FIP Education Award for Evidence-Based Revision of Postgraduate Community Pharmacy Specialisation in the Netherlands

At the FIP World Congress in Copenhagen (September 2025), the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Utrecht University, in collaboration with the Royal Dutch Pharmacists Association (KNMP), was honoured with the FIP Pharmaceutical Education Organisational Award 2025. The award recognises the project “Evidence-based curricular revision of a postgraduate community pharmacist specialisation programme.”

 

This initiative marks a significant advancement in postgraduate pharmaceutical education in the Netherlands. The revised curriculum strengthens the connection between education and professional practice, and is grounded in competency-based education. It integrates the CanMEDS framework and Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs), while fostering autonomy, competence, and relatedness—core principles of self-determination theory.

“Over the past three years, we have collaboratively redesigned the postgraduate specialisation programme for community pharmacists, drawing on insights from my PhD research in workplace-based training and assessment at Utrecht University. By embedding competency-based principles and self-determination theory, the new curriculum better equips community pharmacists for the evolving demands of practice.”
— Dr Marnix Westein, Programme Coordinator, Charlotte Jacobs Institute, KNMP

 

A Call to Action for Europe

Dr Westein stresses that the relevance of this project extends beyond national borders:

“There is an urgent need to invest in education, continuous professional development, and innovative training pathways to ensure a resilient and future-ready community pharmacy workforce across Europe. As the role of community pharmacists evolves and healthcare systems shift towards integrated, patient-centred care, it is essential to equip community pharmacists with the skills and competencies required to meet these challenges—both in undergraduate and postgraduate education programmes.”

This award-winning project serves as an example of how scientifically grounded educational innovation can support the transformation of pharmacy practice across Europe.

 

Left to right: Anouschka Zwart MSc, Dr. Marnix Westein, Prof. Aukje Mantel and FIP President Mr. Paul Sinclair