Recognising the importance of pitching in to help improve the overall COVID-19 situation, the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Malta has mobilised its students to support joining task teams that are geared to address pharmaceutical needs as the situation evolves.
Student discussions were held virtually to mobilise students to participate in a number of task forces according to the needs of the Pharmaceutical Services.
Preparing hand rub for healthcare facilities
A group of pharmacy students, led by Doctorate in Pharmacy student, Ferdinand Ribo, coordinated the starting-up of an activity within the Pathology Department of Mater Dei Hospital in collaboration with the Central Procurement and Supplies Unit, to prepare hand rub for healthcare facilities. The hand rub is prepared according to two World Health Organisation formulations which ensure that the right amount of alcohol is present in the formulation which leads to inactivation of the virus.
Joining the COVID-19 National Helpline
Another group of pharmacy and pharmaceutical technology students are contributing to the pool of volunteers in the national help line coordinated by the Department of Public Health of the Ministry of Health.
Distributing medicine to people on the POYC scheme
Other students are participating in the service of delivering medicines on the Pharmacy-of-Your-Choice (POYC) scheme to older and vulnerable patients. This is being done under the leadership of the Malta Pharmaceutical Students Association and the Third year and Fourth Year Class Representatives, in collaboration with the POYC Scheme at the Ministry of Health Unit led by Pharmacist Mary Lupo.
Through this task force, patients who are due to collect their chronic medication on the POYC national health scheme from private community pharmacies and are not able to go to the pharmacy or send a proxy, are receiving their medicines at home thanks to these students.
Supporting community pharmacies
Pharmacy students are also volunteering to support community pharmacies which are currently front-line providers of pharmaceutical services. Such services include facilitating the maintenance of access to chronic medications, ensuring the availability of non-prescription medicines and products that are being recommended for preventive measures, namely alcohol-containing products as antiseptics.
Nurturing the values of professionalism, solidarity and altruism
Finally, the Department of Pharmacy of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery is supporting the students in their participation in these volunteering task forces through continuous communication and believes that this mobilisation of students is a demonstration of practising what the students are learning in their formative years at the University, namely that of nurturing the values of professionalism, solidarity and altruism.
Surely, this is a learning activity for the students and their contribution is very valid in the different strategies to sustain the pharmaceutical services as Malta fights the COVID-19 pandemic.