AYPG Leadership Summit 2019, an event to encourage one another and build each other
By Audrey Clarissa, Asian Young Pharmacists Group President 2018–2020
The Asian Young Pharmacists Group (AYPG) was established in 2011 to encourage young pharmacists to have an active role in defining the future of pharmacy practice in Asia Pacific. The group was first founded by Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia, and Japan. It has now grown stronger with Singapore, Cambodia, Hong Kong, and Thailand joining the group. The group is also actively promoting and helping countries around Asia Pacific to establish their YPGs.
AYPG has just held its Leadership Summit on November 7 to 10, 2019 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The Leadership Summit is conducted every 2 years. This event is mainly to discuss hot issues in the region, as well as to empower, inspire, and equip young pharmacists to be strong future leaders in their respective countries. Prior to the summit, AYPG held its Council Meeting in which we welcomed Thailand as our new member and elected new executive roles: Public Engagement Chairperson (Elizabeth Chong, Malaysian Young Pharmacists Chapter) and Project Chairperson (Waranyu Lengwiriyakul, Thai YPG). We are excited for new initiatives that will be organized in 2020. We believe that together we will be the answer to some parts of the puzzle in Asia Pacific healthcare issues.
During this summit, we had many great speakers that inspired us and shared to us what are happening in the world and in the region. We also had Sherly Melianti, the then FIP YPG Chairperson, to come and share with us about the global workforce issue. Most importantly, during the summit, we discussed the direction of where we should go as young pharmacists with regards to the rise of technologies and digitalization.
We need to realize that technologies are not our competitor, but they are our tools to help us, and we should make the best of it. We should leverage our profession with technologies. We also emphasized the differences between us ‘young pharmacists’ and technologies. Our main difference is that we have the “heart.” We have what we call “empathy.” Patients need not only good medicine, enough information or knowledge, but they also need support. We should be with our patients, know their concerns, offer solutions that fit their needs. Our support and empathy will differentiate us with technologies. Therefore, our presence cannot be replaced by any form of technologies such as robot, artificial intelligence, or applications.
In addition to the event, we also had several AYPG awards during the Summit such as best poster, best video, and outstanding local leaders. The local leader award winners, along with invited amazing young pharmacists, shared their inspiring stories. The challenges that they faced have led them to what they are today. Their perseverance and their passion have become their key success factors. Now, they are living their dreams, and they continue to take their role as influencing young pharmacists.
To sum up all the wonderful and inspiring sessions during the Leadership Summit, we went to the Museum History of Java where we invited two (2) orphanages. We taught the orphan children about medicine and how to use it. We had fun together while introducing our profession. This activity is also part of our learning process to be better pharmacists. In this summit, we want to inspire as many young pharmacists as possible knowing that our presence is important and meaningful to our communities; and here in AYPG, we encourage one another and build each other up.
