From research to healthcare: Your pharmacist is at your service
● World Pharmacists Day – 25 September 2017
As part of World Pharmacists Day activities, the Department of Pharmacy at Mater Dei Hospital (MDH), the Department of Pharmacy of the University of Malta, the Malta Pharmaceutical Students Association (MPSA) and the Association for Student Pharmaceutical Technologists (ASPT) teamed up to organise activities for the public, to address the use of medicines and healthy lifestyles.
World Pharmacists Day is coordinated by the International Pharmaceutical Federation and the theme selected for this year was ‘From research to healthcare: Your pharmacist is at your service’.
The event was held at MDH between 25 and 27 September 2017. During this period, blood pressure and blood glucose monitoring was undertaken, together with medication review and provision of pharmaceutical advice. Leaflets about the role of the pharmacist and the pharmaceutical technologist in healthcare were disseminated.
A press conference to commemorate World Pharmacists Day and to launch these activities was held on Monday 25 September at the University of Malta Valletta Campus.
The audience was addressed by the Hon. Dr Deo Debattista, Parliament Secretary for Consumer Protection and Valletta 2018, Professor Lilian M. Azzopardi, Head of the Department of Pharmacy of the University of Malta, Mr Stephen Falzon, Head of Pharmacy Services at MDH, Professor Anthony Serracino-Inglott, Chairperson of the Malta Medicines Authority, Mr Jonathan Attard, ASPT President, and Mr Thomas Sammut, MPSA President.
The press conference addressed the diversity of the pharmacy profession and the different aspects that pharmacists can contribute in, ranging from community pharmacy practice, hospital pharmacy, medical representation and the pharmaceutical industry.
All these pharmacist activities are receiving a central role in ensuring research in new medicines and use of these medicines safely.
This was an opportunity for students following the courses leading to degrees in pharmacy and pharmaceutical technology to participate in community outreach activities and collaborate with the Department of Pharmacy at Mater Dei Hospital within a multidisciplinary team.