Pharmacist Association Backs Plan for Flexible Pharmacy Education
The German Pharmacist Association (ABDA) supports proposals to make pharmacy education more flexible during the pandemic. The association specifically welcomes digital formats for teaching and practical training, as well as adjustments to internships.
The German Pharmacist Association (ABDA) has expressed support for proposals aiming to introduce greater flexibility into pharmacy education in response to the ongoing pandemic. ABDA President Andreas Kiefer stated that the draft regulation includes many points the association endorses.
Key provisions highlighted by ABDA include the allowance of digital formats for practical courses and in-person instruction. The association also favors allowing training tasks in practical education to be completed outside of traditional pharmacy settings. Furthermore, ABDA supports the flexibility to count epidemic-related absences toward practical training requirements in cases of particular hardship.
The draft also permits pharmacy internships (Famulaturen) to be completed during times when universities are closed due to infection control measures. The ABDA plans to thoroughly review the proposal and prepare a formal statement before the June 19, 2020 deadline. The draft regulation was submitted by the Federal Ministry of Health.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to adapt the approval regulations for physicians, dentists, and pharmacists to address the challenges posed by the coronavirus crisis. The decision to make these regulations more flexible was initially agreed upon in May.