Immediate Past President Mr. John Chang – FAPA Bureau Write-Up Series

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September 14, 2016

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September 17, 2016

Published by Michael Wei-Chih LIU at September 14, 2016

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Original write-up: email

Submitted by: Immediate Past President Mr. John Chang

Immediate Past President_Mr. John Chang (Malaysia)
2015-2018

The Hidden Gem in FAPA

FAPA has brought immense value to my life and career as a pharmacist. Having graduated as a young pharmacist forty years’ ago, I was faintly aware of FAPA when my senior were talking about attending the biannual congress but had little idea of what it was all about. So too were most pharmacists who made little attempt to attend other than seeing the same group of seniors talking about it after their return and then off again to the next congress.

My personal discovery only came when Malaysia hosted the FAPA Congress 1996 in Kuala Lumpur when I was fortunate enough to be elected the President of the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society. Having involved in organising the Congress and serving as a FAPA councillor and as Bureau member over a period of 20 years, my vision of pharmacy took a new turn.

Pharmacy is no longer a mundane profession or just the usual activities I see taking place within our national border. Having been exposed to expert knowledge and experience of speakers and meeting the hundreds of multinational delegates from all over Asia, coming together for a brief period once every two years, it was eye-opener to me that pharmacy is truly alive and exciting. More so was the awareness on the varied and advanced practice in other countries which can only but spur oneself to further explore the potential of the pharmacy profession.

Today, pharmacy in Asia has achieved great heights and FAPA has grown in size and membership, and its Congress attended by thousands of delegates. Through the advancement of pharmaceutical sciences, technology, education and the evolving nature of the profession, pharmacy has indeed become a Global profession that we can all be proud of.

If you are like me when first started as young pharmacists almost totally unaware of FAPA but only to discover the gem after given the opportunity of self discovery, that it is so enriching to attend the FAPA Congress not just for updating knowledge and skill but the friendship and networking with the international pharmacy community which is invaluable to my life and expanded my vision for the profession. Do make a start on this rewarding journey. You will not regret.

John C P Chang

Immediate Past President, FAPA

[FAPA Bureau Write-Up Series]:
Since FAPA’s expending its exposure and influence in Asia, we need our Bureau members to be outstanding and advocate for what they really would like to make FAPA different and bring people to be more aware of us as an international leading organization in pharmacy. In these serveries, we’ve kindly request our Bureau Members (including President, Vice Presidents, and the Secretary General) to provide 100~200 write-up and also a short film (<3minutes) to introduce their efforts which have been done or plan to be done for us in FAPA; and it is always good to hear of their vision and planning for the development of pharmacy and pharmaceutical science, for us in Asia and the world.