MAHE Association of Pharmacy Students(MAPS) under Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences hosted the first ever Good Pharmacy Practice education conference from 2nd-5th March in India. This was hosted under the banner of the International Pharmaceutical Student Federation(IPSF). At present, MAPS is the only member representing India. The aim of this conference is to implement and inculcate good pharmacy practices and train and develop future leaders who can achieve the overall goal of establishing a consistent standard of pharmacy practice across the world.
Day one started off with the inauguration. It is a part of Indian culture to invoke the blessings on the almighty so the ceremony started with lighting of the lamp by the Chief Guest, Dr. K Satyamoorthy, Director, School of Life Sciences, MAHE, Manipal, who gave the students a message of encouragement and wished them the best.
Ms. Yoonjung Choi, Chairperson IPSF APRO gave an overview of GPPEd. Dr. C Mallikarjuna Rao, Principal, MCOPS also spoke about the importance of hosting international events. The keynote address was delivered by Guest of Honor, Dr. Raghavendra Shetty, Assistant Vice President, Navitas Life Sciences on the topic Role of Analytical in Drug Development. The ceremony was followed by an ice-breaking session where all the delegates were given tasks to get to know each other better and develop a connection which could last a lifetime.
The last event that was scheduled prior to lunch was a CPR(Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) workshop. The workshop was hosted by TempusPrestiso, a student committee of Kasturba Medical College headed by Dr. Prithvi who works in the Emergency medicine department of the hospital. The class was conducted in the medical simulation center in the KMC library. The delegates were segregated into groups of five and each team was provided with a work station. Further, she divided the workshop into four segments. First, the students took a pre-test to gain a rough idea about their knowledge of providing CPR. Following the test, the students were then shown a video that explained the basics of CPR. Dr.Prithvi then taught the audience do’s and don’ts while giving CPR. According to Dr.Prithvi, more than 90% of cardiac arrests occur outside a hospital and often the doctors in the ER are helpless due to the lack of first-aid to the patient. Hence, she emphasized that knowledge on the correct form of CPR was crucial regardless of age and occupation.
The first workshop scheduled post-lunch was the Herbal Compounding workshop at the Pharmacognosy lab (AYUSH) in Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The workshop lasted for three hours and it was headed by Dr.Archana Kamath, MD in Ayurveda Rasashastri , SOLS, MAHE and Dr.Vasudev Pai, Asst. professor, Dept. of Pharmacognosy, MCOPS. The workshop mainly consisted of compounding two types of formulations, one a hair oil which didn’t have specific ingredients. Dr. Archana stated that one could tailor it to their comfort. Next was a formulation that helped with digestion, thirst and worked as an appetizer. The students thoroughly enjoyed concocting the two liquids and were proud of how the end products turned out to be. It was highly educational and also gave the delegates a glimpse of traditional Indian medicine.
Compounding is an age-old tradition that a pharmacist is bestowed with. Although modern times mandate lesser application of this skill, a pharmacist is still expected to know the intricacies of his trade which include skills in compounding. Mr. Jose, a compounding pharmacist at Kasturba Hospital Manipal, and an alumnus of Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences conducted the workshop. The session started with a brief interactive introduction into the subject, addressing questions about the need for compounding, various licences available, and the various pharmaceutical preparations that mandate compounding.
The participants were then briefed about the methods of compounding drugs meant for different uses. A couple of numerical problems were used to test their attention and grasp over the topic. They were even made to read out the manufacturing and compounding labels of a few drugs for familiarization.
The workshop then moved onto the therapeutics lab where the students gained hands-on experience of compounding 10% Sodium benzoate. They were assisted by Mr. Jose and Mr. Shivanand Shettigar. The workshop gave them a complete experience starting from masks, gloves and other precautionary measures. This was followed by a brief interaction with students regarding their experience. Mr. Jose shared the importance of Sodium benzoate and also the solutions to the numericals he had given before. The students were intrigued, especially by the method of teaching the resource person had adopted. Foreign nationals who attended the workshop were fascinated by their Manipal experience and expressed their gratitude towards the hosts.
The delegates witnessed a celebration of Indian culture that evening which was titled the Indian night. The delegates were welcomed with a traditional Indian aarti and flower petals. The hall was beautifully decorated with lamps and décor which showcased Indian handicrafts. The evening was filled with Bollywood dance and Hindustani music which portrayed the richness of our cultural heritage. Day one ended successfully with all the participants looking forward to day two.
Written by-
Sriya, Anushna, Vinay, Suhita
Photographed by-
Devansh, Rizwan, Semanti, Shruti, Saradindu
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