2014 marks the 10th anniversary of the BPharm Programme and the IMU celebratory activity is aimed at increasing awareness of the role of the pharmacist in healthcare. An exhibition at the well-attended August Open Day at Bukit Jalil showcased ‘What pharmacists do’. In an effort to promote medication safety as part of the quality use of medicines, free medication review was offered by our pharmacists. Medication review is systematic consideration of all the medicines regularly used by an individual, to identify and address potential or existing problems. Related exhibition booths, manned by students and teaching staff, explained the similarities and differences between generic and branded medicines, and helped visitors understand and interpret labels on dispensed medicines and medicinal product packaging.
There were demonstrations on making your own household enzymes from vegetable and fruit peels, on preparing homemade personal care products such as hand sanitizer and toothpaste, and consultations on the use of food supplements. The educational booth on drug delivery systems provided prospective students insight into the role of pharmacists in the pharmaceutical industry. This booth displayed a variety of pharmaceutical dosage forms and provided information on types of oral tablets available on the market. Visitors could watch videos showing pharmaceutical manufacturing and an exhibition on gowning used by manufacturing personnel when making sterile products. The exhibition effectively showed the variety of professional activities that pharmacists undertake on the basis of their professional knowledge, which uniquely integrates technical knowledge about products with patient care.