I hope you have already had a great start to 2023. My name is Safiye Çağansel and I am the first two-year term president of FIP’s Early Career Pharmaceutical Group (ECPG), formerly known as the Young Pharmacists Group (YPG).

Some updates
In 2022, the YPG/ECPG president’s term of office was increased to two years to better align with other FIP constituencies, to ensure the sustainability and improve the implementation of projects, and to support succession planning. Addiontally, the YPG was renamed ECPG to better reflect our diverse membership which, as well as young pharmacists, pharmacy educators and pharmaceutical scientists, also represents colleagues who graduate with their first degree in pharmacy or pharmaceutical sciences later in life, meaning that they, too, are early on in their pharmaceutical career. In addition, eligibility for membership of our group was increased from five to eight years post-graduation, which will widen scope for members to benefit from opportunities within ECPG, including ECPG leadership roles.

My journey
To give some brief information about myself, I own and work at a community pharmacy in Nicosia, Cyprus. I founded the first pharmacy students association (EMUPSS) — the first internationally recognised association of pharmacy students and young pharmacists on the island. Representing EMUPSS on a national and international level led me to the European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association and the International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF). Since attending my first IPSF world congress in 2015 I wanted to do more for the profession internationally as well contribute to global health, which led me to serve in international executive positions and to represent pharmacy students at events such as the World Health Assembly. Soaking up these international experiences, I wanted to think global but act local, so I got involved in my national pharmacists’ association the Cyprus Turkish Pharmacists’ Association (KTEB), where I am (so far) the youngest pharmacist elected to its administrative board and I have been the KTEB representative at recent FIP Council Meetings. Moreover, in 2018, I joined FIP and attended my first FIP congress in Glasgow, including the YPG Leadership Development Workshop, which led me to get involved in the YPG/ECPG.

The year ahead
I’m proud to start my service as ECPG president this year and take this opportunity to introduce you to our new ECPG Steering Committee:



In addition to building on what we have accomplished in 2022 under the theme of “Connection and Support”, the entire ECPG Team — our steering committee and our subcommittees working in areas of projects, liaison, public relations — looks forward to opening more doors to networking, and personal and professional development opportunities for our members, under a new theme of “Collaboration and Engagement”.

This year, the ECPG is collaborating with the FIP Foundation and the FIP regional pharmaceutical forums to modify travel scholarships so that they have more focus on leadership, which includes guaranteeing awardees places at the ECPG Leadership Development Workshop and allowing them to design and implement a project for a chance to attend the FIP congress again. Learn more here.

We are also planning to develop a strategic plan for the ECPG, to better align with the FIP Development Goals and “One FIP” and we would welcome thoughts and feedback from all FIP members. (Please click here to take part in our four-question survey.)

Our impact on global health
Last, but not least, I take this opportunity to highlight the valuable contributions that early career pharmacist and pharmaceutical scientist groups can make to addressing global health challenges and policy development by commending the following paper published in Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy at the end of 2022: https://bit.ly/3jGB9DX I hope it will be a source of inspiration, fostering further engagement and collaboration between stakeholders to provide more opportunities and accelerate progress in global health.
I look forward to engaging with you in future and meeting you in Brisbane!

Long live pharmacy!

Long live FIP and ECPG!

Warm regards,

Safiye Çağansel
President 2023-2024
Early Career Pharmaceutical Group (ECPG)
International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP)