applied for PPMS. Health states of the model could be based on Expanded Disability Status Scale score as already done for RRMS. The relapse events considered for RRMS should not be included in PPMS model, and no possibility to develop another form, as the Secondary Progressive, should be included. While RRMS models should include at least a second line treatment option due to alternative DMTs available, only first treatment line should be considered for PPMS. Assessing data available to populate the model, poor data on the natural history, utility and cost associated to PPMS were available and assumption or expert opinions will be needed to overcome the lack of robust data.CONCLUSIONS:A decision analytical model for PPMS can use a similar structure used in the models for RRMS. However, more robust data on PPMS and some structural change are needed to provide a good tool to assess cost-effectiveness of DMTS in PPMS.