FIP updates Nanjing Statements

Statements on pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences education (The “Nanjing Statements”), developed by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) in 2016 to guide the process of educational reform, have been updated and released. 

The original statements were developed during FIP’s Global Conference on Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Education in Nanjing, China, followed by extensive review before publication. The update was conducted by an advisory group comprised of members from across the six World Health Organization (WHO) regions.

“FIP is committed to progressing the pharmacy profession globally by advancing pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences education. The Nanjing statements provide essential guidance for education providers, including educational institutions of pharmacy and providers of continuing professional development and continuing education, on aspects such as organising and developing potential schools, colleges, programmes and faculties or institutions of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences; assessing current capacity in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences education; delivering regional and local needs-based assessments, and monitoring progress,” said Professor Toyin Tofade, co-chair of the advisory group. 

The updated statements are arranged under eight domains:

1. Shared global vision
2. Students’ admission process
3. Foundation education
4. Professional competencies
5. Experiential education
6. Resources and academic staff
7. Quality assurance and assessment
8. Research.

Committed to improving global health

The updates reflect recent significant global health events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the evolution of the pharmaceutical workforce and the state of higher education in different regions, updates from the WHO regions regarding the current state of health, and the forecasted nature of the future of pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical sciences.

“The Nanjing Statements recognise current global aspirations for pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences education. They are an essential resource for supporting a number of FIP Development Goals (DGs) that highlight our global vision of linking undergraduate pharmacy and pharmaceutical education and professional development activities to global health goals, health policy initiatives and career development pathways, and ensuring that continuous education opportunities are embedded in the paradigm of lifelong learning. For example, domain 6 supports DG1 that focuses on academic capacity building; domains 3, 4 and 5 support DG2, which relates to early career training strategy; domain 7 supports DG3 that highlights quality assurance; and domain 4 supports DG9, which emphasises continuing professional development strategies. In particular, we encourage FIP academic institutional members to make use of the statements for self-assessment of their curricula. As we progress towards 2030, FIP remains steadfast in its mission to improve global health by fostering the advancement of pharmacy practice, pharmaceutical sciences, and education,” said Professor Ralph Altiere, co-chair of the advisory group.

According to FIP, an assessment tool to enable the application of the statements in the respective educational contexts will be developed.