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What is the K.N.P.S.V.?

The General Dutch Pharmaceutical Students Association (A.N.P.S.V.) was founded on the 22th of May in 1903. In 2003, during the celebration of the 100st anniversary of the association the A.N.P.S.V. became Royal. From then on the name of the association has been changed to Royal Dutch Pharmaceutical Students Association (K.N.P.S.V.). The K.N.P.S.V. is the national pharmaceutical organisation which represents about 2000 pharmacy students from The Netherlands. In The Netherlands there are three local pharmacy associations. The oldest study association is ‘Pharmaciae Sacrum' (P.S.) from Groningen. The next one is the study association of biopharmacy from Leiden, ‘Aesculapius' and last but not least the study association of pharmacy from Utrecht, ‘Unitas Pharmaceuticorum ' (U.P.). Every student who becomes member of one of these student associations automatically becomes a member of the K.N.P.S.V..

K.N.P.S.V. executive

Because the K.N.P.S.V. is a national association with members in three cities, the executive board is from a different city each year. This year the executive board is formed by five pharmacy students from Groningen. Next year the executive will be from Leiden. You can see the names of the members and a picture of the executive here.

What does the K.N.P.S.V. do for Dutch (bio-)pharmacy students?

Social  
An important objective of the K.N.P.S.V. is looking after the interests of all Dutch (bio-)pharmacy students. To reach this objective many activities are organised in which all members can participate. Some activities which return annually are the Sportsday at the beginning of the summer, the traditional Spring day (with lectures and a traditional dinner) and the K.N.P.S.V.-congress. For all the active committee-members we organize a special get together and a weekend. For Masterstudents we organize a day together with young pharmacists. Six times a year each K.N.P.S.V. members receive a magazine with all the ins-and-outs of the association, the ‘Folia Pharmaceutica'. The magazine contains a scientific part as well.

Educational
On the educational level the K.N.P.S.V. organizes several activities. Every year we are running a Patient Counselling Event. We have two preselection rounds with workshops and a competition with professional actors. The winner of the national finals will go to the IPSF congress for free. Secondly, to encourage the collaboration between medical and pharmaceutical students, we will organize a medical-pharmaceutical congres on which we will work together to find the best treatment in several patient-cases.  Every year we organize a scientific lecture as well. Furthermore the Springday and the K.N.P.S.V. congress contain a scientific part.

Professional
The executive of the K.N.P.S.V. keeps in touch with most of the professional pharmacy associations like the KNMP(pharmacists), the NVZA (Hospital pharmacists), NIA (Industry pharmacists) and VJA (Young pharmacists). We organize 1 day internships at a community or hospital pharmacy as well as in industry. Once in every two year we organize a profession-day in which the students get to know all the different possibilities in the world of pharmacy. During the year we have some information evenings about specific professions.

International
The K.N.P.S.V. is a member of EPSA (European Pharmaceutical Students' Association) and IPSF (International Pharmaceutical Students' Federation). So the Dutch pharmacy students can participate in the Student Exchange Programme (an initiative of IPSF) and get in touch with foreign pharmacy students at the international congresses of EPSA and IPSF. We are organizing TWINs as well. Last year we did a TWIN with Germany.

What does the K.N.P.S.V. do with and for international students?

The K.N.P.S.V. is an active member of EPSA and IPSF. The LS of EPSA and the CP and SEO of IPSF are members of the executive board of the K.N.P.S.V. In 2007 a Dutch reception committee was organized the 30st Annual Congress of EPSA in The Hague. For photos of the EPSA congress click here.  The LS of the Netherlands as well as several other active Dutch students attended the Summer University and the Autumn Assembly of EPSA. Last year two Dutch students were part of the EPSA executive board and lots of students are active in the Working Committees. We organize TWINs as well. Last year with Germany, this year we organized a twin with England. If you are interested in a TWIN with The Netherlands, just let us know!

Every year the Commissioner of Foreign Affairs (CP/SEO) and his/her successor will attend the IPSF congress. Often they are joined by several other interested Dutch students. In Australia we represented the Netherlands with 6 students, past year we attended the congress in Taiwan with 11 students.

The Commissioner of Foreign Affairs is the CP and SEO for IPSF in The Netherlands. He coordinates the Student Exchange Programme (SEP) of IPSF in The Netherlands. If you would like to take part in the SEP in The Netherlands you have to contact your SEO on time because we only have few places. Most of them are in community, some in hospital. If you would like to read more about the SEP in The Netherlands you can click here.

 

Pharmacy education in The Netherlands

 

Pharmacy education in general

To become a pharmacist students can chose to study in Groningen or in Utrecht. In Leiden students have the opportunity to study biopharmaceutical sciences, which enables the student to get a research focused job. Students graduated in biofarmaceutical sciences (BPS) won't be able to become pharmacists.

Lectures are in Dutch, books are in English. Students are taught to write essays in Dutch and in English.

Each year Dutch students have got to pay 1500,- euro to be signed in at the university. The government provides a student rent, which is very usefull for all students in The Netherlands.

Each pharmacy faculty has its own local association: in Groningen ‘Pharmaciae Sacrum', in Leiden ,,Aesculapius" and in Utrecht ‘Unitas Pharmaceuticorum. De K.N.P.S.V. is the national association, which covers all three local associations. Students who sign in at one of the local association will become K.N.P.S.V. members automatically.

 

Faculty information

Groningen

In the top of The Netherlands the University of Groningen contains over 46.000 students, of which are 600 pharmacy students. Every year the number of students is increasing. In Groningen students are taught to be able to have good theoretical and practical knowledge. Students have to attend a lot of lab work.

After two years students have to choose whether they want to continue their study with the focus on pharmacy or on pharmaceutical sciences. This will be continued in the master programme.

The master ‘pharmacy' takes 3 years and enables the student to become a pharmacist. In the first year of the master, the students are doing a research project at the university.

The master ‘pharmaceutical sciences' takes 2 years and enables the student to be employed in the industry or research.

 

Leiden

The university of Leiden is the oldest of our country. 18.000 people study here, of which 200 students bio-pharmaceutical sciences. With much practical work over 5 years, the students are educated to become employed in the field of pharmaceutical research. After two years students have to decide whether they want to finish their study in bio-pharmaceutical sciences or chemistry. After the bachelor there are 8 master possibilities.

 

Utrecht

Utrecht is the city with the most students in The Netherlands. 64.000 students are registered, of which 1000 study pharmacy. Since a few years students apply via a numerus fixus.

The pharmacy education in Utrecht is unique, because students get educated with the problem oriented learning system, which is an international system and is used in different universities over the world.

After the first two years students have to choose whether they want to continue their education pharmaceutically or in other way, in which the master ‘drug innovation' will be their further education.

Students in the master pharmacy will have to do community as well as hospital pharmacy internships. Besides the pharmacist's work, they have to do a research project of at least 6 months. This can be at the university, in The Netherlands or abroad.

 

Say in the matter of the education

The democratic system in our country is continued in the education. In every city students can participate in parties which discuss educational/technical issues. Together with professors and other people involved students hope to improve the circumstances of their education.

 

Carreer possibilities

Within 3 months after graduation, 98% of the graduates are already employed.

The possibilities:

Post doc at a faculty

Community pharmacy: 70% of all students from Groningen and Utrecht

Hospital pharmacy: besides the all day hospital practice, a four-year project for  PhD is possible

Pharmaceutical industry: R&D, preparation & production, quality controle

 

Student Exchange Programme

The K.N.P.S.V. takes part in the Student Exchange Programme. Students from abroad can apply for community and hospital places all over The Netherlands. They are hosted by the pharmacist. During summer we organise activities, to get to know the students better and to show them around in our cities.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact our commissioner of foreign affairs, Ilse Bollen, commissarisbuitenland@knpsv.nl .

 

More information about the educations in each city:

Groningen: http://www.rug.nl/ en http://www.psgroningen.nl/

Utrecht: http://www.uu.nl/ en http://www.upsv.nl/

Leiden:  http://www.leidenuniv.nl/ en http://www.aesculapius.nl/

 

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