News
28 June 2005
European Pharmacists Forum elects new President
European pharmacists, meeting at the second 2005 seminar of the European Pharmacists Forum (EPF) on 27-28 June in Amsterdam, have elected Elvire Kuyck as President of the Forum. Mrs Kuyck is a practising pharmacist in the Netherlands and is the owner of the Kring-Apotheek Alkemade pharmacy in Roelofarendsveen, south-west of Amsterdam. She is President of the Leiden District of the KNMP (Dutch Association of Pharmacists) and has been a member of the European Pharmacists Forum since 2001. Mrs Kuyck was elected as EPF Vice-president in 2002 and succeeds Jean-Etienne Martineau of France, who is stepping down as President on completion of his three-year term.
At the same meeting, Giancarlo Visini, Vice-President of Federfarma Nazionale (the Italian National Federation of Pharmacists) and President of Sunifar (the Union of Rural Pharmacists in Italy) was appointed as the new Vice-President of the EPF.
The aim of the Forum is to support a European and transverse approach to the profession, and to bring pharmacists together to discuss ideas and share key messages. The Forum is sponsored by Alliance UniChem as part of its initiative to reinforce its partnership with pharmacists and develop its portfolio of services for European pharmacists. The Forum includes representatives from the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic, The Netherlands and Switzerland.
The EPF comprises four Working Groups, dealing with Patients, Pharmacy services, links between Pharmaceutical manufacturers and Wholesalers, and relationships with Institutions. Ornella Barra, Executive Director of Alliance UniChem, represents the Group on the Forum, which holds four major seminars each year in different European capitals.
The Amsterdam EPF seminar focused on issues arising from the emergence of online pharmacy retailers, and featured a Round Table debate on the evening of 27 June, bringing together key players from the sector including pharmacists, pharmaceutical manufacturers, patient representatives and online pharmacy operators.
