Professional Associations

As an umbrella professional and branch association of pharmacists, the Koninklijke Nederlandse Maatschappij ter bevordering der Pharmacie (KNMP) promotes both the interests of its members and those of pharmacy. The KNMP was founded in 1842. The main tasks of the KNMP are:

• To facilitate pharmacists in their professional practice and management.
• Help to ensure quality within pharmacy practice.

To this end, it formulates an up-to-date vision of professional practice, promotes good pharmaceutical patient care and supplies and promotes the scientific pursuit of pharmacy in the Netherlands. To see the mission and vision of the KNMP you can click here: https://www.knmp.nl/knmp/knmp-vereniging/knmp-missie-en-visie.

Membership of the KNMP

For all pharmacists, young or up-and-coming pharmacists, the KNMP is the association that is essential in designing and implementing the profession. If you want to influence your own future, you can contribute to it by playing an active role within the KNMP and making your voice heard. Register as a member of the KNMP; the professional and branch association for pharmacists. It is possible to acquire a student membership as (bio-)pharmacy student.

This membership brings many benefits:

• You receive the Pharmaceutisch Weekblad (PW) weekly,
• You can participate in the district members meetings (accredited)
• You receive a discount on the KNMP spring and autumn congress (accredited).

For more information about the membership at the KNMP click here: https://www.knmp.nl/knmp/lidmaatschap.

For contact with the KNMP you can send an e-mail to: communicatie@knmp.nl. 

The association can be a link between you as a student or recently graduated young pharmacist and the government, pharmaceutical institution and the business community. The VJA does this, among other things, by organizing refresher courses and informative meetings, as well as social activities. A few examples are the annually recurring Spring Day, the Care 4 Pharmacy Masterclasses or jointly evening symposium with the jongNVZA. Moreover, we have a lot of contacts in the region, where lots of informative and fun activities are organised.. The VJA also works closely with the Association of Pharmacists in Training to Hospital Pharmacist (jongNVZA) and the National Organization of Aspirant GPs (LOVAH). For example, regular activities are organized at both on a regional and on a national level. Last but not least, ‘De Jonge Apotheker’ magazine is published four times a year.

Membership of the VJA

Would you like to develop yourself as a young pharmacist? Sign up as a member of the VJA! It is possible to acquire a student membership as (bio-)pharmacy student with a bachelor title. This membership brings many benefits:

• You receive a discount on symposia and activities of the VJA You receive e-mails with the latest updates on pharmacy and activities
• You receive De Jonge Apotheker four times a year
• Information and guidance during the further training to a public pharmacist 
• Advice on career opportunities as a pharmacist And lots of fun!

For more information about the membership at the VJA, click here: https://vja.nu/contact/lid-worden/. For questions and further contact you can email us at info@vja.nu. 

De Vereniging van Nederlandse Industrie Apothekers (NIA), established on the 16th of April 1955, is a professional association of pharmacists who work in the pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical wholesale or affiliated companies. The NIA aims to represent the interests of its members and to promote the industrial pharmacy in all its facets. The NIA maintains contacts with international organizations such as the FIP (Federation International Pharmaceutique) and the EIPG (European Industrial Pharmacy Group).

For more information visit: www.industrieapothekers.com.

Startende en Talentvolle Industriële Pharmaceuten – STIP 

STIP stands for Starting and talented industrial pharmacists. STIP is a section of the NIA. The STIP-network has been realized by two young pharmacists with the aim to unite starting pharmacists (0-5 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry) to exchange experiences and knowledge. In addition, STIP wants to offer pharmacy and (bio-) pharmaceutical sciences students a platform to get in contact with the pharmaceutical industry. In short, a dynamic, talented and energetic group!

Membership of the NIA 

Do you envision yourself as a future industrial pharmacist? Or do you want to know more about the industry? Register as a member of the NIA. It is possible to acquire a student membership as (bio-)pharmacy student.

This membership brings many benefits:

• Attend network meetings
• Attend symposia and company visits
• Connect with us via LinkedIn!

For more information about the membership at the NIA click here: (http://www.industrieapothekers.com/algemeen/contributie) 

The NVZA, founded in 1929, is the scientific association for pharmacists working in the hospital.

The Dutch Association of Hospital Pharmacists (NVZA) supports pharmacists at the hospital in their professional and social responsibility to ensure optimal (specialized) pharmaceutical care for patients who have a treatment relationship with their hospital.

The NVZA is committed to optimizing specialist pharmaceutical care from a three-part mission:

• The pharmacist at the hospital is responsible for the specialized pharmaceutical care of patients who have a treatment relationship with the healthcare institution
• The pharmacist at the hospital uses his / her expertise for patients for safe, effective and effective treatment with medicines
• The pharmacist of the hospital works from a transparent, professional and efficiently controlled pharmacy

They are a scientific association and stimulate and promote research, innovation and expertise promotion. They are affiliated to the FMS (Federation Medical Specialists) in which they work together with the scientific associations of medical specialists to optimize the specialist care for the patient in and from the hospitals. They work closely with the KNMP (the Royal Dutch Society for the Promotion of Pharmacy). As of 1 January 2016, the NVPF (the Dutch Association for Outpatient Pharmacy) merged into the NVZA.

The NVZA appreciates and encourages the input of young hospital pharmacists. Among other things, we also have contact with the Association of Pharmacists in Training at Ziekenhuisapotheker (young NVZA). For more information, please visit our website, the Kennisplein with which we share information, www.nvza.nl.

Jong NVZA

Jong NVZA is concerned with improving and promoting the training of hospital pharmacists and other pharmaceutical specialties by advising and thinking about experiences and points for improvement.

Every year they organize various activities to promote the experiences between the junior members and to impart knowledge. Activities they organize include soft skills training, symposiums, vision meetings and excursions combined with social activities.

Furthermore, they are committed to promoting the working conditions of all junior members. For more information about the young NVZA visit the website https://nvza.nl/jongnvza/ and you can email to secretaris@jongnvza.nl. 

The platform fosters interactions between all parties involved in drug research in the broadest sense, including scientific and professional associations, universities, industry, and government. It strengthens existing initiatives in the field, identifies and explores new developments, and pursues an active policy in line with its mission. Within FIGON, professional associations, research institutes, and initiatives relevant to pharmaceutical research are represented.

For 25 years, we have been organizing the Dutch Medicines Days, an event not to be missed by executives, professionals, and (young) researchers. More recently, we also host a FIGON meeting during the annual Dutch Bioscience Week in Leiden, and together with our partners we aim to expand these meetings to other science parks as well. FIGON is proud of the PhD Student Award competition, which has been held for many years. Since 2023, this initiative has been taken over by EUFEPS, of which FIGON is a member on behalf of its partners. Other awards, such as the Ariëns Award, the FIGON Award, and the Galenus Award, are also closely connected to our Dutch Medicines Days, where the ceremonies usually take place.

The goal of the NVKFB is to stimulate education, research and working in clinical pharmacology and bio-pharmacy according to scientific and ethical standards and to promote cooperation within the professional field. Clinical pharmacologists are in the broadest sense engaged in research and the therapeutic use of medicines in the treatment of patients. In addition, clinical pharmacologists are involved in drug research in healthy volunteers, especially in the field of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

The members of the NVKFB consist of specialists in internal medicine, hospital pharmacists and other professionals with a (bio) medical science education. NVKFB organizes various activities for its members. The biggest activity is the Spring Meeting that takes place annually, as the name implies, in the spring. The NVKFB also maintains a database with theses, http://nvkfb.science.uu.nl/proefschrift. 

The NVKFB also represents Dutch clinical pharmacologists at the European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (EACPT), which organizes an annual European congress.

Membership of the NVKFB

Register as a member of the NVKFB. It is possible to acquire a student membership as (bio-)pharmacy student. This membership brings many benefits:

• Participate in the various activities of the NVKFB;
• Receive the Newsletter of the NVKFB monthly;
• Click for more information on the website of the NVKFB.