Pharmacy graduates are unique in being flexible. This enables them to practice in different settings. Pharmacy undergraduates are introduced to a taste of research and development as well as to innovation through the preparation of a project starting from the second year of the course, culminating in the presentation of projects to their colleagues, their family and to those interested at an annual symposium, which will this year be held later on this month.
Projects presented cover areas ranging from pharmacy administration to information and health promotion, pharmacotherapy, pharmaceutical care, pharmaceutics and medical devices, industrial pharmacy and regulatory affairs.
The education of the pharmacist has evolved to prepare the graduate to cope smoothly in the transition from the traditional role of a drug dispenser to that of a provider of direct patient-centred care.
The validation of pharmacy services forms an integral part of research at our pharmacy department and has led to some of the results obtained by us being used for benchmarking of validation processes in the international scenario. Pharmacy students are exposed to a dose of this research through the running of projects in specified areas, such as geriatrics.
Leadership is essential for every profession. The setting up of a pharmaceutical association, which deals only with professional matters and shies away from pure trade union dealings, was a good practical exercise in training of leadership.
The department prepares its graduates to be able to adapt and so be in a position to tackle the contemporary needs of our islands.
Dissemination of information, such as correct translation of pharmaceutical terms, publishing the findings of previously submitted projects, health education information in community pharmacies, awareness on use and misuse of alcohol, and first aid in sports were all subjects addressed in student projects.
Pharmacy students are immersed in their course of studies in both the width and depth of a subject. For example, in-depth aspects of looking at the treatment of hypertension have led to consideration of specific details, such as chronopharmacology in hypertension and hypertension in dialysis patients.
How pharmacist interventions may improve patients' quality of life is the subject of projects carried out in the Pharmacy Department and these include the amplification of the pharmacist's intervention in controlling chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, the relevance of the intervention and counselling of patients whether in the community pharmacy or at the pain clinic or during the use of oral anticoagulant therapy.
Pharmacoeconomics is another area of research specialisation in our department. The use and cost of antibiotics was compared between a hospital in Perugia and two wards at St Luke's Hospital. This was possible through the strong participation of our students in Erasmus-Socrates Exchange programmes.
This year, 15 fourth year students, out of 28, participated in a semester placement at another European university.
The maxim of prevention being better than cure is impressed on our students. Some projects feature areas of prevention with the importance of early intervention in several diseases, including colorectal cancer, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidaemia being stressed.
The quality of medical devices and monitoring kits used in monitoring glucose and cholesterol, body temperature and blood pressure were also investigated.
The strong ties and co-operation that exist between the department and the pharmaceutical industry have developed into five projects by final year students. These include various experiences in several aspects of research and development being carried out at pharmaceutical companies operating in Malta; these include stability studies, instrument and cleaning validation, LD50 determination and the use of process analytical technology.
Quality assurance has become a household word in the field of pharmacy and health services. Three of our final year students gained some insight into this relatively new area by examining a quality system for hospital laboratory services, the registration requirements for medicines and the need for statistical evaluation of stability data.
The Pharmacy Department enjoys a close association with other departments in the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and in other faculties, as well as also with a number of institutions on the island. Such collaborations have led to three interesting studies, which exemplify the robustness and flexibility of pharmacy graduates.
These projects involve a study on how the quantification of pancreatic amylase in gastric juice could aid in the detection of hyperamylasemia in the stomach due to duodenogastric reflux, a study to determine whether hospital stay predisposes to nasal colonisation with Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA using swabs taken from cadavers undergoing post mortem examination and a project on the use of performance enhancing agents in sport carried out in a number of gyms and health and fitness clubs in Malta and Gozo.
All the projects were carried out with diligence and dedication of the students under the supervision of their tutors who are full-time academic staff members at the pharmacy department. However, the outstanding results obtained could not be possible without the contribution of over 100 collaborators from several areas both in the clinical and industrial fields.
The Department of Pharmacy is grateful to all those who have assisted our students in any manner, whether academic or support staff at the University, or at other institutions, including the hospitals and NGOs, as well as laboratories in industry, especially the pharmaceutical industry.