BERITA KAMPUS
Issue
Written on 6th May 2024
ALLERGIES AWARENESS AND SAFE MEDICATION ARE THE PILLARS OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL FIELD
Students participating in a mini-game of the program, Respond With Care: A Deep Dive into Allergy Awareness and Medication Safety.( Source by Sumayya Fauzi)
MAIN CAMPUS, 6TH MAY - Allergy awareness and safe medication was given strong emphasis through a program, Respond With Care: A Deep Dive into Allergy Awareness and Medication Safety, a talk and demonstration program held by the members of Jalinan Antara Universiti Dan Industri (JATI) with the collaboration of Alpro Pharmacy.
According to the project director, Tan Siu Ying, the program that took place on May 4th, Saturday from 9 am to 12 pm was held to educate students studying in the course of pharmaceutical work on allergy awareness and safe medication use when treating patients.
“It is vital that our young emerging pharmacists of JATI understand what safe medication truly is as not everyone can consume the pills or drugs that doctors prescribe as they may be allergic to its contents. Hence, the program held today was a way for them to study the various symptoms and signs and what kind of drug should be prescribed for that particular patient,” said Tan Siu Ying.
“Aside from having a program that educates the pharmacy students, the program was also open to students from other schools. This is done to ensure that they understand the importance of recognizing the symptoms and signs of an allergic reaction which could also be life-threatening like Anaphylaxis,” added Tan Siu Ying.
Tan Siu Ying emphasized that though most people are not well-versed in the medical field, people need to recognize and avoid allergens by taking extra precautions.
Tan Siu Ying also mentioned that the collaboration of JATI with Alpro Pharmacy was based on a shared commitment to enhancing public health education.
“Alpro Pharmacy has its expertise and resources in pharmacy practice which compliments our goals of promoting knowledge and safety in medication use and allergy management. Thus, our collaboration was done to ensure a high-quality delivery of practical information to the participants. It is also the reason we invited Tang Shin Wei as our speaker of the program since she is a community pharmacist, a Certified PainWISE Advance Pharmacist and a Certified Advanced Wound Care Provider,” said Tan Siu Ying.
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Souvenir giving session with Tang Shin Wei, the speaker of Respond With Care: A Deep Dive into Allergy Awareness and Medication Safety. (Source by Sumayya Fauzi)
According to the secretary of the program, Joyce Pang Kai Sze, a game showcasing case studies was done during the program as a practice session.
“The objective as mentioned earlier is to enhance participants’ understanding and awareness of possible allergic reactions from various allergens. Thus, the case studies train our pharmacy students to learn about appropriate medications for different health conditions and improve their ability to recognize allergic reactions,” said Joyce.
Aside from case studies, Joyce stated that participants would also learn about the classification of antihistamines and steroids used for treating allergies and how to respond to Anaphylaxis, such as using the Epi-Pen.
A participant of the program, Nur Adriana Mohamed Jamil, Mathematics 2, stated that though the program was not aligned with the course she is currently pursuing, she gained a lot of insight into the importance of safe medication.
“I certainly did not expect that allergy awareness is important. Though the program is concentrated on information and facts that are more to science, I feel that I was able to grasp what was taught today on what is safe medication and how we should consult a doctor from time to time,” said Nur Adriana.
“I understood the reason why our allergies are activated at irregular and differing times and it is because of our immune system. That is something that I never understood until today. From this program and as a person with mild allergies, I finally understand how our systems in the body coordinate. Thus, I am aware of the precautions I need to take,” said Nur Adriana.
Nur Adriana stated that she hopes that more programs such as this will be held as it clears the various doubts people have, especially in the aspect of health since it is often overlooked.
Text: Sumayya Fauzi/ Photo: Sumayya Fauzi
Created on: 6th May 2024
