Organ
of the
GD — Society for Dermopharmacy
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Special Issue
Issue 2 (2005) |
Ten years' GD
Success through quality, competence and interdisciplinarity
Society for Dermopharmacy - ten years of successful work
The Society for Dermopharmacy (GD) organized a major event in Mönchengladbach on 2nd July 2005 on the occasion of its tenth anniversary. Approximately 150 participants - among which many GD members, but also interested parties from the region - updated their state of knowledge about dermopharmaceutic findings in a symposium entitled "Interdisciplinary progress for the benefit of skin" and celebrated subsequently the anniversary of the successfully established expert society. Within the scope of the symposium, an overview of the development and positioning of the expert society as well as its current projects and future strategy were given.
In specialized lectures of the symposium, designated experts presented a survey of developments in the sectors of Dermatotherapy and Dermocosmetics. The symposium thus reflected two essential fields of the society's activities. Special reports will inform in this online issue about the contents of the individual lectures regarding Dermatotherapy respectively Dermocosmetic.
For the first time an expert presentation took place in the course of a GD event in complementation of the symposium at which companies active in the field of Dermopharmacy such as Dermapharm, Galderma, Leo, Rausch, Stiefel, Stockhausen und Wyeth as well as the resident pharmaceutical wholesale firm Otto Geilenkirchen presented their novelties.
Furthermore, the event had been supported by seven sponsoring firms in the majority originating from the group of sponsoring members of the GD (see insertion). We introduce four of these firms in portraits.
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| On the occasion of its ten year-anniversary, the Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie organized a well-attended symposium in Mönchengladbach on 2nd July 2005 entitled "Interdisciplinary progress for the benefit of skin" at which current trends in the field of dermocosmetic and dermatotherapy were presented. |
Multifaceted program
The festive event of the GD offered the typical variety also outside of the lecture program. Following the symposium, the first interdisciplinary football match between dermatologists and pharmacists took place in the Sportpark Süchtelner Höhe. The pharmacist selection under the name "Pillenkicker Nordrhein" (pill kickers North-Rhine) won the game 3:1 versus the Deutsche Dermatologische Nationalmannschaft (German dermatological national team), thus ensuring the GD-anniversary cup donated by company Otto Geilenkirchen. More details about the match are contained in a detailed report in this online issue.
The GD arranged a jazz night as event program with the Deutsche Apotheker Bigband (German Pharmacist Bigband) in the course of which the award ceremony for the players and a tombola were organized. In the tombola five sybarite weekends for two persons each at the Lake Constance (donated by the company Rausch), a gift coupon for a free participation at the 10th GD Annual Meeting (donated by the Apothekerverband Linker Niederrhein (Pharmacist Association Left Lower Rhine)) as well as two admission cards for a football match in the new Munich Allianz-Arena (donated by the company Novartis Consumer Health) could be won.
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Sponsors of the event Pharmacist Walter
Bouhon GmbH, Nuremberg |
Achievements recognized
The GD work had been recognized in greetings by the president of the Apothekerkammer Nordrhein (Pharmacist Chamber North Rhine), Anneliese Menge in the opening of the symposium. She congratulated the society on its "success story of quality, competence and interdisciplinarity" and designated it as exemplary for the cooperation of physicians and pharmacists for the benefit of patients.
The cooperation of both curing professions offers the advantage, according to Menge, that there is a wider public interest. Thus the public relation work of the GD has made clear that dermatologists and pharmacists jointly raise their voice against the deteriorated supply of dermatological patients as a consequence of the GMG. This fact can be backed up by pertinent data.
Moreover, the GD has established guidelines as first expert society relevant both for dermatologists and pharmacists. The society thus fosters both professional groups to optimize the documentation of their achievements, to evaluate and present interdisciplinarily in the public what is of increasing importance in the course of the benefit debate. At the same time Menge assured the GD the support of the Apothekerkammer Nordrhein (Pharmacist Chamber North Rhine) in the implementation of the guidelines in the professional practice.
Also the Secretary General of the Berufsverband der Deutschen Dermatologen (Occupational Association of German Dermatologists), Dr. Klaus Strömer emphasized the successful interprofessional cooperation within the department which is open, as a matter of exception, to all occupational groups dealing with this subject. He described the GD as "top-class staffed specialized society which has made a name for itself by competence, quality assurance and information of the public, politics and media". Strömer stressed the commitment and political instinct of its president as essential for the success of the company achieved.
GD trends
Dr. Joachim Kresken, Viersen, president of the GD since its formation, informed about the progress attained and the present work of the society. The GD -based in Cologne today - was established at the Deutsche Apothekerhaus (German Pharmacy House) in Eschborn on 20 June 1995. The society deals with questions of external and internal application of drugs, medicinal products and other preparations serving the prevention and treatment of dermal diseases or other influences on the skin condition.
On the cut-off date of the report the GD counted 41 sponsoring members and 281 ordinary members among which almost all essential experts of this area of the German-speaking sector. From the ordinary members originate 250 from Germany, 16 from Switzerland, seven from Austria and eight from seven other countries. Regarding the professional groups pharmacists (135) as well as physicians and veterinarians are most represented (82). In addition, there are chemists, biologists, bio-chemists, engineers, psychologists and university graduates from other areas.
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| The president of the Apothekerkammer Nordrhein (Pharmacist Chamber North-Rhine) Anneliese Menge, in the photograph with the GD-president Dr. Joachim Kresken, congratulated the GD to its "success story of quality, competence and interdisciplinarity". In a greeting she emphasized the public relation and guideline work of the GD from which dermatologists and pharmacists benefit likewise. |
Substantial activities
The focus of all activities by the society is set on efforts for a comprehensive dermopharmaceutic quality management. The society organizes consensus conferences aiming at opinion forming. The work results are published in guidelines, standard procedures, statements and other position papers which are presented at conferences and spread in comprehensive press and public relation work. Besides, there are advising brochures for consumers, in which the content of position papers is explained intelligible to all.
The GD furthers research cooperations as additional activity and maintains contacts to governmental national and international institutions as well as consumer and patient organizations. Outstanding performance in the field of Dermopharmacy is honoured by the Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie by means of the Dermopharmacy Innovation Prize (DIP) which has been awarded twice so far - in the year 2003 and in this year.
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| Dr. Klaus Strömer, general secretary of the Berufsverband der Deutschen Dermatologen (Occupational Association of German Dermatologists) addressed a greeting to the participants of the festive event in his home town Mönchengladbach. He described the GD in which he has been member himself for many years as "top-class specialized society which has made itself a name by competence, quality assurance and information of the public, politics and media". |
Relevant
working groups
Important instruments for the society's work are the meanwhile five relevant departments which are open for active cooperation to all ordinary members. The departments Extemporaneous Preparation, Dermocosmetics and Dermatopharmacology have subsisted since 1997 whereas the department Dermatotherapy in which also the working field Pharmaco-economy is dealt with was set up in the year 2000
At this year's general meeting the establishing of a new department under the name of "Sicherheitsbewertung und Verkehrsfähigkeit" (safety assessment and marketability) has been decided with the sub-title "Risk Assessment and Regulatory Affairs". It is in the process of constitution at present. Moreover, a Task Force "Licht.Hautkrebs.Prävention (light.skin cancer.prevention)" treating predominantly questions of prevention and treatment of light skin cancer and its preliminary stages was established in the year 2003.
Multifaceted guidelines
Subjects of the guidelines and position papers optimally reflect the versatility of the Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie's work. Thus guidelines established so far deal with dermocosmetic subjects, with dermocosmetics for the cleansing and care of dry skin and skin prone to acne, dermocosmetic sun protection as well as occupational skin protection agents.
Kresken denominated the establishing of the guideline "Dermatological Prescription" as particularly difficult due to the reason that the different starting conditions of the professional groups concerned had to be considered. As complementation to these guidelines dossiers had recently been published as recommendation for active agents frequently employed in dermatological prescriptions.
The hygiene guideline equally aims at the dermatological prescription of non-sterile preparations in pharmacies. Although these guidelines as all other position papers of the GD only have orientating character, they are meanwhile regarded as compendium for occupational hygiene in the course of pharmacist inspections.
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| An expert exhibition took place for the first time on the occasion of a GD event in which altogether 41 sponsoring firms of the GD presented their novelties. |
A further guideline - elaborated in cooperation with the Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (German Dermatological Society) and the Berufsverband der Deutschen Dermatologen (Occupational Association of German Dermatologists) - deals with actinic keratosis, a guideline relating to health economy in the psoriasis therapy is in preparation.
Additional position papers
Further position papers have been established in form of statements. From the area Dermocosmetics there are ones available concerning problems of skin cleansing of dry skin, the definition and claims for dermocosmetics, the term "emulsifier-free", the problematic nature of penetration enhancement by polyethylene glycol compounds as well as the question of occlusion by paraffin oil in cosmetics.
In position papers concerning dermatotherapy, topics of prescriptions for esthetical purposes, Podophyllin and Podophyllotoxine for the treatment of genital verrucae, the problematic nature of the aut-idem-regulation at topical dermatics, the entry of combined topical dermatics in the temporarily planned positive list, therapy duration at the topical treatment of mycoses pedis as well as the interdisciplinary management of the tinea pedis are subjects treated.
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| Double anniversary: In the course of the anniversary event, several referees emphasized the remarkable commitment of the GD-president Dr. Joachim Kresken, contributing to a great deal to the society's success. In particular the GD-vice president Professor Dr. Hans Christian Korting and the GD secretary Dr. Dr. Thomas Ruzicka honoured the unresting effort by Kresken and congratulated him at the same time to his 50th anniversary which he celebrated on the day before the event and which almost coincided with the jubilee of the GD. |
Publication organs
The society offers access to all publications, guidelines and press releases on its GD-homepage at the internet address www.gd-online.de. This meanwhile frequently used Dermopharmacy portal addresses both experts and media representatives as well as interested laymen.
A further publication medium is the dermopharmaceutic scientific magazine DermoTopics which has been published at least twice a year since 2000 as German-language print media and as electronic issue both in German and English language. DermoTopics is edited by the economic entity of the GD, founded under the company name ID-Institute for Dermopharmacy GmbH in the end of 1999.
GD events
The major forum of the GD represent annual meetings offering a comprehensive overview of the most varying aspects in the field of Dermopharmacy every year. The coming annual meeting will take place under the scientific head of the dermatologists professor Dr. Thomas Luger and pharmacist professor Dr. Klaus Müller in Münster on 4 and 5 April 2006.
Besides, the GD organizes symposia dealing with special subjects as for example concerning the issue "Subcutaneous cosmetics and alternatives: benefits and risks of skin augmentation" in Berlin on 17 November 2005. Details concerning this event are to be found in the online-issue.
Future objectives
Kresken mentioned as targets and future tasks of the society the fostering of evidence-based activities of the prevention and treatment of skin diseases and development of concepts for a standardized advice of patients and consumers by physicians and pharmacists. The GD intends to support occupational organizations of physicians and pharmacists in the implementation of a dermopharmaceutical quality management.
Finally, the society is to offer a competence platform for the contact with politicians, authorities, media and patient organizations to all experts concerned. Moreover, the number of members is to increase, the publicity of the society in the wide public extended and the international alignment enhanced.
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Also apart from the event program the festive event of the Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie again reflected the GD-typical versatility. The GD organized a jazz night with the German Pharmacist Bigband as evening event. In the course of the jazz night, a tombola was organized in which attractive prizes could be won. |
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