Pharmacy School Professor Elected to International Pharmaceutical Federation Committee

Jenelle Sobotka, Ohio Northern University (ONU) professor and endowed chair of pharmacy practice, was elected to the International Pharmaceutical Federation’s (FIP) executive committee in the Academic Pharmacy Section (AcPS).

Committee members on the FIP AcPS work together to plan activities, provide education, and share information that will be valuable to advancing pharmacy education around the globe.

The committee consists of members involved in all aspects of pharmacy education (practice, sciences, management, etc). In addition to the United States, the newly elected executive committee consists of members from Australia, Japan, United Kingdom, Zambia, and South Africa.

As a member, Sobotka will have the opportunity to look into pharmacy practice settings across the world through site visits.

These experiences will provide ONU with a tremendous outlook on the changes occurring within the profession on a global scale and, more broadly, the comparison of health care delivery models from around the world. These perspectives are helpful as considerations for advancement are made here in the United States and within the pharmacy curriculum at ONU.

Sobotka is honored to be part of the FIP Academic Pharmacy Section and said, “As a newly elected member of the academic executive committee, I look forward to working with academic colleagues from around the world and the opportunity to share information from here in the United States about pharmacy education advances and pharmacy practice changes to deliver patient care services. In addition, I will continue to learn about the education and practice changes in other countries. Pharmacy students have a growing interest in global experiences, such as study abroad, mission trips, and learning about the cultures and pharmacy practices of other countries. I look forward to sharing with our students what I continue to learn from my involvement in FIP.”

Steven Martin, dean of the Raabe College of Pharmacy at ONU, said, “Dr. Sobotka's leadership in the profession of pharmacy doesn't end on America’s shores. She is clearly an important global leader in pharmacy and health care, and she brings a distinct insight to FIP from her years in industry and academia.”

Prior to her appointment at ONU, Sobotka served as director of professional relations at Procter & Gamble Co, where she was responsible for establishing partnerships with national and international health professional organizations and individual experts in pharmacy and other health professions. Prior to joining P&G, she was associate director of the Iowa Pharmacy Association and director of the Iowa Center for Pharmaceutical Care. She also was the 2012-13 American Pharmacists Association president.